Title- The Sorcerer and the Stargazer

Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine. It is owned by Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, and Fox. This is for entertainment only and no infringement is intended. Some of the inspiration regarding the Alfar and Dvergar aren't mine either, they belong to Elizabeth Boyer. Good books, if you can find them.

Category- AU /CC

Rating- Teen, although that might change later. (Hahahaha, yeah its Mature. More for violence than for adult situations, but those are there too, eventually)

Summary- The year is 2025 and the world has basically been destroyed. Alex Whitman is the captain of the Stargazer and would like to know why. Max Evans holds the answers, but are Alex and the tiny crew of friends ready to go the distance to save not only the Earth but also the rest of the Nine Worlds?

Prologue-

North American Defense Command, Denver

Captain Alex Whitman was happy that this was the last day he would have to wear this stupid uniform. His family had a long and distinguished history in the United States military, a history he'd been glad to leave to his older brothers.

But then the wars came, followed by the Great Plagues. Alex had to heed the call, first as an engineer working on cutting edge equipment followed by actually using that equipment.

He'd hated the regimentation and needless bureaucracy as much as he'd feared he would. But it had given him the Stargazer. It was his ship, he'd built it with his own finances. The technology that had gone in to it had later been adopted by a desperate North American force facing off against part of its own military.

Those had been bad days. Cities destroyed. People who had woken up hale and hearty dead by nightfall from new and horrible diseases.

Bad days.

Humanity had not been decimated, it had nearly been obliterated. Where once the world had groaned under a population pushing eight billion, there might be as many as six million humans left in the whole world.

But why? Why had it started? Sure there had been the usual problems and conflicts, made worse by various shortages of raw materials. But the actions by various world leaders had reached surreal levels of irresponsibility and delusion.

Mankind had nearly killed itself, and there was no guarantee it was over. And his superiors weren't even interested in the why.

He could partly understand, there was so much to do to try to hold back the creeping darkness. To somehow reignite the vigor that had filled the early twenty-first century.

He strolled out the front door, responding to the guard's salute. Possibly for the last time. His ear began to ring slightly, soft pulses that no one else could hear.

"Yes?"

"Captain, Lieutenant Martinez and his Marines have disembarked. Will we be getting replacements?"

Alex could have talked normally, and Liz would have heard. But by careful sub vocalization he could talk to her without speaking aloud. "We are leaving Federal Service, Liz. I doubt they'll send anyone. But just in case keep the engines hot so we can leave in a hurry."

"Do you need me to send Kyle to pick you up?"

Alex thought for a moment. It was not likely his superiors would try to stop him. But it was possible. Of the three permanent members of the crew, he was the easiest to seize.

"Did they leave anything behind, or try to disable anything?"

"No, Captain. I ran a standard sweep. We're clean."

To seize Liz, to threaten Liz they'd have to actually seize the Stargazer. And it was well defended. To get through the defenses they'd have to take out Liz. Which would render the Stargazer basically useless. The Starlight was heavily automated, and Liz ran all the automation. In a sense, Liz was the Stargazer.

Kyle was Kyle.

No one messed with Kyle.

"Right. I have a possible client to meet in thirty minutes. It won't be a long meeting, and we'll likely need pickup. I'll send the coordinates. Oh, and I'll need two rooms readied."

There was a slight pause. "Kyle is preparing the flitter, unless you think you need the shuttle?"

The flitter was fast but lightly armed. The shuttle on the other hand had been used to land the Marines that had until recently been based on his ship.

"The flitter should be fine. Just tell Kyle to keep a low profile. His kind make the civvies nervous."

"Understood, Captain. Good luck. Call me if anything changes. Over and out."

Alex continued his walk towards the restaurant where he'd be meeting the mysterious Mr. Evans. His background check had brought up nothing. But he said he had some answers, and Alex had to start somewhere.

He looked up at the evening sky and gazed lovingly at the stars. They always made him think of her. His lost love.

And he hoped against hope, prayed that somehow, somewhere she was gazing at the same sky.