Disclaimer:
These characters do not belong to me, but to the writers and producers
of Roswell
Spoilers:
After Chant Down Babylon, changes happening where Max is successfully
rescued, and Michael was the one who broke up with Maria.
Pairings: You’ll have to wait and see!
Pronunciation Guide: Ithilis (Ith
– I – lis)
Nadab
(Na – dab)
Ithmar
(Ith – mar)
Merab
(M – air – rab)
Chun
(Ch – oo –n)
Fiachra
(Fee – a –k –ra)
Cerideans
(Sir – I – dee – ans)
Guilin
(G – wee – lin)
Ai (Eye)
Jakar (Ja
– kar)
Ithmarians
(Ith – mar – ians)
Munan (M – ew – nan)
Author’s notes: Queen Fadilia
Kedar: Max/Isabel’s mother
King
Alaric Kedar: Max/Isabel’s father
Andaria: Tess’ mother
Radim:
Tess’ father
Kedrans: race from which Royal Four descended
Iturians: race from which Khivar descended, and
overthrew and killed Zan and the Kedrans
Cerideans: special core ops of the Iturian army, mostly
psyonics and telepaths
***
him return again.
-
The Upanishads
***
“Excuse me,” a man’s
voice echoed in the silent building.
“Are you all right?”
Isabel quickly wiped the tears from her eyes as she heard
the stranger’s footsteps draw near. She
turned to see a blurred image of a man.
As she wiped the last of her tears from her eyes, the figure sharpened
and revealed an elderly gentleman in his late 50s. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a light, plaid
cotton shirt. His tanned brow was
creased in concern. “A-hem.” Isabel cleared her throat and tried to
regain some composure. “I’m fine,”
she lied, plastering a smile on her face.
His grey eyes narrowed and then twinkled as he
chuckled. “You know lying in God’s
house is a sin,” he joked. He took a
few steps back and leaned against the wooden table, just below the platform on
which the pulpit stood.
“I…I’m not…”
He didn’t let her
finish. The healthy man shook his head
and smiled. “You won’t solve anything
by lying about your problems Miss,” he replied softly.
Isabel usually would have been offended at the stranger’s
assumptions, but she knew he was right.
What was the point in lying about how she felt? Instead of agreeing vocally, she
remained silent.
The man leaned forward and smiled. “Sorry if I’m being intrusive and blunt. My congregation always warns me about that
bad habit,” he apologized. He paused
and then extended his hand. “Pastor
Jacob.”
Isabel debated whether she should welcome the stranger’s
company. “Isabel,” she whispered,
taking his soft, age-worn hand in hers.
“Well, I guess He was right again.”
Isabel frowned at the statement. It seemed to come out of nowhere and she had no idea who he was
referring to. “Excuse me?”
Jacob frowned at Isabel and then broke out in laughter. “Oh, you’ll have to forgive me,” he waved at
her dismissively. “I tend to talk to myself
– another habit I can’t seem to break.”
His eyes twinkled once more, helping Isabel to relax in his presence.
“What do you mean when you said, ‘He was right again’?”
Jacob folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head
to the side. “Well, I wasn’t on
planning on coming here today, but I had this nagging feeling that I needed to
drop by,” he explained. “And here you
are.”
Isabel narrowed her eyes and stared suspiciously at
Jacob. “And why do you need to be
here?” she asked. The idea seemed to
sound a bit hokey, but a part of her wondered if he wasn’t there to give her
the answers she had been asking for.
Jacob shrugged.
“It’s never really specific,” he admitted. “But why don’t we start with why you were crying?”
Isabel tensed at the suggested revelation about her
innermost thoughts. “How can I trust
you? I don’t know anything about you,”
she hedged.
The sun’s rays filled the small building, and a sudden
golden glow, within the room. Isabel
wasn’t quite sure if she was dehydrated, and seeing things, but she suddenly
saw a warm light radiate from Jacob. “I
can understand not wanting to spill everything about yourself to a stranger,”
he said soothingly. “But you could
think of it like this: I will never
tell a soul. First, because I am a
pastor and anything said between a parishioner and me is confidential. Secondly, you’re just passing through, if
I’m guessing correctly, and I will probably never come across your path again.”
Isabel mulled over Jacob’s reasoning and was reassured. She needed an objective voice, one that
wouldn’t sit in judgment over her.
“Well,” she hedged. “I have a
choice to make about my future here and also about my husband.”
Jacob seemed to wait a few minutes before asking another
probing question. “What decision do you
have to make about your husband?”
Isabel leaned back against the pew. “I married Jesse almost a year ago,” she
began, “and things were on track. We
loved each other and were planning our future.
Then I found out that he has been lying to me for almost eight
months. I couldn’t believe it. Not just because he hurt me, but also my
family. And I only found out because his
lies had put my brother and I in danger.”
It felt like a weight lifted from her shoulders, though
there remained a large part yet unrevealed.
“Well it sounds like he hurt you and your brother pretty
badly,” he deliberated. “But it sounds
like there’s more to this than whether you should forgive…Jesse, was it?”
Jacob’s inquisitive gaze seemed to urge Isabel to expound on
the situation. “Uh, well, you see,
there’s this thing I’m supposed to do…”
She didn’t know how to explain it without sounding deluded. “I have responsibilities…elsewhere. But this would mean I have to leave Jesse.”
Jacob nodded, as his brow furrowed while he pondered her
dilemma. “And there is no way he could
go with you?”
Isabel shook her head.
“No.”
Part of her wanted to blurt out that she was predestined to
be the Princess of a far off planet in another galaxy far, far away. That she had lived another life and she was
part of ‘The Royal Four’. There was an
alien race - her people - that needed her to save them. But she bit her lip and stopped herself.
“I…I just want to know why, if God knows all…why He would
allow me to marry Jesse? Not when He
knows that I have to leave him…that I wasn’t supposed to be with him.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “I just can’t seem to find the answers.”
Jacob stood and walked over to Isabel, who was reeling with
still unanswered question. He kneeled
in front of her and grasped her hands in his.
“I know things don’t seem to make sense right now, but you have to know
that everything happens for a reason.”
He paused a moment, seeming to take his time in this delicate
matter. “Whether you and Jesse belong
together, I can’t answer that. I don’t
know if you were meant to be, or it was some rebellious mistake you made,” he
answered gently. “But whether it’s
because it’s in God’s plan, or because we rebel and sometimes do what we want
instead, and making a mistake…things do have a way of working themselves out.”
“Isabel, if you really want to know what he wants…just
listen.” Jacob slid one hand from hers
and pulled something from his pocket.
“Here.”
A small black pocket-sized Bible was placed into her
hands. The book was just a little
longer than the length of her hand.
“Why are you giving this to me?” she asked running her fingers across
the gold-etched cover.
“I know you want plain answers, but I can’t give you
any. But this book always seems to
point me in the right direction,” Jacob smiled. “And besides, He said you might need it.” He winked mischievously
at her.
Isabel looked curiously at the old preacher. She wasn’t sure if he was just eccentric or
sent from above. Either way, she appreciated
the small gift. “Thank you.” Suddenly she had a sudden calmness settle on
her like a mist floating down upon her.
Isabel flipped through the pages of the small book of
ancient words. There was a red ribbon
placed neatly between the pages of the book.
It looked like it had been placed there. She looked up to ask Jacob if there was a reason why it was
placed there, only to find herself alone again in the white room. “Jacob?”
As she surveyed the room, Isabel couldn’t find any trace of
Jacob. After a moment, Isabel turned
back to the black book in her hand. Would
she find more answers in text of human history? Was this God so many humans talked about, the one who had sent
her the message about her destiny?
~~~
“I really appreciate you coming over like this,” Kyle
stammered, as he motioned for Liz to enter.
After a sleepless night, Kyle couldn’t stand the quietness of the empty
house anymore.
Liz smiled, shrugging off his unneeded gratitude. “I said you could call me anytime,” she
reminded him. Actually Liz wanted to
thank him for calling her. Since Max
left, she couldn’t keep this sick feeling from filling her entire body. It was the same feeling she had when she
found out that Tess had been married to Maxwell in a previous life. Helpless.
“How did you deal with Tess coming back?” Kyle blurted out
while he took the petite brunette’s coat.
Liz frowned. “Uh,”
she paused a moment, “I…not well?” The
question should have been easy, but thinking back on it, she wasn’t sure how
she kept a level head on the whole thing – powerblasting incident not included.
“Look Kyle, I can’t tell you how to deal with it. My way and your way could be completely
different. We all handle different
situations in different ways.”
Kyle followed Liz to the couch. “But that doesn’t help me!” he pouted. He had tried meditating and being enlightened about the whole
thing, but he still felt like going over there and wrapping his hands around
her scrawny neck. In fact, he had to
restrain himself last night from acting out some of those seemingly satisfying
scenarios that ran through his head.
Liz rubbed Kyle’s shoulder.
“If you need to vent, you can pretend I’m Tess,” she offered. Just seeing how distraught Kyle was, made
Liz want to blast the manipulating blonde, one more time. Her betrayal still continued to affect them
after all of these months.
Kyle shook his head.
“You don’t deserve the massive screamfest I had planned,” he
admitted. “It took all of my willpower not
to go over there last night.”
Liz smiled sympathetically.
“Did you get any sleep?”
“No,” he sighed. “As my test scores will attest to.”
“It’ll get better,” she said hesitantly. “I think.”
Kyle looked lamely at Liz.
Her attempt at a joke fell flat.
“You’ve got to get better timing,” he teased.
Liz stuck her tongue out.
“Don’t worry about me wrecking the grading curve. I’m sure I bombed it too.”
He frowned. “Why?”
Liz stared at him in disbelief. “Uh Max?”
“Oh yeah,” Kyle smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. How are you
holding up?”
“I just get this horrible feeling that it’s not going to end
the way Max and I planned it,” Liz said worriedly. “It’s like Fate, God, or whatever you want to call it, has it in
for us.”
Kyle felt for her.
He knew that she had been through major hell over the past few years,
they all had. But Liz seemed to always
get the brunt of the blow. It seemed
like they were either in one crisis or another, and if they weren’t in danger,
then they were worrying about the possibilities. He was tired of it.
“Hey,” he said enthusiastically.
“The days still young. Why don’t
we do something fun for a change?”
“What?” Liz wasn’t
sure where this sudden change in mood came from.
Kyle stood up and pulled her together with him. “Aren’t you tired of bitching and moaning
about what’s happening or what they did to us?” He stood looking at her with wary expression.
A smile couldn’t help but creep upon her lips. Liz let out a deep breath. “You’re right,” she declared. “Why am I sitting around waiting for him to
tell me we can be together?” She rested
her hands on her hips. It was time to
be a normal teenager again.
“What do you have in mind?”
Kyle smiled mischievously.
“You’ll see!”
~~~
“What’s the plan?” Michael frowned. This news was unexpected and sounded
serious.
Tess stood up and began pacing back and forth amid the piles
of clothes, CDs, and books. “I don’t
know,” she cried uneasily.
The moment she saw her mother being forced out of Tel Edrei,
her stomach flip-flopped and a sudden flash of panic filled her. Tess had counted on Andaria’s help to return
to Antar. Now she had no clue how to
get back to Zander and her mother. It
felt like someone had cut her lifeline.
Michael could see Tess was growing more frantic by the
minute. He couldn’t imagine seeing his
mother being dragged away by Khivar’s goons.
As he stood up, Michael grabbed Tess by the shoulders until she was face
to face with him. “Tess,” he barked,
shaking her gently.
Tess stared up at Michael and swallowed hard, pushing the
images of her mother into the back of her mind. “What?”
“You’ve got to focus.
Someone must have sent us that warning right?” Michael reasoned Khivar would be monitoring Andaria closely;
therefore she couldn’t be the source of the psychic images. So they must have another ally who was able
to communicate unrestrictedly.
Tess bit her bottom lip and thought earnestly about the
revelation. “I’m not sure. Andaria didn’t introduce me to a lot of the
Loyalists because it was dangerous for them to come out of hiding, but I
remember her mentioning a name…a group called The Annex? I suppose it could have come from them,
whoever they are,” she offered.
Michael had no clue what or who ‘The Annex’ was, but it was
a start. “Was there any clue in the
vision to lead us in the right direction?”
It was frustrating to know something was happening and there was nothing
he could do about it.
Tess ran her fingers through her hair, stopping midway,
staring distantly as she tried to remember every detail. She closed her eyes as her frustration began
to well up. “Ahhh!” she screamed
angrily. “I can’t.” Tess looked up at Michael, who was listening
to her intently.
“I’ve got nothing.”
“Well, we’ve got to do something,” Michael said looking around
his bare, yet messy room.
Tess sighed irritably.
“We’ll have to wait,” she declared hesitantly. She wasn’t much for waiting, but when they had nothing else to go
on, what else could they do? “They’ll
have to contact us again to let us know more.”
Michael looked at Tess restlessly. “I guess…we don’t have much of a choice do we?” he replied. “But they’d better do it soon.”
~~~
There didn’t
seem to be another choice.
Max let the waves carry him as he lay in its soothing
wake. An awful feeling of finality
plagued him ever since the unexplainable oracle appeared that afternoon. You have been chosen.
There were no
ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Max closed his eyes and pictured Liz. How could he have promised her forever,
when forever was never meant to be?
~ * ~
“Are you still losing it over this reality of destiny?” a
voice asked gruffly.
Max blinked several times as he floated upright and began to
tread water. The voice startled
him. He glanced toward the once empty
beach and was faced with himself.
The figure on
the beach looked like him, but Max had no idea where he had come from. “Who are you?”
“Who do you think?” the second Max retorted. “The Tooth fairy? I’m you.”
This day was getting weirder by the minute. He took a few strokes toward the beach and
the man who claimed to be him. “Am I
dreaming?” The question wasn’t directed
at any one specific person.
“Look Max, we have our answer. Why do you keep mulling over it like it was a tough choice?”
Max slowly waded onto the shore. “Because it is. I have a
life here.”
“And you have a purpose on Antar. You made the wrong choice once already, but not this time.”
Max ran his fingers through his wet hair. “I have not made a wrong choice…if you’re
referring to returning with Tess.”
Second Max folded his arms across his bare chest. “Really?
You chose a happy-go-lucky life with a girl you’ve been obsessed with
since the second grade, over saving the lives of your people. My people!”
Max frowned. There
was something not quite right about this imaginary Max. “Who are you really?”
The mirror image of himself took a few steps forward until
he was only inches away from Max. “I’m
the part of you who actually is thinking with his brain. I’m you.
I’m Zan…”
“What?” Max choked.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m the part of you that you’d like to forget,” he
growled. “I’m the reality, which you’ve
stuffed down so deep, I almost couldn’t find my way out.”
Max was in shock. “I
don’t understand…”
The dark brooding man rolled his eyes and tilted his head
slightly. “You really did a number on
yourself, didn’t you? You actually have
no idea that you’re doing this,” he gestured to himself, “do you?”
Max furrowed his brow and took a step back. “Doing what?”
“When you first began having those visions, when Tess
arrived, what did you think of?”
Max thought back two years ago when the mysterious petite
blonde arrived in Roswell. He had been
so suspicious and yet so drawn to her.
“I was suspicious,” he replied to Zan.
“And you didn’t want to have anything to do with those
awakening feelings right? You even told
Liz that it wasn’t you…”
“And it wasn’t,” Max protested. “I didn’t want to do those things with Tess.”
“But didn’t you? You
denied half of who you are. You have
always done that. I should know. I was
there.”
Max swallowed hard and began feeling the turmoil of the
reality he was facing again. “So I’m
just supposed to accept that you’re a part of me and do what people billions of
miles away tell me to?” he asked defiantly.
Zan shook his head tiredly.
“You don’t have to accept me Max, because I’m already here and a part of
you. My life, my history is a part of
you Max,” he said sadly. “And no matter
how hard you want to leave me behind, you can’t. I’m always going to be here.”
“But I’m here too!”
Max turned away to face the raging sea, which mirrored his tumultuous
emotions.
“I know that Max.
Don’t you think I know that?
You’re supposed to be. I’m what
is past, and you’re our future.”
His mind swirled with questions and feelings. Max didn’t know what Zan was saying…or what
he was saying to himself. “If this is
what my life is, then why am I having such a hard time with it?” he challenged,
turning around and facing the calm image of himself.
“Because you’ve got something to hold on to here, and it’s
an obstacle you have to overcome.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Liz. She’s your
test, Max. Can you let go of your human
desires, and choose to be the King you were meant to be?” Zan asked knowingly.
“But I belong with her,” Max said hesitantly. “I love her.”
Zan nodded slowly.
“I know you love her, but you know deep down that you belong with
someone else.”
Max shook his head vehemently. “NO! I thought that once…but
now I know you’re wrong. The only one I
love is Liz. It will always be that
way,” he declared, backing away from his look alike.
“You loved her Max.
If you let yourself be honest, you could have loved her. You tried everything to stay way, but we
were drawn to her.”
Max wished Zan would stop his apparent ‘soulful’
insights. It wasn’t true.
“Everyone was suspicious of her, but you, Max…we...we knew
something different. Even when you were
angry with her for finding you, there was some connection between you. Max, you fit with her, as I fit with Ava.”
“No,” he mumbled in frustration. Max pressed his palms against the sides of his head, willing for
this dream to end. “She betrayed
us! She used me and killed Alex.” He turned and glared at Zan. “I could never love someone like that.”
Zan again, shook his head piteously. “And we still have our doubts about that
don’t we? Even after that truth, we
still are drawn to her.”
Max had just about enough.
He strode purposefully toward his double and pushed him back. “Liar!” he yelled furiously.
Zan stumbled back a few steps and then once again, remained
standing stalwartly. “I’m just telling
you the truth. I’m telling you what you
won’t admit.”
Max stared helplessly at his own face; his mind churned,
trying to think up answers for these declarations this mirage spouted, but
there was nothing.
“I know, and you know there is more to Tess than meets the
eye. Part of that is what drew us to
her. And now I’m telling you what you
already know,” Zan lectured. “Don’t
pigeon-hole her, Max. It’s too easy to
paint her as the villain in all of this.”
“It was easy to believe Liz when she told you that Tess had
murdered Alex and made it look like a suicide, wasn’t it? But deep down you felt something else,
didn’t you?”
“No,” Max said numbly.
“Tess killed Alex. She admitted
it. She did it to get me to Antar. It was an elaborate plan.” It was black and white. There was no grey area…was there?
Zan smirked. “Then
why did she come back and save you, Max?
That’s a question that has been running around in your head for weeks,
but you don’t have the guts to say it out loud. Why is she begging you to come back with her to save Antar?”
“I…I don’t know,” Max hedged. The words rattled in his head.
The questions made sense. At the
time, the things, the explanations…made sense.
But looking at it from a larger prospective, taking a step back and
putting the explanations and admissions Tess had made…none of it fit together.
“Don’t you think you should find out?” Zan coaxed. “Don’t you think you deserve to know the
truth of the whole matter?
Max didn’t know what he needed to do anymore. This whole encounter left him feeling even
more confused than he had ever been.
“Why are you here?” His voice
pleaded for answers from this ‘other half’.
“I’m here
because I’m tired of the darkness, Max.
I’m here because the One has ordained that we finally know the truth and
fulfill our destiny,” Zan declared humbly.
“I’m here because we both want answers, the answers that will make us
whole.”
His words seemed like poetry. Max heard them, but didn’t know if he quite understood yet.
“So find out,” Zan replied, as if in answer to his unvoiced
thoughts. “It’s time to stop being
afraid of the answers Max. It’s time
you know exactly where you need to be.”
“I know…”
Max turned to face this thought provoking voice, but found
the beach empty once more. Suddenly the
cackle of an overhead seagull sounded, and as he turned to find the source, Max
found himself floating in the wide expanse, as if he had never left the watery
bed. He peered over at the sunkist
beach. It remained undisturbed. The only evidence anyone had been there was
his lone towel.
Max closed his eyes and pondered the last words his ‘other
half’ had imparted. It’s time to
know exactly where you need to be.
~~~
As they sat around the smooth, cold round table murmurs
filled the dim cave. How long had
they waited? Had the time finally
arrived? Did anyone know what she
looked like?
A large, stocky
figure moved from behind the shadows.
He wore a sleek, white uniform, abreast with rows of silver medallions
awarded to those who have shown courage and valour in battle. Also, under the warm rays of light, shining
down from the cavernous ceiling, a white naval cap with a black visor and
decorated with a gold cord trim. The
crowd’s murmurs subsided. “All bow
before the Queen Mother.” His voice
commanded authority, even to those who did not recognize the commander.
~ * ~
She could hear the scratching of metal against rock as she
glided down the dark corridor. The
soothing feel of the chiffon tunic set her at ease. It had been decades since she had stood in the presence of
ambassadors and generals in The Annex.
Her life had been quiet and concealed since her disappearance during The
Fall.
There had been limited access to her person. A limited few had been chosen to attend to
her, as well as her closest advisors.
Not including those subjects, only two knew of her location - Andaria
and the stalwart figure, which loomed over the table.
The rigid
Antarian turned at a 45-degree angle before falling to one knee, head bowed,
joining the assemblage, who now honored her.
Around the reverent table, Fadilia heard a round of 'Your Majesty'. It had been so long since she had been
addressed as so. Her long time
companions had been requested to refer to her by her proper name. Fadilia.
When Khivar
became ruler, she saw no need for the formality, but now, now the One had seen
fit to restore the House of Kedra to the throne. Once again, she was called upon as Queen Mother. It was a day she never thought she would
see.
But this
time, wisdom in her age would lead and guide the lost. Fadilia had often wondered if the lifetime
of waste could have been avoided if she had listened to Alaric. He had warned her on his deathbed that Zan's
reign would end if he did not rule as the One's instrument. He had prophesied as so, but she thought she
had known better. Fadilia regarded
Alaric's devoutness to the One had been of personal benefit, but she never
realized it had reaped peace in their kingdom until the end of his reign.
Now after
decades of solitude and time alone with the One, Fadilia knew that Cian and
Alaric's Lord saw all, knew all, and created all. The Seer had foreseen The Fall - the beginning of the One's
discipline - and now The Day of Reckoning.
The years of suffering her people had endured would vanish and Antar and
the surrounding galaxy would know peace again...if Zan would submit to the
One's will. This would be proven at his
return.
"Rise
Loyal friends of Antar. The time nears
for Zan's return. General Steren will
debrief us on the preparation of my son's return." Fadilia took a step to the right and found a
seat ready for her.
The wise
General glanced at Fadilia, who nodded for him to begin. "It is good to see so many of our
allies returning to The Annex. This
bodes well for our long awaited victory," he announced confidently. "Muna, Ithmar, Bel Maar, Guilin, and
Ai, it is important for your rulers to understand what a threat Khivar has
become. You are charged with that
task."
"We
all have now heard of project 'Pilan'.
Still our intelligence has not uncovered the details of this project,
which Khivar has developed. But what we
do know about it is, that he plans to utilize it against each of our planets,
slowly conquering each of our people until he controls the entire system. This is why we covet each of your ruler's
support and manpower."
Fadilia
eyed an undefined being, which stood confidently before the group. "Laban,
Ambassador from Muna," he greeted.
"We have come in response to Andaria's insistent pleas. But I have not seen her since my
arrival."
Fadilia
bowed her head at the observation.
"Andaria has been sent to Ithilis," she announced
quietly. A murmur of voices rose at the
stumbling block. She had hoped the
subject would not come up so soon, but it was inevitable. Fadilia surveyed the uncertain faces of The
Annex. They had been uneasy about
attending the meeting, but now she knew they stood on the edge of a knife - any
movement would sway their path.
"She
has been found out?" blurted a tall General jumped up in
apprehension. His face was chiseled and
his eyes were as blue as Kaptar's Jewel.
"Your Technical Command has been exposed. How can you expect us to bear up under your seemingly erroneous
cause?" A murmur of agreement rose
from the table.
"Jakar,
Ambassador of Muna." General Steren addressed the young commander's
outburst with a subtle glare.
"Andaria has not been exposed.
Khivar has not discovered her true identity," he revealed. "Andaria remains safe."
"For
how long?" the Ambassador to Ai mumbled.
"True,
her identity may remain intact," a hooded voice spoke. "But that still leaves your command
leaderless. Larek, Second Counselor of
Merab, asks you...who are we to follow, if we follow at all?"
Fadilia
recognized her son's oldest and dearest friend. "True," she replied succinctly. She rose from her seat slowly. The five ambassadors and their contingents
began to talk amongst themselves.
Fadilia heard the trepidation in their voices. "So I shall replace Andaria in the mobilization of our
forces."
This
announcement drew more murmurs and an excitement and tension in the cool,
chrysolite cavern.
"Has
a message been sent to the Royal Four?" a short, pinkish, plump man
chirped. He paused a moment before
sticking out his tongue. "Excuse me,
Your Highness. Lai, proxy for Xua of
Guilin."
"Larek?"
General Steren looked intently at the pale powdery face, hidden under the folds
of a chilling blue robe.
"The
message has been sent. I was unable to,
however, inform them of more than Andaria's capture," he disclosed. "Our telecommunication is less than
advanced I'm afraid."
General
Steren nodded. "Our last contact
with Andaria revealed Ava's person, Tess, is prepared to return with Rath's
person, Michael. Preparation is being
made for their departure."
"But
what about Zan's return?" Jakar asked curiously. "You have not mentioned his return."
Fadilia
lowered her eyes. She trusted Zan...Max
would return, but from the updates she had received about his reluctance,
Fadilia had begun to have her doubts.
Nothing had gone according to the architect's plan. But she realized nothing about the Four's
conception had been 'natural'.
Over the
past years, Fadilia realized what a mistake it had been to allow the architects
to play god. The One had promised a day
of reckoning, but they had needed to be sure.
She and Radim had reservations, but the architects had convinced them it
was the only way. Their plan had failed. Zan and Vilandra had formed attachments to
the humans and their planet. And Zan's
return had been delayed. Fadilia
clasped her hands together and steeled herself against the raging torrent of
fear and doubt. She had to trust the
One to return her son and daughter safely to her.
"In
time, Jakar," General Steren replied.
Fadilia
looked at the General with appreciation.
She had not been prepared to answer that question. "By the end of the Spring Season, all
must have their armies mobilized and prepared for Khivar's assault,"
Fadilia commanded. "I know your
rulers are reluctant to believe they should be under attack, but please do your
uttermost to convince them."
"Be
careful also. Khivar's agents - they
are neither here nor there. You won't
be able to spot them before it's too late.
This is why you must trust no one unknown to you."
Fadilia
signaled the end of the Annex. Most
delegations dispersed quickly, wanting to use the dark of night to cloak their
movements. Two lagged behind.
"Queen
Fadilia," Larek bowed before her, pressing his lips against her inner
palm.
"It
still remains Fadilia until my son returns, Larek."
"It
always has been Queen Fadilia, to my person, and will remain so." His hood cloaked his head, which remained
bowed.
Fadilia
pulled this friend to his feet and brushed back his hood. "Larek, it has been ages," she
cried happily, embracing the strong Ithmarian.
"You've grown up into such a dignitary." She turned the Ambassador around and found
that he hadn't changed much since his boyhood.
His strawberry blonde hair was cut short, as was the custom of all Royal
Counselors. His clear blue eyes were
striking against his powdery white skin.
Ithmarians'
skin remained pale as a protective layer against their planet's harsh
environmental climate and elements.
"Do
you truly believe Zan will return?" Larek asked uneasily. He remembered their last encounter at the
Summit and was hesitant to say anything else.
Fadilia
sighed, allowing Larek to see her own anxiety over her son's stubborn
mindset. "I have
heard...things," she admitted.
"But I am optimistic. The
One has spoken of Zan's return."
"Surely
you put no weight in the ramblings of ancient driveling acolysts?" Jakar
interrupted rudely. "None have
proven of such existence."
Fadilia
ignored the comment. "Larek, have
faith." The unassuming figure
nodded, and just before raising his hood, he rolled his eyes at the brash
Munan, who stood on his left.
"Peace
be with you." Larek bowed and made
a graceful exit, along with his delegation.
"How
accommodating those Ithmarians are," the Munan Ambassador scoffed. His
face was sallow and sunken. His brute strength could not be hidden underneath
the hardened black armour, which each Munan soldier wore. A gold strip over his heart alerted any
Munan of his ranking.
"Much
more pleasant to be around," Fadilia smiled half-heartedly. "Is there a reason why you remain,
Jakar?"
The
ill-mannered General lowered his head respectfully and nodded. It was unexpected as he waited patiently for
her leave to speak. "What can I do
for you? You have already voiced your
skepticism at our plans."
"And
I am sorry for the disrespect I have shown you m'Lady," Jakar apologized
deeply. "We are still uncertain
about the reliability of our neighboring worlds and their allegiance to The
Annex."
"And
how do we know you are not hiding behind this guise of pleasantness?"
General Steren stepped into the conversation with an expression of concern.
"We
are not a fair-weathered friend," Jakar retorted. "Our Queen remembers well its former
allegiance with Antar. We are a people
of our word, and we have come to offer our assistance."
"And
what assistance might we need from you?" Fadilia asked, intrigued by the
sudden change of face. She remembered
Queen Lilandri from ages past. The
Matriarch was faithful and reliable.
Fadilia hoped she could trust her messenger.
"We
have had several observers on Earth for sometime and are willing to call them
home, if it is your wish."
"And
how is this of any concern to us?" General Steren balked.
"We are
willing return with Ava and Rath, also."
"And
in return?" The General looked
skeptical at best, but Fadilia had warrant to give him the benefit of the
doubt.
"Nothing."
General
Steren's gaze narrowed and he approached the young leader of the Munan with
contempt. "What is the reason
behind your generous offer?"
Jakar
stood proudly, unwilling to back down.
He met the General's gaze with steely confidence. "Our world has tasted Khivar's power,
and Queen Lilandri remembers Alaric's past kindnesses.
Fadilia
stepped in between the two warring officers and clasped Jakar's hand. "I believe you, good messenger of a
dear friend," she said gently.
"Please prepare your men as we will notify Ava and Rath of the
news."
"And
what of Zan and Vilandra?"
Fadilia
glanced at General Steren for his thoughts.
The war-worn veteran cleared his throat. "Queen Ava and Commander Rath are your only concern."
Jakar
nodded and bowed at the waist before Fadilia.
"We shall make arrangements for transport within the hour." Suddenly he stood up and turned to General
Steren. He raised his right arm and
saluted the General. With that, the
tall dark General of the Munan army departed.
Fadilia
looked to her old friend uncertainly.
"You seemed uncertain about the boy?"
The older
man turned and shrugged. "I
reserve judgment until Queen Ava and Rath return," he said casually. "What are your feelings on the matter,
my Queen?"
Fadilia
pondered the attitude and stance of the Munan Ambassador for a moment before
replying. "I think those who would
so obviously oppose us are the least of our concerns."
General
Steren nodded. "It is not always
the snake in the desert we should be so mindful of," he admitted. "There are many dangerous elements out
in our very backyard."
The corners
of her lips curled slowly, as she turned to her wise companion. "And we will overcome them all."