Two Shall Make Them One (AU,CC,YTEEN) Pt 18 - 01/08/04 [WIP]

[LilyFrancesca]

Part 10

It would be some time until her Aunt came back and while they waited, Liz approached her parents. They were siting downstairs in the now closed cafe having coffee. “Mom? Dad?”

Jeff looked up and saw the uncertainty shinning in his daughter’s eyes and his heart went out to her. Holding up one of his hands, she ran over and grabbed it with both of hers. “I was so afraid you wouldn’t want me now that you knew what I was,” she cried.

“Not want you! Oh Lizzy, how could I not want my baby girl,” her mother replied.

Dropping to her knees between them, Liz hugged them to her. She had been anxious that they would be repulsed by what she was and her fear had lingered unnoticed into the back of her mind while she pondered what to do go get the boys back.

Now all she had to do was wait for her aunt to get in contact with her brother(!) and set up a meeting to find out what the hell he wanted and bring the boys home. The more she thought about what her aunt told her, the more she began to realize that she might have known all along. During times in her past, things her parents had said had struck her funny, but she had brushed them off and a slip of the tongue or a joke. Her instant affinity to Max could have been hormones, but if she thought about it, their relationship blossomed too quick, and this might be the reason she gave in and made love to him the night he escaped from the white room.


“Sweetheart, is there anything we can do to help?” her father asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She gave him a sad smile and replied, “I don’t think so, but I’ll let you know, okay?”

Her parents were a bit taken aback about their daughter’s origin, but she was the same girl they had always know and there was no reason to love her any less than with their whole hearts. They had always know she was special, but now they knew she was extraordinary.

###

Darlene shifted the truck into park and let out a sigh. She had not been back here in many years and the thought of facing Cyan made her want to weep. Before she left with Brandolie, he had confronted her with harsh words and accusations. She never would forget the betrayal she saw on his face and the disgust for her in his eyes. She hoped the years had softened his opinion of her, or the meeting she was trying to set up was doomed from the beginning.

Getting out of the truck, she made her way to the mine opening and ducking her head, she felt her way along the dark tunnel, letting her fingers guide her. When the wall ended, she stood upright and sighed again. Holding out her right hand, she formed a small ball of energy and sent it flying off toward the unseen ceiling. A moment past, then a faint hum began filling what she knew to be a large chamber. As the sound grew louder, her eyes were able to detect the faint glow of a screen floating downward. Using it’s light, she maneuvered her way thru the refuse littering the cavern's floor. Her arrival in the center of the room coincided with the final descension of the screen and with a slight hesitation, she placed her hand on the side of the Telasen.

The dark screen came to life and closing her eyes, she sent it a picture of the person she was trying to locate. When his face came into focus, she was startled to see the last twenty years had been etched on his beloved face. “Cyan?” she whispered.

His eyes narrowed and he stared at her silently for a moment. “You look different,” he said finally.

Cursing herself for not remembering he wouldn’t know her in this form, she replied, “Sorry. I forgot you didn’t know.”

“What do you require from me, Rypas?” he asked, his voice flat.

Your forgiveness! Your understanding! Your love back! she wanted to scream at him but she knew her pleas would fall on deaf ears. Her decision to come to earth killed any feeling Cyan might have felt for her and only Liz’s happiness was her concern now.

“I need to contact Kivar.”

“What, didn’t he give you the means before he sent you to that accursed planet,” Cyan spat, and Darlene flinched at the venom in his voice.

“No. We thought it best that Brandolie should be allowed to live a normal life, what ever happened.”

“Did you? Isn’t that sweet. And how is our little princess? She must be all grown up by now.”

Biting back a curse at his sarcasm, Darlene asked, “Is it possible for you to connect me with Kivar or not?”

“I didn’t give you this Telasen for you to use me as a go between, Rypas.”

“I know full well why you gave it to me Cyan, but as you have so elegantly shown me, there was never a reason for me to contact you before this.”

“What about our love?” he said softly, then snorted in contempt. “Oh yes, that’s right, I must have forgotten. You chose the usurper and his bastard of a sister over us.”

Turning away from the screen, she tried to get a hold on her raging emotions. She knew facing him was going to be a trial, but she never anticipated that his hatred would have made him so different from the caring man she once knew. Telling herself that her decision had been the right one, she turned back and was about to ask again for the connection, but he stopped her with his words.

“The years have been long without, Ry. You can’t imagine how many hours I spent in front of this screen begging for it to come alive and to be able to see your face again if only a moment. Now that time has come and all I see is a human wearing your soul in her eyes.” Looking off to his left, he waved his hand over something she couldn’t see.

Turning back to her, he said, “There, all you need to do is activate the screen again and you will be able to connect with him. Once you do, the Telasen will link to him from now on.”

“Cyan, please,” she whispered. “please know I only did this out of desperation. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Touching the screen with his finger tips, he said, “I know.” When his hand dropped, the screen went dark and a cry escaped her lips.

Tears that she had never been able to shed, spilled down her checks and for the first time since her merger with Darlene, Rypas felt herself alone in her own mind. Memories came to the surface and she was drawn back to her former life as if she never left it.

“So what do you say?” Cyan asked, brushing a lock of hair off her check with a gentle caress.

Leaning into his touch, she looked up into his eyes and felt her heart swell with love. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think that someone could ever love her; the freak, the outcast.

“What about your family? They’ll disown you when they see who you brought home to be your bride,” she replied.

“I don’t care what they think,” he reassured her but she had her doubts.

For most of her life she had been a disgrace for her own family. Up until her eight birthing day, she had been the darling of her father’s eye until that fateful day when her world became a nightmare that never ended. She and her brother were playing a game of seek and find and she had decided to hide in the kitchens. Scurrying under a table, she pulled a cloth toward the end to hide her from sight. Only, she didn’t know that in doing so, a plasma fueled warmer was pulled along with it and now teetered along the edge right above her head. Hearing her brother’s approach, she readjusted the cloth and with that final tug, the warmer fell and the contents of the warmer along with the highly flammable plasma landed on her face and burned the left side, from her nose to her chin, to a crisp. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was the sickening smell if roasting meat and she knew it was her own face the smell came.

After weeks of recovery she had been allowed out of bed and the first chance she got, she looked at herself in a mirror. She was shocked to see the extent of the damage. Below her left nostril and continuing down her neck, an angry red scar had twisted the once perfect flesh into a gross parity of her features. Reaching up to touch it, her nanny cried, “No, don’t.”

Not turning to look at her she asked, “Why? Why wasn’t this fixed by the healers? I’ve seen them bring someone nearly dead, this should have been easy for them to fix.”

Her nanny pulled her away from the looking glass and turned her to face her. “My pet, there wasn’t any time. When you were found, half of the kitchen was ablaze and three others were hurt worse than you. It took all of the healer’s strength to bring them back and make them whole. When it found that you were injured, the damage was already done and they were powerless to fix it.”

“But father must know someone who can do something! How am I suppose to live like this? You know how our world is. Beauty is a source of power. Looking like this, I will only be burden on the family.”

“No pet, have no worries. Your family will love you no matter what you look like. Trust me.”

But it had been a lie. When her parent saw her, they had been disgusted by their youngest child and sent her to live at one of the country estates. There, alone with only a handful of servants well past their years, she grew and learned to hide her ugliness. It had only been when facial scarves for woman had come into fashion, that she had been allowed to return to the townhouse in the city.

It was during that time she met Cyan and the two had fallen in love. She ahd fought the attraction for months, by Cyan had been persistent and in fit of despair for him wasting his life on her, she removed her veil and showed him the real reason he couldn’t love her.

She had closed her eyes as she ripped of the scarf, refusing to see the familiar sight of horror reflected in his eyes and when she heard him move, she knew she was destined to be alone forever.
His hand on her face made her jump and her eyes snap open. Before her was the man of her dreams, gently caressing her scar and when her gaze met his, it was glowing brightly with love.

“Is this why you thought I couldn’t love you?” he asked in a raspy voice.

Unable to speak, she nodded her head and he let out a laugh.

“Dearhart, I have always know what lay beneath that infernal veil. I was only waiting for you to show me yourself before commenting on it.”

“You-you knew?”

“Yes. Your brother took great pleasure in informing me of your humiliation as he called it, when I first started coming here to help with your Father’s accounts. Believe me, if it wasn’t for the fact he was your brother, I would have called him out years ago.”

“My face doesn't make you sick?”

“How could it? It’s a part of you and there is nothing in the world I love more than you.”

Not believing her ears, she had thrown her arms around him and to her amazement, he rubbed his own perfect check against her misshapen one and she felt the love she had been holding back break thru and warm her from the tip of her toes to the top of her head.

“Marry me,” he demanded and she agreed. And for one beautiful day, the world was perfect.

The following day, when his family learned his choice of a bride, they had him spirited away and that was when Kivar had approached her with his plan of sending his sister to Earth. Her and Kivar had know each other from childhood. Her family’s estate bordered hers and he and Brandolie had been frequent guest before her accident. Brandolie had written to her throughout out the years and when the oh so beautiful Kivar had called on her during her darkest hour, she took up his offer to see her friend born again.


She had not been on Antar when Kivar took the throne by force, but had been there during the aftermath. She had seen with her own eyes what the hunger for power can make a man do, but on the opposite side of the same coin, the desire for forgiveness can be stronger.

His heartfelt plea for his sister’s life, made her decide that people could change and if she was to give Cyan the life he deserved, one without her in it, she would go and become her protector on Earth. Plans were set into motion and on the day before her departure, Cyan escaped from his family and found her.

“Have you lost your mind?” he had asked to her, coming up the stairs to her room.

She turned and felt her knees go weak at the sight of him. Over the last few week, she had tried to convince herself that her time with him had been nothing but a dream and that what she was doing would be the best for all of them. Seeing him there, love and rage warring in his eyes, she knew that everything she had felt had been real and for the first time since Kivar had approached her, she had doubts.

Cyan had stormed over to her and taking her shoulders into his hands, he gave her a shake. “Answer me,” he demanded.

“No”

“Then explain to me why you would help that bastard.”

“Brandolie. I’m doing this for Brandolie.”

“Nonsense. We both know your running away.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes it is.” Dropping his hands, he stepped back. “I thought you loved me.”

“I do, but it’s not that simple. You saw the way your family reacted when they found out about me. Your family is your whole life, you’ve told me that hundred of time and who am I to take you away from them?”

“Your my family! I don’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks. Why can’t you believe me?”

“Because you live in a fantasy world if you believe that! Do you think we’ll be accepting in society with me looking like this? How do you expect to keep your business going when you have a freak for a wife?” Shaking her head she said quietly, “No. I will not let you throw away everything for me. I’m going to earth with Brandolie and that’s final. There is nothing you can say to change my mind.”

“It’s been a lie. Your love is nothing but a lie and I fell for it,” he cried. Turning from her, he pulled a package from his coat and placed it on the table near the door. Without turning he said, “I will always be your friend, Ry. If you ever need me, call.”

She had watched him leave and when she was sure he was gone, she rushed to the table and opened the package. Inside was a new version of the Telasen that their people had been using for generations to communicate across vast distances. Unfolding the pliable screen, she saw that it had been keyed for him alone and she burst into tears, knowing she would never use it.

Releasing her memories, Darlene wiped the wetness from her face and steeled her spine. Placing her hand onto the Telasen, she sent it an image of Kivar and waited for it to find him.

“Who’s there?” asked a silky voice out of view.

“It’s Rypas, Kivar,” she replied.

Stepping in front of his screen, he said, “You look human.”

“Long story, old friend. Tell me, do you have the boys?”

His upper lip twitched and he replied, “Yes and they are just like Brandolie was at their age.”

“She’s frantic about there welfare. Wasn’t there a better way to get her to meet with you? If I know Liz, she probably would have done so if you asked.”

“Not with Zan about.” he said and barked out a laugh. “Did you set those two up?”

“No. It was chance that brought them together, though from what Liz has told me, Zan has loved her from the moment he first saw her.”

“Life is so ironic, don’t you think, Rypas. I send my sister to live a normal life away from our world and what happens? She has children with our former king.”

“Which brings us back to the reason why you took Tristan and Samuel in the first place.”

“It was drastic, I know, but now she will have no choice but to come back with me to Antar. Her boys hold the future for us. They are living proof that hybrids can reproduce and ensure the lives of our people.”

Darlene was shocked to here this. She had always know Kivar was a bit twisted, but this was going too far. “You sent your sister here as an experiment?” she asked, disgust evident in her voice.

“My intentions were to give her a new life, free of me and the problems back home, but I didn’t have a choice. You were sent to watch over her, my sister and the only friend you had after you accident, because I knew she represented everything for us and I realized you would take care of her like no one else. Our people are dying, Rypas and what the dowager Queen started fifty years ago, has given us a chance for life.”

“But why not tell me of your plans? If I had know all the facts, I would have helped you, you know that.”

“I couldn’t risk Brandolie not having a normal life. If you knew, would you have given it to her? Or would you have studied her like a rat in a maze?”

She knew he had a point and she dropped her accusing gaze. Her ignorance had given her the freedom to give Liz over to the Parkers and allow them to raise her as a normal human, what ever might happen.

“She wants to meet with you.”

“I thought she might.”

“Zan and the others know the truth.”

“I need you to convince them that she is the only one I will talk to. If Zan comes with her, he won’t allow me to take them with me when I return home.”

“Your going to kidnap them?”

“No. I hope to convince my sister that her returning with me will be for the grater good. Our worlds need to see that the plan the scientists have come up with will work and they are the proof.”

“And what plan is that?”

“Unlike my sisters and the rest of the royal family, who we created, they plan on introducing human dna into the populace with the hopes of regenerating ourselves. In a generation or two, the gene pool should be so muddied, that the thing that is killing us, will be gone.”

Looking intently into his face, Darlene weighted the facts and her feeling for the being glowing brightly on the screen before her. The return of the boys was paramount, but the death of five worlds also hung in the balance. She had to be assured that Kivar wouldn’t just take Liz and the boys and make a run for Antar.

“I want to be there.”

“Agreed.”

“Where are you now?”

“In my command ship orbiting the planet.”

“You’re going to have to bring the boys with you. Liz won’t believe anything you say until she sees for herself that they are all right.”

Looking down Kivar surveyed a map of the land surrounding Roswell. With a slight smile upon his lips he said, “Copper Summit. I’ll met you in two days at Copper Summit.”

“Copper Summit? That was the place of the Harvest.”

“I know. Though I haven’t been in contact with you, I have monitored others on the planet.”

“Do you promise not to take Liz without her permission?”

“I do. I’m positive that she will agree to come.”

“I wished I shared your confidence.”

Flashing her a familiar smile he said before cutting off the connection, “Trust me, there is nothing Brandolie wouldn’t do for me, then or now.”

[LilyFrancesca]

Here's an itty bitty part to tide ya over for a while


Part 11

It had been a few hours since her aunt’s departure and Liz and the others had arranged themselves about her balcony, waiting for her guardian to return with some news. Liz was gazing thru her telescope at the night sky when she heard someone walk up behind her. She was surprised to hear Isabel's voice ask, “Hey, how you doing?”

Stepping back from the telescope, she turned to face her. “As good as can be expected, I guess,” she replied.

“Liz, I wanted to apologize for the way I’ve acted since you came back,” she began, but Liz stopped her.

“No Isabel, it’s okay. If Max was my brother, I might have acted the same way.”

“I doubt it,” Iz scoffed. “Knowing you, you would have sat me down and let explain my self before flying off the handle the way I did that morning in the Crash. There is no excuse for the way I acted but I was so angry at the way you made Max hurt.”

“You now understand why I had to leave, though right? If your mother’s message was to be believed, I had no right to interfere with him and Tess and when I found out I was pregnant, I knew more than ever that I couldn’t be around him, loving him, but never being able to have him.”

Isabel placed her hand on her arm and asked softly, “You still love him, don’t you?”

“I never stopped,” Liz admitted, just as softly. “When Max save my life, he set me on a different course that until then, was so focused and driven, that there wasn’t any room in my life for any one else. Now I have the boys, all of you, a brother who may or may not be a monster and a sister I know nothing about.”

“Trust me, when Tess finds out your related, nothing is going to keep her from your side. While you were gone, we became friends and inside, she’s like the rest of us, confused and wanting nothing more than to belong.”

Liz gave her a smile and Isabel returned it. She hoped that now the tension between them would disappear and they could focus all their energy to the task at hand.

“Liz?” called a voice from in the apartment and she shot to her feet.

“Out here, Aunt,” she called.

Darlene walked into the bedroom and saw six pairs of eyes staring at her intently. Realizing it would be better to tell Liz privately, she motioned for her to come into the room. Max made to follow. Darlene shook her head slightly and Liz stopped him. “No Max. Wait here, I’ll be back.”

Not seeing his look of frustration, Liz climbed back into her room and her aunt pulled her into the hallway. “Did you get a hold of him?” Liz asked.

“Yes.” she replied. “We have set to meet in two days time, but there is a stipulation.”

“Like what?”

“Only you and I are to meet with him.”

“What about Max? He is the boys’ father.”

“I know, but Kivar needs to talk to you without Zan present, influencing you. You need to make this decision alone without outside input.”

“What decision?”


“Kivar will explain that when we see him.”

“If I’m to do this on my own, why are you allowed to come?”

“I’m going to make sure he keeps his side of the bargain.”

“Which is?”

“To tell you the truth and to keep him from taking you along with the boys.”

“Me? Why?”

“I can say no more. Liz, you’re going to have to trust me.”

“What bout Tris and Sammy?”

“They will be there, returned to you safe and sound.”

“What am I going to tell the others?”

“Whatever you need to. The only way your going to get the boys back is if you meet him alone.”

Liz closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. She knew the others weren't going to let her go alone, so she was going to need some help. A picture of Tess popped into her mind and she knew she had her answer. Lucky for her, Kyle and Tess were due back tomorrow from Phoenix and Liz hoped what Isabel told her was true, that Tess would be willing to help her sister.


###

“I hate all this secrecy,” Max spat, walking away from the window and slamming his hand on the wall. “I don’t trust this Darlene woman. She is keeping too many things to herself.”

“Max, I’ve known Darlene for my whole life,” Maria said. “She would never do anything to hurt Liz, I can guarantee it.”

“Liz, yes, but what about the rest of us? She told Liz that her and Kivar we’re friends and that Liz was his sister. Don’t forget he killed us before. What makes you think he won’t do it again?”

“Max I....” she said.

“Thanks Maria, but I know I’m right about this. She will protect Liz and the boys, but we have to watch out for ourselves. Whatever she’s telling Liz in there, I’m sure we’ll only hear a part of it, not the whole story. I for one am not going to sit back and let Kivar and his minion rule my life.”

“Max is right,” Michael piped in. “I know your going to think that that I’m just paranoid with everybody new, but I don’t think we can trust her. I vote we keep an eye on her. And not tell Liz we’re doing it.”

“Not tell Liz?” asked Alex. “That’s like we don’t trust her either.”

“We don’t,” Max stated.

“Max! It’s Liz we’re talking about,” Isabel said.

“I know,” he said, looking up at the heavens. “The past three years have changed her and all of us. We have gone thru a lot since she left and I don’t think she understands the threat we face. I am only making sure that we all make it though this in one piece.”

“She’s coming back,” Isabel noted and they all turned to watch Liz climb back thru the window.

“Well?” Max asked.

“She’s set up a meeting. She’s only waiting for Kivar to contact her with the time and place,” she said, trying hard to meet his gaze. If she was going to pull this off, she was going to have to convince them she was telling them the whole truth.

“So we’re expected to sit around and wait like sheep?” Michael asked, and Max shot him a warning glare.

“I want my boys back as soon as possible, but I’m not willing to jeopardize them by making demands,” she replied.

She’s lying, Max thought. They may have spent the last few years apart, but Liz’s lying skills had not improved. “Is that all she told you?”

Liz nodded.

“Fine. When you get the call, let me know.” he spat, and climbed down off the balcony.

Liz watched him and one by one, the others until she alone remained on the balcony. Taking a deep breath, she tried to hold back the tears threatening to fall, knowing they served no purpose, but in that instant, she had never felt more alone.

[LilyFrancesca]

Hey all! Thanks so much for the feedback. You guys make my day! Here is the next part and I hope to get more 2 u soon.

Part 12

“Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. and Mrs. Valenti,” Jeff parker said as the couple walked into the cafe.

Tess blushed prettily, still not use to her new name. Since breaking out of her pod all those years ago, she had been using a name she never felt belonged to her. With the change of her surname, she finally felt she had an identity of her own, with all the added perks. Glancing at her husband of eight days, her eyes sparkled with love.

“Yes, the prodigal son had returned,” Kyle smiled. “Did we miss anything while we were gone?”

A dark looked passed over Jeff’s face and Kyle tensed at the fear and pain he saw there. “Mr. Parker, what is it?”

“I think you should go and talk to Liz,” was his only reply.

###

“Liz!” Kyle called as he and Tess walked up the stairs to the apartment above.

“Kyle? Is that you?” she called back.

There was a note of sadness and anger in her voice that sent a chill though him. Grabbing Tess’s hand, he hurried her up the remaining stairs.

They found her sitting at the kitchen table which was covered in pictures of the boys. Her eyes were red rimmed and he could see sings of fatigue in the set of her shoulders. “Liz?”

Looking up, Liz hated that she had to burst the bubble of happiness she could feel radiating from them, but she needed Tess’s help. She knew the moment Tess entered the building and had tried hard to compose herself before they came up. “i’m glad your here. The both of you.”

Tess was startled to see that Liz had meant what she said. Since her return to Roswell, Tess had wanted to clear the air between them, but with the wedding and everything, there hadn’t been time. Kyle had told her that Liz knew what had happened between her and Max and now understood. Regardless of that fact, Tess still wanted to explain her side. It would be the only way they could become the friends she hoped they could be.

Pulling out a chair, Kyle sat next to Liz. “Tell me,” was all he said and as Liz told her tale of the last week he felt his jaw slowly drop at the revelations.

Liz shifted her gaze to her sister and tried to gauge her reaction to their new found relationship. Flashes of all the hateful things the two had done to one another in the past, surfaced in her mind and she prayed they would be able to overcome them. She needed Tess’s help to get the boys back and forgiveness could go a long way.

Tess watched the hope in Liz’s eyes flare and die as she remained quiet. A thought popped into her head and she blurted, “No wonder we were rivals. Isn’t that what happens between sister?”

Kyle let out a laugh and the tension that had been building in the silence, shattered. “Looks like we’re going to be related after all,” he said to his galactic sister-in-law.

“So you’ll help?” Liz asked hopefully.

“That’s what family’s for,” Tess replied with a smile.

###

“I still say the others should know where your going,” Tess said again. Holding back information only led to trouble.

“I don’t have a choice,” Liz said, peering thru the blinds on the window of the cafe. Alex was slumped low in his car, but Liz could still see him watching the entrance.

Since finding out about the meeting with Kivar, Liz’s every movement had been tracked by her friends. Their distrust of her didn’t come as much of a shock as it should have, Her sorry excuse hadn’t fooled anyone, but she didn’t think they would go to this drastic measure.

“How long before we can leave?” she asked her aunt. “It looks like Alex is the only one on guard right now.”

“Don’t forget Maria and Michael,” warned Kyle.

“I haven’t. The lunch rush is about to start and with the convention in town, they won’t have any time to worry about where I’ve gotten to. They’ll figure Alex will be trailing me.”

“We can leave whenever your ready,” Darlene said, coming up behind her. Slinging a back-pac over one shoulder, she was as prepared as she was ever going to get. She still wasn’t comfortable with the location of the meeting and she had taken as many precautions as she could to ensure Liz and and the boys’ safety.

Taking one last scan of the street, Liz turned to her sister and said, “Okay Tess, do your thing.”


###

“Just my luck,” muttered Alex, wiping sweat off his brow. “I get stuck on surveillance on one of the hottest days of the year.”

When Isabel had called him this morning to beg him to take her shift, he had told no way. He wasn’t happy with spying on Liz, no matter what Max said. Liz was his friend and he wasn’t about to betray that friendship by laying a part in Max’s sick deception.

“Alex, please!” Isabel had begged. “I forgot I had this thing for the children’s home with my Mother. Do it for the children.”

“What about the others?”

“Max has to work and Maria and Michael have the lunch shift.”

“Then M & M can watch her.”

“No they can’t. Don’t forget, Liz doesn't work at the cafe anymore. Please Alex, I’m begging here. I know for a fact you don’t have anything planned today.”

He knew he didn’t stand a chance when Isabel pleaded with him like that. He was such a chump and now here he was, spying on his best friend.

Looking down at his laptop, he reread the entry in the journal Max instead the watchers keep. Eleven twenty: Kyle and Tess enter Cafe. If Max thinks I’m going to give him any more details than that, he’s crazy, he thought.

Spying a movement out of the corner of his eye, Alex turned and saw Tess come out alone. About to comment on it, he felt his eyes grow heavy and close.

This heat is awful, he thought, leaning his head back on the seat. I can barely keep my eyes open. Isabel won’t mind if I take a few minutes to relax. Liz isn’t going anywhere, while Kyle and her sister are there.


###

Tess concentrated on the boy sitting in the blue Honda with a singular determination. If Liz and Darlene were going to make it ot Copper Summit in time for the meeting, they had to leave now and she was the only one who could get them out unnoticed.

The heat is unbearable. You won’t be doing anything wrong if you close your eyes and rest. Liz is inside the Cafe with Kyle and Tess. Michael and Maria will keep an eye on her until you awake. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

Opening her eyes, Tess looked over at her mark and was pleased to see him out cold. Liz had asked her not to use her powers to do anything bad to Alex and she readily agreed. During her years on the run with Nesadeo, she had made to do many things she regretted and she planned on staring out her new relationship with Liz on the right foot.

Turning, she gave her head a nod and waited for the front door to open before stepping off the sidewalk. “Maria and Michael?” she asked.

“Out back,” Liz replied.

Giving into a strange impulse, Tess pulled Liz into her arms and whispered, “Take care of yourself.”

Liz was ridged in her embrace until she heard her words, then hugged her back. “I will.”

Kyle came out and pulled Tess into his arms. The two of them watched as Liz and Darlene crossed the street and got into the car parked behind Alex’s. Darlene had rented it yesterday and with luck, they should be in Copper Summit in seven hours.

[LilyFrancesca]

Part 13

“Michael, your ass is ringing,” Maria said, coming thru the break room doors into the kitchen.

“Huh? what?” he asked, trying to wipe the sweat from his brow, flip a burger and plate a special.

“I said, your ass is ringing,” she said. Walking over to the grill, she pulled a cell phone out of his back pocket. “Since when could you afford a cell? You just hit me up last week to pay the cable.”

Scowling at her, he dropped his spatula and snatched to phone form her hand. “It’s not mine, it’s Max’s. He had a feeling that Liz might make her move soon and he wanted me to check in with him.”

“So why is he calling you?”

“If you haven’t noticed, this place is crazy today and I forgot.” Hitting the talk button, he said, “What.”

“Nice to talk to you too,” Max said, keeping his voice low. The boss frowned on him using the phone for personal reasons and he didn’t want to get caught. “How are things going?”

“Shitty, this place is nuts.”

“Any sign of movement from Liz or Darlene?”

“Last time I saw them, they were having coffee with Kyle and Tess.”

“When was that?”

“I don’t know Max. A while ago, I guess. Isn’t Isabel out front tracking their every move?”

“No, she had to do something with Mom, so she got Alex to cover her shift.”

“There you go, bases covered.”

“Could you just look and see if she’s there please.”

“Fine. Hold on a sec.” Michael leaned out the pick up window and quickly scanned the dining room. The table that Liz and the others had occupied was now overrun with men in ugly suits and Kyle and Tess were sitting at the counter.

“I don’t see them,” he said into the phone. Turning to Maria he asked, “Did Liz go upstairs?”

“No. She’s out with Kyle and Tess,” she replied.

“Not anymore.” Putting the phone back to his ear, he said, “She’s gone. I’ll run out and see if Alex saw anything.”

“Call me back,” Max said and hung up the office phone. Leaning back into the chair, he knew that it was already too late; Liz was gone.

Slamming his hand on the desk, he growled, “Damn!” before getting to his feet and ripping off his vest. Running down the stairs, he pulled Brody away from his tour group and whispered, “Hey, I got to go. Emergency.”

Concern crossed Brody’s face as he asked, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, nothing to worry about, but I need to go. I might not be back until next week. I’ll call Kevin and have him cover my shifts.”

“No, that okay, I’ll call him. Go, I’ll see ya later.”

“Thanks,” Max said and ran up the steps and out the front door.

###

“Dude! Dude, wake up!” Michael called while he banged on the window of Alex’s car.

Alex opened his eyes and looked from side to side. Michael's voice caught his attention and he rolled down the window. “Michael, what’s going on?”

“You fell asleep,” Michael berated.

“I did?” Sitting up straighter in the seat, Alex ran a hand over his face. Dropping it to his lap, he hit his laptop and his memory returned. Flipping it open, he keyed the last entry and read it. Looking at his watch, he realized he must have been asleep for almost an hour.

“She’s gone right?” Max asked, jogging up to the car.

“Yeah, how’d you know?’ Michael asked.

“Makes sense. Why else would she be having coffee with Tess, if she didn’t plan on using her powers to cover her tracks.” Max replied pissed he didn’t see it earlier. “Was Tess still at the cafe?”

“She was when I left,” Michael said, but Max was half way across the street. Following him, he heard Alex get out of his car and run to catch up.

Max pulled open the front door of the restaurant so hard the bell fell to the floor with a clank. Seeing Tess sitting at the counter, he strode over to her and spun her on her stool. “Where did they go,” he demanded in a flat voice.

“Nice to see you too, Max.” she replied calmly, but a widening of her eyes showed her alarm.

“Keep your hands off my wife, Max,” growled Kyle, getting to his feet.

“No, it’s okay,” Tess placated him. When he didn’t back down, she placed her hand on his arm and said, “Trust me.”

Never taking his eyes off Max, Kyle sat back down,but his muscles remained rigid, ready to spring to his wife’s defense.

“I asked you a question,” Max said.

“They went to meet with Kivar,” she replied.

“We’ve figured that out already,” snapped Michael. “Where is the meeting?”

Tess dropped her chin and looked at the floor. From the moment Liz proposed her plan on sneaking past the others, she had been against it. Max had a right to help get his kids back and Tess had pleaded with Liz to no avail.

“This is why you wanted to hang out here,” Kyle said, breaking into her thoughts. “You knew the others would see Liz had gone and you planned on telling them,” Kyle said, shocked.

“Max has the right to be there. The boys are his too.”

“But she trusted us. Do you realize how hard it was for her to trust you?”

Blinking back tears at Kyle’s fierce loyalty for Liz, she said, “I know what Kivar is capable of and I don’t trust him. Liz and her aunt have been gone for an hour. They think they made it out undetected, so they won’t be rushing. If we go now, we will be able to make it to Copper Summit in time.”

“Copper Summit?” Max asked.

“Yeah. They’re going to Copper Summit.”

[LilyFrancesca]

Heyla friends! Sorry about not getting back to this sooner. Thanks for all the feedback, it make my day. See ya~ Krys

Part 14

“So are you going to let me in on what this meeting is all about, Darlene, or are you going to make me wait?” Liz asked, giving her aunt a quick glance before returning her gaze to the road.

Darlene let out a sigh and replied, “I told him that I would let him straighten everything out . All I ask is that you give him a chance to explain and nothing more.”

“He was at the wedding.”

“What?”

“He was at Tess and Kyle’s wedding. I bumped into him on the dance floor and we went onto the patio to talk.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“I didn’t realize who he was until a few days ago. My question is: why didn’t he try and talk to me then? Why did he take the boys, when he was well aware of who and where I was?”

“I don’t know.”

Liz counted to ten slowly under her breath. Her aunt’s refusal to disclose Kivar’s reasons had been eating at her and and with it, her trust. She loved the woman sitting next to her, but from the beginning, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something more was going on. Glancing down at the map on the seat between them, she saw that the turn off was close and she needed to keep an eye out for it. Tess had given her the instructions and with a small smile she hoped their plan had worked.


###

Kyle was behind the wheel of his Mustang with Tess at his side and Isabel in the back. Looking into the mirror, he could tell that Iz was wavering between anger and worry. Being pulled out of the children’s home and having to lie once again to her mother hadn’t been pretty and when he arrived to pick her up, she was seething.

“I knew this was going to happen,” she snapped, slipping into the back seat. “If Max would only learn to control her, we wouldn’t have this problem.”

“Since when did Max have any kind of backbone when it came to Liz?” he had asked, and she smiled like he hoped.

“Sorry you guys got dragged into this.”

“Not really dragged,” Tess muttered.

“What do you mean?”

Taking a deep breath, Tess turned to look at both of them and admitted, “This is actually going as planned.”

“By who?” Kyle asked.

“Liz and me.”

“This was all a set up?” Iz demanded.

“Not a set up, but a contingency. Liz called me last night and revised the plan we originally had with her and her aunt. She told me that she wasn’t willing to risk the lives of her children and she couldn’t bring herself to deny Max the right to protect the boys.”

“Holy shit.”

“You can say that again,” Iz said quietly. Leave it to Liz to go and surprise them, again. “And Max doesn’t know?”

“No, I never had the chance to tell him. He was pretty pissed at me.”

“You think? Okay, no more snide remarks. Tell me what Liz wants us to do.”


###

“Would you please slow down,” Maria said, grabbing the roll bar to keep from sliding across the back seat of the Jeep. “If we’re dead, we can’t help Liz.”

“I don’t think it’s Liz he’s worried about,” Michael said over the wind.

“When I get my hands on her.....” Max muttered. A vibration on his belt made him pull his foot off the gas petal and Maria let out a sigh of relief. “What?” he barked.

Looking at his best friend, Michael could only hear one side of the conversation, “We don’t have time./I don’t care what she says./And you believe her?”

Pulling over to the side of the road, Max came to skidding halt and waited as the red car following him, pulled along side. Looking over a the blonde, he asked, “Well?”

“Liz asked me to have us take the back way into town, while her and her aunt come in the main way.” Tess said.

“How does she know about the back way?”

“I told her about it. She wants us to take positions around the Universal Friendship League building.”

“What does she expect us to do?”

“She said she was willing to listen to what Kivar has to say, but she was not going to risk the boys. She told me that our primary function was to get them out safe.”

“And what about her?”

“She wants the boys safe. That’s all she said.”

“Typical Liz,” Michael said and Max had to agree. Even after all Kivar has done to her, she was still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“She doesn’t trust him,” Tess said reading the expression on his face. He looked at her and she continued, “She plans on only listening long enough to give us time to get the boys away, before taking off herself.”

“But it’s Kivar!” cried Maria. “What can Liz do against the maniac who killed all of you before?”

“I wouldn’t underestimate Liz’s power,” Tess replied. “She’s stronger than me and when it comes to the boys, I think her power would be unlimited.”

“A mother protecting of her young,” Iz said with a nod. “I sure as hell wouldn’t want to get caught between them if he tried to harm the boys.”

“Don’t forget about me,” Max said, a gleam in his eye. Pay back had been years in the making and his fingers itched to take out Kivar. “Okay, we should go. Is there a signal we should look for?”

“She’s going to send them out with Darlene. We take them and get the hell out.” Tess told them.

“Let’s get going, then.”

[LilyFrancesca]

Part 15

“This is what we’re going to do,” Liz said, driving slowly down the dirt street. Before them was the UFL building and she could see two men sitting on the front porch.

Darlene turned to look at her but said nothing. Although she wanted to direct Liz on how to handle things, she knew that Liz was only going to go along with the meeting, if it was on her terms.

“We both go in, but as soon as Kivar produces the boys, you are going to take them and go outside. Take them for a walk, whatever, but get them out of there.”

“Liz are you sure? Wouldn’t you want me there to help with Kivar?”

“Your going to do what I tell you!” she snapped. “The boys have to get out of there, no matter what and I will not let you or anyone get in the way of making sure they are safe.”

“Okay, what ever you want. But please, make sure you listen to what your brother has to say.”

“I said I would and I will. Just make sure the boys get out safe.”

###

“They are here,” Stym called from the front porch.

Kivar quit his pacing and straighten his jacket for the hundredth time. Never in his long lifetime, had he ever felt such trepidation. He tried to act as if this was nothing more than a trade negotiation, but in his heart, he knew the lives of his people depended on the outcome of this meeting.

Turning to look at his nephews, he couldn’t help but smile at the two. Not since Brandolie, had he ever felt such love for another being. The two charmers in the corner playing with a plasball, had laid siege on his heat and breached it without his knowledge or permission. After they had gotten over their initial shock at being taken away from their mother, they had adjusted, with what he soon learned, was typical three year old acceptance of what they couldn’t change and they adapted.

“Your Mother’s here,” he said, walking over and squatting down next to them.

“She is?” Sammy asked, a smile shining on his face.

“Yes. She should be coming thru those doors any moment.”

“Yeah!” Tristan cried, dropping the ball and getting to his feet.

###

“She’s here,” Michael said over the two way Max held in his hand. Peering around the building, Max could see a white car coming to a stop in front of the largest building in town.

“About time,” he whispered back and slowly scanned the area. Either Kivar had only been accompanied by the two on the porch and the the bays, or they were better hiders than they were. Tess had scanned the area as they approached and had only detected the five being in the UFL.

With silent agreement, Michael and Maria took up position along the route Liz would take entering the town, while Tess, Kyle, Isabel and himself, covered the perimeter. He wasn’t going to take any chances that Darlene would try and make a run for it as soon as she got the boys out of the building.
“What are we suppose to do now?” came Isabel’s voice over the radio.

“Stay put until I tell you,” Max told her “if things go bad, Tess and I will take out the two on the porch and you’ll provide cover for the boys. You read that Tess?”

“Gotcha,” Kyle said and gave his wife’s arm a squeeze. She was paler than usual and he could see the tension building in her emerald gaze. He gave a silent pryer to Buddha and returned his gaze to the street.

###

Liz climbed the porch steps and was stopped by one of the men stationed on either side of the door. Biting back a snarl, she quirked a brow at him. Giving her a small smile, the man bowed and held open one of the doors for her. Letting Liz pass, the man thrust out his arm and said, “She goes in alone.”

Darlene let out a laugh and said, “Darlin’, if you want to retain whatever life force you have, I suggest you get out of my way.”

“Let her in,” came a deep voice from inside and with a mocking bow, she was let past.

The interior of the building was darker than outside and Darlene let her eyes adjust before making her way into the room. Off to her right, Liz had both boys squeezed tightly to her and there were tears coursing down her cheek. Seeing the man standing toward the front of the room, she made her way over to him. Holding out her hands, she waited for her old friend to greet her.

“Rypas,” he said quietly and clasped her hands in friendship. “the Goddess shine on you.”

“And on you, my friend,” she replied. Turning to look at her niece, she said,“She is willing to listen.”

“That is all I ask.”

“She wants me to take the boys outside.”

“That’s fine. Take the plasball, they seem to like it.”

Nodding, Darlene dropped his hands and went over to Liz and the boys. “Hello, my dears.”

“Auntie!” they cried and threw themselves against her legs.

Giving each a squeeze, she bent down and suggested, “How bout we take that neat ball of yours and see how it throws?”

The boys’ eyes lit up and they looked to their mother for permission. Liz gave it with a smile, but to her aunt, she shot a look of warning. Darlene gave her a wink and with a boy on each hand, they went thru the front door and down the steps.

When they had left her sight, Liz finally turned to look at the handsome man she remembered from the wedding. Steeling her spine, she walked over to him and asked, “What do you want?”

Gods, she is beautiful, he thought, seeing the fire in her eyes. I have my work cut out for me. “Thank you for coming.”

She laughed, “Like I had a choice.”

“I’m sorry for that. I couldn’t think of any other way to get your attention.”

“How about asking me?”

“Would you have listened?”

“Probably not,” she admitted.

“Your so much like I remember.”

“Kivar listen,” she implored, with a shake of her head, “I”m not the sister you remember. I am someone totally different, with different memories and a new life. The woman you knew as Brandolie is dead and I’m here. Now what was so important that you had to steal my sons?”

Kivar looked at her flashing eyes and knew she was more like his sister of old than she knew. Hadn’t his beloved sister committed suicide rather than live in world where her own family killed those she loved?

Taking a deep breath, he began. “After the fall of the royal line,” she quirked a brow at his choice of words, but he ingnored it, “our people began to die. At first we thought it was a plague or something, but when the cause evaded our best scientists for years, one ingenious little fellow decided to check our genetic make up. There he found that because our evolution began with two hundred settlers from a planet who’s name we have all but forgotten, there wasn’t much genetic material to start with. Because of that fact and thru many, many generations, a dormant gene has sprung up and as a race, we are dying. There are fewer and fewer births recorded and the old have become stricken with diseases thought to have been eradicated decades ago.”

“So what has all this to do with me?”

“Your the salvation of our planet.”

“Wh-what?”

“Your mixture of Antarian and human dna has proven that we can once again become free of the gene and with the added benefit that hybrids can mate without difficulty.”

“So your saying I’m a friggin lab experiment!”

“Yes.”

Liz spun away from him, trying to catch her breath. She had thought somewhat of the reasons why the boys had been taken, but this one never crossed her mind. Could her life get any weirder?

Turning back to him, she asked, “What do you expect me to do?”

“I want you to come back to Antar and show our people that there is hope.”

“Excuse me?”

“My wish is that you will come back to your home planet and show your people, that with the help of the new gene therapy, in a generation, we can delete the mutant gene from our lives for good.”

“And if I don’t want to?”

“Let’s not think about that.”

“No let’s. If I refuse to go, what are you going to do?”

“Brandolie, we are talking about the survival of an ancient and proud people! Can you in good conscious, tell me you would risk their deaths to stay here on this back water of a planet?”

“Hey, this back water planet as you call it, holds the key to your salvation. Why can’t you just show the Antarians the facts and let them decide what they need to do?”

“Let them decide? They wouldn’t know what was good for them it it blew up in their faces. No, it’s up to me to decide what is good for them.”

During his outburst, Liz had managed to get closer to the door. She could see that something wasn’t quite right with him, and she began to be afraid. “Like when you decided that you would be a better ruler than Zan?”

“Exactly! I could see from the beginning that Prince Zan didn’t have what it took to be a leader. When he married Ava, I knew that he was easily manipulated and that our worlds would be better off with someone who was willing to do what it took to get things done.”
Liz cautiously turned her back to Kivar and glanced out the front window. She could see no sign of her aunt or the boys and before she turned back, she saw Michael’s head pop up from behind a abandoned car down the street. Thank God, Tess brought them! she thought with relief. If this turns ugly, at least I’ll know the boys are safe.

“So what do you say, Brandolie? Are you willing to come back with me and save our people?”

Taking a deep breath, Liz looked him in the eye and said, “I’m not Brandolie. My name is Elizabeth Parker and I’m sorry, but I belong here, with my family.”

“I’m your family!”

“No, your not. There is no way in hell I could be related to you. Your a monster.”

As the last word left her mouth, Liz felt the building shudder. While she watched, Kivar began to shake in suppressed rage, the building along with him. Deciding it was better to get her ass out of there, she made a dash for the door, but was stopped and thrown to the floor.

“THE ONLY PLACE YOUR GOING IS WITH ME BACK TO ANTAR!” Kivar screamed.

Looking back over her shoulder, Liz let out a wordless scream of her own.

[LilyFrancesca]

Okay, I know I was going to wait till I was done with this one, but I don't want it purged during the board pruning. So here is the next part and I promise to post as soon as the others are typed up. Krys

Part 16


“Here they come,” Isabel whispered in relief. She had seen Darlene and the boys as they had come around the building, and waiting for them to get out of sight of the UFL, she eased herself off the roof of a shed and made her way toward them.

If Darlene was surprised to see her, she didn’t show it. “Where are the others?”

“Watching,” Is replied, picking up Tristan.

“Good.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s not Kivar in there.”


###


Max heard his sister's voice and breathed a sigh of relief. Now all we gotta do is get Liz out of there in one piece, he thought. “Tess, did your read that?”

“I did. Any sign of Liz?” she replied.

“Not so far. Michael?”

“Right here chief,” came his replied.

“What’s going on out front?”

“Those two bozo’s are still standing next to the front door.”

“Can you see inside?”

“Not a thing, no wait. Liz just came to the window. Oh shit.”

“Michael, what’s going on?”

“I think she saw me.”

“Not a problem,” piped in Tess’s voice. “”At least now she knows we’re here.”

“True,” Michael said. Peeking back over his cover, he said, “Something’s going on, the two guys are looking into the front door. Wait, did your feel that?”

As Michael spoke those words, Max could feel the ground sway under him. “Max! Max come in!” cried Isabel.

The hairs stood up on the back of Max’s neck at the panic in her voice. Isabel never panicked, “”Go ahead.”

“Darlene says that’s not Kivar in there with Liz. She doesn’t know who it is, but she says we need to get her out of there.”

“I’m on it. Get the boys to the Jeep,” he replied and ran towards the building holding the mother of his children. A scream penetrated the still air and once again, Max felt the ground ripple under his feet, almost throwing him off balance.

“LIZ!” he screamed as he felt a wave of fear shoot thru the connection they shared. Rounding the corner of the UFL he threw up a shield.

“Max!” Michael yelled and Max spared a quick glance over his shoulder to see his best friend running up the street.

There was no sight of the two men who had been on the front porch and Max feared they might have entered to help their master take Liz.

“The two guys went in right after Liz screamed,” Michael confirmed skidding to a stop.

“You take the right, I’ll take the left,” Max commanded as they walked up the steps.

Taking up positions on either side of the door, Max peered into the room, but couldn’t make out anything because of a shield muddying the interior.

“There is some kind of shield up,” he said. “Do you think you can break thru it?”

“I can,” Tess said, coming up the steps behind them.

“Do it,” Max ordered.

Closing her eyes, Tess held out her right arm and slowly a golden ball began forming in her hand. When it was the size of a grapefruit, she flung it at the violet barrier covering the door. As the two met, a shower of sparks exploded, blinding them.

Regaining their sight, Tess wailed, “It didn’t work. I’m not strong enough.”

“Here, use my strength,” Kyle offered and grabbed her hand.

Smiling, Tess returned her focus on the doorway before her and with her husband’s added resources, she was able to make a ball of power the same size as the last, but even to the untrained eye, you could see it was like the sun compared to a candle flame.

“Take cover,” she cried and with the last of her strength, flung it at the opening.

The blast that resulted sent the four of them flying but without much damage. Standing up, they looked in astonishment at the very large hole that once was the front of the Universal Friendship League building. “Remind me not to piss you off,” Kyle mumbled, supporting his wife.

“Let’s go, Michael,” Max said and flung up his shield to surround them as they entered the room.

###

“You haven’t changed Brandolie!” Kivar screamed, his face slowly melting. “I was insane to think you would chose me over Zan.”

“Kivar I....”

Her words came to a stuttering halt as the thing she thought was somewhat human changed into the monster she accused him of being. What was left of his face slopped to the floor reveling a grotesquely disfigured visage that was slightly askew. It was as if the left side of his skull had been pushed down a few inches while the right stayed put. The left eye protruded and and seemed to have a mind of it own, almost spinning in it’s socket.

The loss of normal lips made his words almost indiscernible. “Yuoos shud have comm ith me, Br’ndolie, of yur own free ‘ill. Nows my men ‘ill have to take yuoos.”

“I’ll never go anywhere with you!” she cried, backing away from him, that was until she bumped into something behind her.

“Going somewhere?” asked the man looking down at her. “It seems Master Brogin thinks otherwise.”

Liz’s answer was never heard as a large crack exploded in the vicinity of the front door. Looking past her captor, she could make out a figure slowly getting to their feet on the front porch.
That looks like Tess! They’re trying to get in! I only need to distract then until the others can get threw the shield.[/]

“It’s over Kivar. Zan is here and you don’t stand a chance,” she spat, hoping to make him do something foolish.

“I’s time yuoos should knows the ‘ruth,” the animal replied, spittle escaping from his half slack lips.

“And what’s that?”

“I’ms not yuoos brother.”

“Wh-what?”

Looking to Stym he indicated with a snarl that he should continue. With a nod, Stym said, “Master Brogin is an Xeromem. He took over Kivar about......”

Liz’s gaze slid past the speaker as she caught sight of movement on the porch. Although a violet shield covered the front door, she saw her sister raise her hand and she didn’t hide the smile that came to her lips. Whether she made it out of here in one piece, she know the monster before her, would die and never hurt her family again.

[LilyFrancesca]

Part 17


Cyan looked at the display on the panel before him and cursed. When he had received a message that the signal from Kivar’s transmitter had stopped, he commandeered the first ship he could get his hands an and made a beeline for Earth. He should've expected something was going to happen after getting that call from Rypas, but his emotions at seeing her after all that time made him reckless.

“Commander, take us in,” he spoke into his Comms. “And let’s try and stay hidden this time.” His last trip to this planet had left a foul taste in his mouth and he cursed the reason he had to return.

He had been one of six manning the ship bringing the Royal Four to this back water of a world. The hopes and dreams of an entire race had been pinned to that mission, but in the end it had ended in a fiasco. Betrayed by that fool Nesadeo, the ship crashed into the desert, thousands of miles from the intended landing zone.

The only thing that had saved his pitiful life was the fact he was in the cargo hold checking on the pods. As the ship began skipping along the ground, the bottom gave way and separated them from the main body of the craft. The four pods, Nesadeo and himself came to rest against a large jut of rock while the rest of the ship spun out of control and broke into a million pieces; scattering across the featureless landscape.

Crawling from the wreckage, he knew this country’s government would soon be called and he made a decision he would later regret. Scanning the outcropping, he sensed a cave deep within and with sheer will power, molded it to his needs. Using a hand held transporter, he smuggled the pods and their means to return to their home world, inside.

Four days later, he was contacted by the retrieval squad with instructions to transport up to their ship. When they didn’t ask about the welfare of the pods, he knew that the resistance wasn’t behind his rescue and he did as he was told. Upon entering the bridge, he had been taken into custody and returned to Antar as a prisoner.

If it hadn’t been for his family, he might never had made it out in one piece, but his father had given his word of honor that no son of his would go against the Monarchy, and he was right. Cyan would never do anything to harm anyone of the true royal family.

Returning to the resistance, he told them that the pods were safe and being guarded. He had thought that they would remain in stasis until activated, but he had been wrong and they had hatched on there own. It was only by accident that someone he trusted made him aware that the pods had been breached and that the Royals were now roaming around Earth, unattended.

Their extensive search had proven fruitless and for the last eighteen years, he had prayed to the goddess for their safety.

“Remmie, Gerard, with me,” he said, turning form the panel. Pausing before his second in command, he said, “If you don’t hear from me in and arn, contact the Dowager and inform her that I failed.”

The Captain nodded and Cyan followed his men into the awaiting transporter tube.

###


Upon entering the room, Max’s gaze swept the interior, but there was no sign of Liz. The only inhabitants were two guys slumped against the side wall.

“Where’s Liz?” Michael asked over his shoulder.

“I don’t know, Max replied, then keyed his two way. “Alex, did Liz come out the back way?’

“No,” he replied. Looking at the boys he asked, “She’s not inside?”

“No. Get the boys out of here. Now.”

“But what about you....”

“Now Alex!”

“We’ll meet you at the Crash,” was all he said.

“Max watch out!” cried Michael and the two dove to the floor as a beam of light burst thru the ceiling.

Thrusting out his hand, Michael prepared to blast whatever this new threat was. He might have to give Liz up as lost, but he would be damned if they would get anymore of his family.

Three figures emerged from the light, then it disappeared. The tallest of the three indicated with a toss of his head toward the inert figures on the floor and his companions went over to them as his attention turned to Max and Michael.

“You must be Zan.” he said to Max, acknowledging the force field.

Michael had regained his feet and held out a hand for Max. Pulling him to his feet, Michael never to his gaze off the man in front of him.

The man smiled. “Your definitely Rath.”

“What, do we have our names tattooed on our foreheads?” mumbled Michael.

Max shot him a wry look. “You seem to know who we are, how ‘bout returning the favor.”

Bowing his head slightly, he replied, “Cyan, diplomatic liaison for her majesty, the Dowager Queen Angilina; your mother.”

If Cyan had hoped for a spark of recognition from Max at that announcement, he was mistaken. Liz and the boys were the only thing that mattered to him at the moment and this being in front of him was either going to help him get Liz back or he was going to wish he never set foot on Earth.

“So your one of the good guys?” Kyle asked, peeking his head around the charred front wall.

“You could say that,” Cyan replied.

“Well are you or aren’t you?” demanded Michael. “Cuz if you in with that freak Kivar, this little meet and greet is over.”

“I assure you, Kivar is no friend of mine.”

“My enemies’ enemy is my friend,” Max whispered.

“Just so,” Cyan replied.

Putting his hand on Michael’s arm, he pushed it down in a show of good faith he hoped he wouldn’t later regret. “Kivar has Liz,” Max stated, dropping the shield. “We have to get her back.”

Cyan muttered a curse. Taping on his hand, he said, “Scan the area for ships. Detain any that you find.”

“You think he took her to his ship?” Tess asked walking up to them with the help of Kyle.

“You were responsible for that?” Cyan asked indicating the front of the room. She nodded and he said, “Very impressive.”

“Let’s pat each other on the back later. We need to get Liz back before Kivar hurts her.” Michael growled.

“He doesn’t want to hurt her.” Cyan stated. “He needs her.”

“For what?” snapped Max

“It’s a long story. Let’s get her back in one piece, then I’ll go into details.” His men came up to them and he issued some orders in a language Max didn’t recognize. The men hefted Kivar’s minions over their shoulders nd Cyan keyed his transporter.

The beam of light shot thru the ceiling again and the two soldiers stepped into it. Cyan looked at Max and indicated the beam. “We’ll have a better chance of locating Liz from my ship.”

“There is no way we’re going up in that,” Kyle said, shaking his head and pulling Tess back a few steps.

Max nodded his understanding and replied, “You and Tess get back to the Crash and protect the boys. We’ll meet you there after we get Liz back.”

“Your not going anywhere without me,” Darlene said coming up the front steps.

“Rypas,” Cyan hissed.

“I take it you two know each other?” Michael asked sarcastically.

Darlene pursed her lips at his sass. “Oh we're old friends.”

“Like you and Kivar?” Michael sneered.

“Listen boyo,” Darlene snapped getting into Michael’s face, “I love Liz like she was my own daughter. I knew from the moment I entered the same room with Kivar that it wasn’t the man I once knew. Who ever he is, he means to hurt Liz and I’m not going to let that happen! I only left her because she made me swear I would get the boys out of here. Now if your done flapping that mouth of yours, I’d like to get going.”

Michael nodded his head mutely and Cyan had to hold back a laugh. It seems things hadn’t changed as much as he thought. “Who are these boys you keep speaking of?”

“The king here, knocked up Brandolie and they have twin boys,” Darlene spat before stepping into the beam and disappearing.

Max had the grace to blush before following Darlene. Michael snorted and shrugged his shoulders. Giving Tess and Kyle one last look, he stepped into the transporter.

Cyan contemplated the ramifications of what he had been told and he decided to file it away for now. There were too many things they would need to overcome before the line of succession was to be established. Nodding to the the couple, he left Earth for what, he hoped, would be the last time.

[LilyFrancesca]

Heyla folks! Been a while, I know and yes I have been trying to get this one finished, but it keeps going in new directions. Point of fact, we were never going to go to Antar in this one, but it happened anyway. Oh well, here is the next part, hope yous like

PS: Thanks all for the feed back :rocol:


Part 18


Liz blinked and her view of the front door was replaced by the interior of a bright white room. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Kivar, once more whole, standing over her, smiling. “Where are we?” she demanded.

“Did you think I would stand there and let Ava blow us apart? I think not,” he stated. “As to where we are; my ship.”

“Your not my brother,” she spat, getting to her feet.

“On the contrary, part of me is. You see, sister dear, after attaining the throne, I too was overcome with the plague that is killing our people. Only, I was lucky and happened to meet Master Brogin and he cured me.”

“But the monster I saw....”

“The only way for me to stay alive was for Master Brogin to assimilate my skin over his.”

“But, but how can you still be you, if he’s wearing your skin?” she asked, horrified.

“Quite easily, he ate the rest of me and we merged.” he replied, nonchalantly.

Liz spun away and threw up. She had thought the monstrosity from before was beyond compare, but she know knew her brother was worse than any of them thought.

“Brandolie, I was telling you the truth about wanting to save Antar. I wouldn’t wish what happened to me on another living soul, but so far, that is the only way to keep our people alive.”

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she tried to swallow. “By sacrificing themselves to parasites?”

Kivar’s eyes flared red. His hands clutched into fits and he muttered something Liz couldn’t hear. When his gaze finally met her, his eyes had returned to normal. “The balance that Master Brogin and I have attained is a precarious one, Brandolie. Please remember his anger and know that I can only control him if I stay calm. It would be better for the both of us if you kept you comment civil.”

“What does he get out of your little bargain?”

“He get respectability. His race had gotten a bad reputations over the millennia and with me as his liaison, his people can thrive.”

“What, you find victims for them?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes, if that is what is needed. Come, time is short and we need to to get going. I’m sorry that the boys won’t be able to come with us, but your presence should be enough to convince the populous that the treatments will work and avoid having to endure my remedy.”

Liz shuddered. The alternative was unthinkable so she steeled her spine and followed him out of the room. The risk to herself was nothing compared to what all of Antar might face if Master Brogin got his way.


###


“This is impressive,” Michael conceded, as he and Max followed Cyan and Darlene down a brightly lit metal corridor.

“Reminds me too much of that white room,” Max replied with a shudder.

“They seem pretty cozy,” Michael observed about the two walking ahead of them.

“They seem to be more than acquaintances.”

“Ya think?”

Max shot his friend a glare. “You think they’ll be able to get Liz back?”

“They are the only choice we got at the moment, Maxwell. I don’t like them having all the power, but the boys need both of their parents.”

“I agree,” Cyan replied over his shoulder, startling the young men behind him. Walking on to the bridge, he asked, “Captain, anything?”

“Yes sir,” answered the figure sitting in the command chair and Cyan walked over to him.

Max and Michael stopped short when they caught sight of him and the others manning the controls. Right off, Michael was reminded of that tall alien from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Only, these guys were violet in color and their limbs had a bit more meat.

“Is this what we use to look like?” Max asked a bemused Darlene.

“No. They are a race called Y’nos. They are allies of your mother.”

“Angilina?”

“Just so. Cyan is the norm on Antar.” Darlene's eyes traveled over his still exquisite body. Well, maybe a little bit more than the norm.

Max took a closer look at their host and saw that, yes he looked human,but there were also diffrences. His arms were slightly longer and his eyes had no iris, they were a uniform black. Even his jaw was peculiar, thought Max couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Our evolution was from something other than primates,” Darlene said. “We’re not really sure from what. The people who colonized our planet came from somewhere beyond the stars, or so we’re told.” She shrugged. “It may be that we share some genetic material. It would explain how easily we were able to mesh Antarian and Human DNA.”

Max nodded, agreeing with what she said. They were similar, who knows? “You said you knew this man. Can we trust him?” or you?

Darlene heard the second part of his question in his silence. “You can trust both of Max. Cyan is loyal to your family.”

“But Liz is Kivar’s sister.”

“And the mother of your children.”

“Why did Kivar what to talk to Liz about? I know you know.”

“He wanted...”

“He’s taking her back to Antar,” Cyan said, interrupting her.

“Why?” demanded Michael.

Cyan indicated a door then walked thru it. A conference type table was situated there and he waited until the others took a seat, before claiming one for himself. “He needs proof,” he answered.

“Proof of what?” Max asked.

“That he can save our people.”

“From what?”

Darlene turned to him and said, “I told you that our race comes from our planet being colonized. From what we know, only two hundred or so beings were there from the beginning. Over the millennia, the gene pool has grown stagnant and a dormant gene has surface.”

“What has that to do with Liz?” Michael challenged.

“She’s the result of an experiment,” Max stated, his eyes going hard. “She has proven that my mother’s hope to return her son and daughter home, could in turn save Antarians.”

“But why take Liz and not one of us?” asked Michael, confused.

“She had the boys,” Max spat. “Hybrids can reproduce.”

“This all my fault,” Cyan muttered, getting to his feet and walking to the window.

“How so?” asked Darlene.

“If I had done what I was suppose to do, none of this would be happening.”

He could see their confusion reflected in the window. Turning, he said abruptly, “I left your pods in that cave. I thought you would stay in stasis. You weren’t meant to come out unless one of us were there.”

“You left us there!” Michael shouted jumping up from his chair. “Nesadeo said everyone died in the crash or were captured.”

“We were betrayed by Nesadeo. He was put on board to blow up the ship. Kivar had found out the Queen’s plan and set out to destroy you all. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“Why did we come out of stasis?” Max asked softly.

“I don’t know,” he admitted with a shake of his head. “We found out after you were already gone. We looked, but we never found any of you.”

“You didn’t look very hard,” Michael said bitterly. His anger at their abandonment surfaced for a moment, then a flash of Maria appeared before his eyes. Dropping back into his chair, he realized that the events in his life had all led up to her and he couldn’t condemn this man, because it was all worth it. His stinking childhood with all those foster parents; he would do it again a hundred times if he knew they would lead him to Maria and love he now knew could be possible.

A thought stuck Max. “Where did the Human dna come from?”

Cyan and Darlene shared a pained glance. She took a deep breath and said, “We used human slaves.”

“What!” yelled Michael.

“They aren’t slaves anymore,” Cyan replied, “or I should say, they weren’t during your family’s reign.”

“But how? How did humans get on Antar?” Michael demanded.

“They were taken,” Darlene said.

Max sat back and tried to digest what they said. Taken? By who? When? “If there’s been humans on Antar, why didn’t their dna thin out the bad blood?”

Darlene looked down at the table, unable to meet his gaze.

“Well?” Michael spat.

“It’s a crime for an Antarian to mate with a human,” she replied.

“A crime?”

“Punishable by death.”

Max sucked in a breath. “What kind of monsters are you people? You use intergalactic space travel and have lived for generations upon generations, but you condemn one species from falling in love with another?

No wonder Kivar needed Liz and the boys. Your archaic belief system has caused your people to die all because you wanted to stay pure.”

“That law was set down only a few years after the humans arrived,” defended Cyan.

“When was that?” Michael asked.

“Two hundred years ago.”

“When did my family come into power?” asked Max.

“They’ve ruled for three generations,” Darlene confirmed.

“My family made up this law? My relatives have caused this and for what, superiority? Are we so arrogant?

If this is what I’m destined to go back to, you can have it. I don’t want to be a part of a civilization where all sentient beings aren’t equal.”

“You can’t mean that!” cried Cyan. “Your mother has been waiting for the day of your return.”

Max shook his head. “My mother is a human named Diane Evans, not your Queen. How will the population follow someone who is considered an enigma in their society? No, other arrangements will have to be made.”

A tone sounded and Cyan pressed a button on the comm on his hand, “Go ahead.”

“Sir, Kivar’s ship has entered bent space. We believe he is heading back to Antar. Shall we follow?”

Cyan looked at Max. Max returned his stare and replied, “Yes. I want Liz back.”

Cyan nodded. “Follow them, Captain. As quickly as possible.”