A/N: Before I start just to get it out of the way I am pro Cliffie/Rebel/Foursquare/Destiny. This is my first Roswell fic. I don't want to give too much away but I can for sure say this is Cliffie. That's all I guarantee by the end of the story. This will switch POVs, but I will try and make it as smooth as possible. This starts season 2 after prom but some details have changed (mainly because I re watched episodes out of order and confused myself) so I hope you will read and enjoy. I will try to keep my future A/N's to a minimum unless I feel the need to say/explain something of substance. I appreciate all reviews/favs/alerts and as always don't hesitate to ask questions. If they aren't too revealing to the story I will try my best to answer.

Also I am trying my best to not make it too obvious which character I dislike in the series. Let's just say I didn't like him/her when I first watched the series at 11 and still didn't like him/her when I re watched at 21.

But I love Michael. So that's all that matters. Oh and I own nothing. Okay no more talking. On with the story…

Part One

He gasped a breath trying his hardest to take in air. He had been drowning. Not in the literal sense. His mind, his entire being had been submerged in another world, in another lifetime, and he'd fallen into a character, a life so completely that he feared he was going to lose who he was now; who he had been in this life.

Who was he anymore?

"The Council is split and King Zan is not present. General, the Table awaits your input." Michael looked through Rath's eyes at each of the leaders that made up the Alliance Council. Their galaxy was getting torn apart. It was evident by the booms and tremors they could hear on this relatively docile planet. The leaders that normally made up the Table weren't in attendance. Most sent trusted loyal representatives in their stead.

That had been their first downfall. He had seen it. The fate of this turning point battle was not resting on the leaders but their servants. He stared at the one empty seat at the Table.

That had been their second downfall. The seat of the planet of Kivar's father's lineage was empty. He had seen that as well but he had at least seen the other true leaders gathered. They had two strikes against them already.

"General?" He waited for it.

"Why must the deciding vote fall to him?" A councilman stood angrily. Rath had been watching him for hours. Noticing how tense the man was in his presence. "Because Zan trusts him?"

"That's King Zan to you High Knight," Rath suppressed a smirk of loyalty towards Larek's younger brother. The young orange haired general was as dutiful to Antar as he was his own planet.

"Well where is King Zan right now? We are on his planet and he's no where to be seen. Shouldn't his Grand Commander be at the front lines and not in here playing messenger?" It was true, Antar was the last hit planet. Kivar had a twisted sense of humor. He crumbled the planet of his fore fathers which lay at the farthest end of the galaxy, making his way closer and closer to his ultimate goal: Gathering troops and supporters so that Antar would not only be last but the hardest hit.

"General Rath is-"

"No," was his only word to stop the young leader. He meant well but he would not allow such secrets to be delved in such a high stress situation. That was how men lost themselves and became desperate. "My King trusts me to make a well rounded decision."

"And because Zan trusts you I have to as well?" He was irate at the notion. "Forgive me for not falling on my knees at your feet because your King says to do so. I have my own King to follow."

"And I'm sure you follow him well. Your loyalty is proved by the fact you braved the way to make this meeting. But if we sign this treaty, we will lose this battle and each and every one following it." It was a bold statement he knew. To others he shouldn't know such definite things.

"And how do you know this?"

He couldn't say what he had said to Zan. Four words that could make the stubborn King throw all his proverbial eggs into the proverbial basket. He couldn't say 'I have seen it' so he had to settle for "I have a gut feeling." They scoffed as expected.

"He speaks foolishness. Gut feelings. Instincts." He couldn't tell them because Zan had made him swear to it. Zan's father had been intelligent when he had Rath relocated from the dunes into the palace because of his blessed (or cursed depending on one's point of view) genes. Kivar as would many other leaders have a field day if they discovered that Zan's second in command not only was a Destroyer but also Seer. The power to see had all but died out three generations before when there were only a handful that still had the ability. And even they seemed to get the weather wrong on occasion.

And then Rath had been born with the intensity of ten Seers. Oh yes, Zan's father knew exactly what he was doing keeping Rath around his son. It was just a bonus the two became as close as brothers.

The secret was kept between the Antarian royals and select members of Larek's family. Rath was torn from his musings when a particularly vicious blast shook their temporary shelter. It set everyone on edge as the room rattled but stopped the angered murmurings from the Table.

"We only have one chance to fight Kivar." He spoke truth. They did only have one slim chance to defeat him. It had to be at this battle because if they failed he would storm the capital city of Antar and take the palace in one fell swoop. This end left Rath with a blank future and he knew what a catastrophe that meant.

But in all the situations he saw her, his wife. She was always there glancing at him at the last moment before she slipped from his grasp. He called to her but she never responded blinking apathetically before her long billowing blonde locks shielded her from him.

He didn't understand why she was always in these visions and even though they were on the same planet he had not seen his wife in person for months now so he couldn't confront her. He couldn't do anything but sit and stew in the possibility that something terrible was going to happen to her. And it was these snippets of her that clouded his mind when it should be clear and awaiting signs that things were changing. That Antar and the rest of the Alliance weren't going to be bowing at Kivar's feet in a few months.

"We concentrate our men on Kivar's camps. Strike attacks to catch them off guard."

"There are not enough men here to complete that. Most of Kivar's men are out near the dunes." Rath grunted in acknowledgment. His visions hadn't shown him the significance of the troops in the capital. In any case where Kivar made it to the palace he over ran it. Sacrifices would have to be made.

"We relocate most of the force at the palace to the front." The proclamation was met with uneasy glances.

"That leaves the King vulnerable." Rath held back his smirk once more. One minute they were denouncing his King and the next they were worried about his safety.

"I will stay behind, myself and select few as a last line of defense." Rath tried to placate the group but he knew that if Kivar made it into the city there was no stopping him anyway. Another blast rocked the foundation.

"Michael!" It took a few moments for him to understand that he wasn't in the bunker on Antar mapping out ill fated battle plans but in his bedroom on Earth. The slight tremors confused him as did the bright blue eyes staring down at him. "Michael, you're shaking." It was then he noticed that he had his fists clenched near his chest and he was shaking worse than a kitten caught in a downpour.

"I'm fine Ava…Tess." Tess frowned at his correction but he shook off her questioning gaze. "Why are you here?" he asked gruffly forcing the tremors racking his body to settle.

"I need your help. I couldn't go to Max or Isabel with this." Her familiar pleading eyes are what made him throw back his covers and pull a pair of discarded jeans on over his boxers.

"With what?" he asked evenly. He wouldn't have been so accepting normally but the dream memory whatever it had been left him feeling off.

"Alex Whitman." Michael raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything at first.

"I'm not helping you steal Issy's boyfriend."

"I don't want Alex," she insisted as if she was insulted by the notion. "I need to help him. And you have to help me."

"What's wrong with him?" At this point he had gotten up from the bed and was making his way to his dresser for clothes. Half of the reason Michael was still listening was because he was in awe that Tess hadn't once ogled him while he was both shirtless and pants-less.

"His mind." She launched into a heartfelt explanation of regret (or at least as heartfelt as Tess could get) on how she mind warped him through most of the summer to translate the book. "I think I may have damaged him. He came to my house but he fainted before I could get anything intelligible out of him."

"So you think the warping is finally wearing off?" She nodded. "And what can I do? I'm not Max, I don't heal." That came out more self pitying than he expected so he hoped she didn't notice.

"I know. I was hoping that maybe you could keep him under surveillance. And… away from me." Michael's narrowed eyes pushed her to continue. "I'm not perfect, Michael, it scared me when he showed up so angry. It took all I had not to mind warp him again. I need someone I can trust to keep him away so I don't give into such urges."

"Out of sight out of mind?" he guessed.

"I don't want to hurt Alex." Michael bit back the remark that she had already done so. Then he wondered when he had bit back anything. "You're the only one that gets me. But I wouldn't have sprung this on you if I knew you weren't well." He was immediately on the defensive.

"What do you mean not well?"

"When you were asleep," Tess hinted confused as to how he could have forgotten that episode already. "When I came in I thought you were having a seizure."

"I'm fine," he almost barked. He softened momentarily after that. The girl probably got shook up having left an unconscious teen in her room only to come find another seizing in his sleep.

"Yeah I know." They were already making their way out of Michael's apartment and into the Valenti truck. When they reached the house none of the lights were on inside and Michael saw Tess let out a sigh of relief. She was the reborn queen of an entire planet yet she was still afraid of the reprimanding of a parent if she was caught out after dark. She cut off the truck but locked the doors before he could get out.

"What now?"

"Not that I'm ungrateful for the help but you've been especially understanding this whole time." Michael blinked a few times in confusion.

"First you come crying to me because I'm the only one that'll give you the time of day and now you're confused because I am doing just that?" He huffed. "Make up your mind woman!"

"Something's bothering you," she stated calmly unaffected by his outburst. "You seemed relatively unfazed by that whole shaking episode back there which means you've woke up shaking before. And you only get this contemplative when it has something to do with home." Michael didn't meet her eyes instead focusing on staring at nothing in particular out the windshield. "You don't have to tell me. I know as much as you've accepted me you still don't trust me." She unlocked the doors but he reached over her and locked hers back.

"No, you're right," she remained in her seat. "I've been having flashes of the same memory for the past few weeks. Only tonight did most of it come together." At this point he tilted his head to look her in the eyes once more. "I-Rath- was known as a Destroyer." After a moment Tess agreed. "But I was also a Seer." Tess blinked twice not responding immediately.

"We should help Alex," she said quickly unlocking her door and slipping out the truck without another response. She was trying to sound calm but Michael caught when her entire body tensed at his words. He followed her moments later allowing her to avoid him for now simply because Alex was in danger. He figured they should have a little more urgency considering. She didn't use the front door instead heading to the side of the house where they could slip in through her window.

"And we couldn't use the door like normal people because…?"

"Alex fainted into my arms but he was too heavy so I laid him down on the floor." She slid the window up carefully. "His head is by the door." She heaved one leg into the window. "Don't want to give him a concussion on top of whatever's wrong with him." Pulling the rest of herself in, Michael gave one quick look around before following her inside.

When Tess flicked a small lamp on he almost cursed. Alex Whitman was lying passed out on her floor and he looked bad. He was paler than usual, his hair was unruly and even in his unconscious it was like he wasn't receiving enough air.

"He needs to go to the hospital," Michael said immediately. He may not be a doctor but even he could tell Alex was in bad shape.

"We can't!" Tess protested in a harsh whisper.

"We can't but Alex is human." Michael leant down next to Alex, placing fingers at his neck pulse.

"But what if they find something alien on him?"

"You mean like alien residue from your powers?" She nodded furiously. He wasn't sure how they could considering her powers were more mental than physical but the uneasiness was already taking hold in his own thoughts. Who knew what state he would be in when he woke up? "You're right we can't risk it. But we can't leave him like this." He gestured over the prone figure.

"Should we move him to the bed?" Tess asked and Michael could pick out the anxiety in her tone akin to biting one's fingernails.

"By 'we', I suppose you mean me?" Tess didn't need to answer. "No, I have a different idea."

"Karsis, if I told you that your death would pioneer the ending of this war in our favor would you lay down your life?" Rath knew the desperation of the times and he knew his days were numbered. Too many decisions had been set in stone and none of them did he see past the conquering of the palace by Kivar.

"Yes." Rath's hand made its way to the younger sibling of King Larek.

"Loyal to a fault."

"You have seen something," the man asked desperately ignoring the notion of dying and focusing only on the prize. "I can help end this war." Rath nodded. He couldn't be this frank with Zan or Vilandra. Perhaps Ava but he wouldn't dream of it. Had Larek been the one to show to the Council meeting he couldn't imagine he could have asked him what he was going to ask the man-the warrior- before him.

"The Royal Four of Antar are going to fall when Kivar infiltrates the palace. It's too late to stop it," he stopped Karsis' protest with a hand. "We fall no matter what but it's best if we fall together. And you must be near as well." Rath pulled a cloaked four edged dagger from his inner pocket. Karsis gaped at the odd weapon. Four blades interconnecting as if a single one. They were rare and most did not learn how to master them properly.

"Only General Rath would learn to carry such a beast of a weapon." Rath allowed a slight smile at the teasing.

"You must take this. Keep it in your care and keep it hidden." When some of their men entered the area Rath pulled Karsis away to a more secluded spot. "When Kivar takes us down I have ordered my men to issue an evacuation of the high families still loyal to my King. There is a ship headed to Dromein en route to your home. Take it and give the carrier at Dromein that weapon."

"I understand but-" Karsis was not sure how to continue. How could this dagger be of importance?

"It's not the dagger you fool." Rath said remembering one flash of a dream where Karsis royally destroyed the plan by not understanding. "Dromein has a technology that can regenerate and clone to an unheard of accuracy." The orange haired male's eyes widened and flashed the same color. "It requires only the slightest DNA sample. Only after we fall can you take our samples." Karsis look affronted.

"You mean for me to cut you General?"

"I'll be dead Karsis, don't worry about hurting me." Karsis frowned even at Rath's teasing. There was nothing amusing about this.

"You laugh in the face death. You said we would win."

"We will. The Antarian Royal Four, we are the only ones able to overthrow Kivar but the masses he has accumulated are unheard of. We don't stand a chance because of his numbers alone. Let us fall give him a false sense of security. Watch his numbers dwindle simply from destroying themselves or from treachery because of his inability to rule. In time he will hit a weak point and the Four will be at their strongest again." Karsis nodded in understanding. "We will win but not yet. We need time."

"And where will you hide? Where will you be or your clones rather while they grow and mature again?"

"I do not know. I did not want to know more information than needed lest I be my own liability." Rath's mind drifted to Kivar's second hand man, Nikolaes. The young politician had been dubbed the 'mind ripper' because of his ability to take information straight from a person's memories.

"How do you know this will work? I thought Seers couldn't see past their own lifetime."

"I've been seeing things of a future I don't recognize. My clone succeeds in being created. The visions aren't clear."

"Then I succeed in getting the samples to your Dromeinian contact?"

"Yes," Rath said breathily. This was the hard part. He had been assured of his own future. But the search had given him disturbing unrest. "But I do not see you when I return."

"Ahh!" Michael woke up grabbing at his head. There was some twisted mix up of circular logic. He was a clone but he was also Rath. The man had seen him, as in Michael him. The notion that Rath's abilities stretched into a second lifetime perplexed Michael in a way unknown. Apparently the idea that he had the power of 10 Seers was not exaggeration.

"Hey, Michael?" He shot up in his bed ignoring the vertigo that assaulted him but relaxed when he realized that it was only Alex in his room. He looked better but even in the dark, Alex still looked a little too pale and slightly weak.

"You shouldn't be up," he grumbled to the male standing stiff and nervous against his door.

"I woke up and wasn't sure what was going on."

"Tess and I brought you here. Do you remember being at the Valenti's house in her room?"

"Vaguely."

"She mind warped you, a lot apparently. It started to have some bad side effects. We brought you here because we can't take you to the hospital and Tess needs sometime to explain everything to everyone. Specifically Max so he can heal you properly."

"…Okay." The uneasy tone of voice and the fact that Alex didn't make a move to leave told Michael he still had something to say. Something nudged his mind that perhaps he should have delved that information to Alex gentler but that wasn't in his character. And the message he had just seen himself give to Larek's brother was at the forefront of his mind. He knew in a few hours the guilt would set in. He had sent a man, a close friend, to his death. He wondered when this feeling of being a murderer would ever stop.

"Anything else you need?"

"No it's just that," his gaze shifted slightly indicating his reluctance in saying more. "You were shaking. Bad."

"I've been getting that a lot." Alex studied him some more before nodding.

"Okay. I'll just leave then." He slipped out quietly. Michael waited until the door clicked close before he flopped backwards onto his bed. He rubbed his face in agitation. He knew Alex probably had more questions for him but it was very early in the morning and neither of the two was probably in the right state of mind to deal with those issues.

"Vilandra has betrayed us," Rath worked to maintain an expressionless face as Queen Ava stood before him only seconds after he had entered the main hall of the palace. Only a few soldiers stood about, Karsis was at his side. The way Ava's blue eyes were glowing brightly signaled her distress.

"Karsis give us a moment." The younger nodded before ushering the guards away as he left the large empty room. "Now explain and start at the beginning."

"Vilandra has betrayed Zan, us, I don't know but Kivar is hanging something over Zan's head and demanding he abdicate within the hour or he's going to storm the castle."

"Zan's not going to step down."

"I know that!" Ava's curls seemed to spiral out of control in a nonexistent wind. She was obviously frustrated that the General wasn't catching on as quickly as he should. "But why is he giving Zan a chance to step down without simply taking his life and all of ours?"

"If what you say about my wife is true, she may have had a hand in that or whatever it is Kivar knows suits him better if Zan is alive." Rath figured that was what she was insinuating but the shorter female looked affronted.

"You dare accuse me of lying to you about this?"

"No I don't but I have not seen hide nor tail of my wife in three months and when I left she was as loyal a wife and princess as ever so excuse me if I am hesitant to believe you right off." Ava didn't respond so Rath took that as concession. "Now tell me all that has occurred in my absence."

Rath listened as Ava explained the sudden defection of half of Zan's elite troops. Rath showed no outward response to the treachery save for a clenched right hand. Apparently one of the wayward princess' maid servants caught wind of her secret meetings with the High Commoner Kivar. He was a lesser known rags to riches story. Poor at birth and invited to the Antarian palace as guest of the King by the time he was a fully realized adult. The wide eyed adolescent that looked up to Zan's father's eyes with rapture was a far cry from the black mailing usurper of today.

"And now she refuses to speak to any of us even Zan which is only serving to solidify her guilt."

"She is here?" Rath asked confused. After that tale, Rath was sure his wife would be in hiding off planet somewhere especially if word had already reached the lower classes.

"Yes she has shut herself within her suites and will allow no one entry. Not even Mother or Zan." It surprised Rath that Vilandra would deny both of her blood family. It had warmed both of the royal siblings when Ava took so quickly to the Queen calling her Mother as the siblings did. The Queen had been forcing him to do the same since he was a child.

"I will try." Rath said knowing at least the Four were together. No matter how short and tenuous that time would be.