AN: I do not own any part of the Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri universe except the crazy ideas I may write about for your viewing pleasure.

Review Commentaries:

Migranes: Why thank you! I absolutely enjoyed writing Divine Intervention. I had originally hoped to make it longer, which might have worked had I kept Stairs to Heaven as an integral part of this story. Still, it's not bad for remaining shorter than The Tale of Boredom to Sleepdom despite having made severe edits to the story and adding new content before editing and/or adding content to this story.

Numbuh six-sixtysix: Thank you very much! Your reviews have always given me something to look forward to in my rereading and creation of new fanfiction. I have to agree that the Alternative Brianback Series is much more believable, though that is probably due to my lack of writing skill way back when I first wrote Eye of the Dragon.

(Story)

Year 2387

The only real thing that surprised Mogul Brianbacks, was his death at his own wife's hands. Sure the woman wasn't quite alright up in her head, but it did little to assuage the new found distrust he held for the woman who'd once been the flame of his heart for centuries. When Mogul woke up, he expected to see a little devil in a red costume ready to torture him for eternity.

It was to Mogul's surprise when he found himself in a bunk. It didn't seem like much at first until the warm arms that were so utterly familiar wrapped themselves around him. His other long dead wife, "Corazon?" He asked blindly into the dark, only to be hushed by the woman's impeccable and quenching desire to dominate. A weak mate did her no good, though she worried that he'd been having a nightmare.

"Are you alright?" she asked him with as much concern as a Spartan might ever dare show. Her naked sinewy arms feeling him over in case of a sore or fever.

He shook her off a little, "It was…just…" he found no words to describe what was happening. He settled for, "awful." His wife, showing him some sympathy guided his head to lay back down on her breasts, cocooning him in a way she'd never been able to do for a child they'd never been able to make.

Soon, Corazon had slipped back off into slumber, but our infamous Mogul had not. He had just died…had he not? This was not a memory, he couldn't be 'watching his life flash before his eyes' could he? Gazing over at the clock he half expected the date to be read out differently, but from the time and make of it, he remembered that period! In the late 24th century the University had developed a new way to make digital clocks that gave their numbers this odd greenish tint.

Better for his aid was the fact that the date was described right on the clock. "2387…" he muttered to himself. 'Where was I in 2387?'. In just 90 years he would surprise the world by declaring independence and starting a tumultuous turn of a couple of centuries. He'd even had a faint dream about his son, a tyrant like him. It left a cold feeling in his gut.

Laying there in that soft cocoon of woman's flesh and love, Mogul Brianbacks doubted he'd know what to do any time soon. Yet one thought prevailed in his mind, if he was married to Corazon now…how could he marry her later too? That wasn't the sort of thing she'd keep from him. Furthermore, what was he doing in the past?

A quick rap on his head quieted down his thoughts. Or perhaps it was the sleepy glare sent by the bed's other occupant. If Mogul died by the hands of Corazon Brianbacks, well…let's just say Mogul wouldn't be too surprised. She had after all, as he recalled from a time he didn't actually remember really, that she'd nearly drove the Believers into nothingness after she lost their only close encounter in becoming parents.

That alone was the precursor to the Believer-Spartan Vendetta in 2165. They'd known each other since the U.N. Unity, where he'd been the cook. In this strange reality she had become infatuated with him, as far as a woman of her standard could become infatuated, and somewhere close after Planetfall, he'd found himself moving into said woman's bunk in Spartan Headquarters. Yet the Spartans he was living amongst were different than as he remembered.

He could also remember from this time line that the Spartans had adopted a more passive aggressive manner to war after his suggestions and constructions. His eyes opened wide to stare out at nothingness, 'Director of Militant Constructions?' he asked himself or the ceiling, he wasn't sure which. He'd practically wiped the energy reserves clean building a wall along the Hive and Believer border. It was so ingenious though…apparently. He could remember that the gun turrets were replaceable with newer and better technology, that it held a perimeter defense that was borderline tachyon defense these days, and the finale to the entire thing was that it could be unsealed into different sections and then moved up or back or however needed. The spare parts were placed in a warehouse beneath Bunker 118.

Laying there wide awake, Mogul thought over the events of this life he seemed to be in now. The four famous vendettas had occurred. In his mind he pictured them as bullets in a time line.

2060: The U.N. Unity set off from Earth for the Alpha Centauri System. There Mogul worked as one of the cooks due to his being found out of being a stow away.

2075: Corazon Santiago bumped into Mogul, both of them only 29 years old at the time.

2100: Planetfall begins a new life for them on Chiron.

2165: The Believer-Spartan Vendetta forces the Believers to become the smallest faction, constantly bombarded by mind worm attacks from the North.

2219: Mogul and Corazon helped spark off a degrading power struggle between the Hive and the Peacekeepers. This marks the beginning of the Hive-Peacekeeper Vendetta.

2298: Feeling that both sides had been roughed up enough, Corazon stepped in with her military power behind her saying that if they didn't cease, the loss in Spartan trading would come in the form of their bases; thus ending the Hive-Peacekeeper Vendetta.

2349: The Morganite-Peacekeeper Vendetta forces the Peacekeepers to ceed their Northern territory over to the Morganites.

2382: Only five years prior, the University had felt disturbed by the growing sense of Morganite influence in their territory, and thus acted with their scientific might. The bloodiest vendetta yet, some 30,000 died by the end of the year; thus marking the Morganite-University Vendetta.

2387: Mogul had just woken up in the arms of his wife, as the Director of Militant Constructions with the side job of experimenting for better technology ahead of the University, and a sudden desire to take a leak.

Wasting no time, Mogul disentangled himself from his wife's arms with little help from her, who seemed to find it kind in her heart to pinch his ass on his way out. Mogul walked blindly towards where he knew the toilet would be. Not bothering to flip on the light and too tired to stand, Mogul settled to sit down and relax as he let nature take it's course. Head tilted up towards the ceiling a long sigh escaped his mouth which promptly shut with a thought. 'I'm only 341 again…' his thoughts were more surprised than anything else. He was first of all surprised at how well he was accepting this was reality. It was not like he could dispute it; he might as well enjoy the fantasy, he'd done that for who knows how many centuries pining after that…that…woman.

He was interested to note that in this time line, he'd never felt anything for her. He hadn't been secretly pining for her. He actually loved Corazon. Well, after those last moments he wasn't sure he wanted to be with Deidre anyway. That bullet had pierced more than his gut. It had pierced his heart, clean and through it had shattered his love. It still remained…at some level. But that was overshadowed by the disturbing paranoia he felt at the mere thought of the woman.

Standing, giving himself a few shakes, Mogul made his way back towards the bed. In this time line he had no idea what to do. He couldn't just up and declare independence as the husband to a faction leader. Not only would it set his woman off, but it would discredit his legal standing to declare independence. The fading dream, along with a few of his memories from the past time line, had been swept away into the wind. The Eye of the Dragon and his precious Dragonites were no more, would never be again. He needed a new way to cope…and found it in one of the loveliest sights he hadn't seen since she died giving birth to their son in another world entirely. Behind the hard exterior of a warrior woman, was that of just a disturbed soul wandering the plains of the world looking for a spot to call her own, which she would defend to the death if need be.

Crawling into bed again, he was not surprised at her arms wrapping around him once more. He was not surprised at how her breath seemed to set him on fire. He was not surprised, that they began to move in one another's arms. And he was not surprised, that they once again tried to have a child. If he could fulfill that for her, she'd be eternally his. They'd form a little family, which was the least they could hope for being responsible for the only power which could challenge the University at this point, nearing the height of their corruption.

Year 2388

Within a year, it did surprise Mogul at how well he was adjusting. By night he was the secret that Corazon Santiago kept locked away from all: her husband. By day he was Mogul Brianbacks, the Director of the Militant Constructions, which put him rather close to his love during the day in which he'd sneak in a few looks. She didn't want his identity to be compromised, and so it was that by day she was Santiago, and by night she was Brianbacks.

It meant for a very disturbing time when he'd actually seen her flirt with a diplomat. Nearly made his blood boil. But he understood the necessity of keeping diplomats friendly. He just dealt out a string of 'punishments' that night to which she had no objections. If anything, she only encouraged them the next day when she had kissed the diplomat on the cheek as he was leaving. That earned her several nights of the same. He had an inkling why he might have fallen for this woman she was only 29, rather than 342 as she was now.

However, it was day time at the moment, and Mogul was doing what he did best, deep thinking on plans that would allow him to unite the world under one banner. The only thing keeping them from swallowing the Believers whole was their pact with the Hive. No matter how powerful the Spartans were, they could not risk a vendetta on two fronts so very far from each other. Further, any action taken against the Hive was a transgression against the Gaians due to that pact. Then if any move was made against the Gaians, there was their pact with the Peacekeepers to consider. In the end, the Spartans simply could not hope to win such a vendetta. And yet…

The Believers held the territory keeping him from building another Dragon's Nest. Such a facility in the hand of the Spartans would wreck utter devastation upon the world should they cross him. At the same time, the Hive stood in the way of easy access to the Isle of Dexamenus, which meant he couldn't built another Dragon's Horde. A gigantic patch of flora had sprouted up between him and that island just past the Spartans West coast. It took a good number of empaths on schedules to keep the mind worms constantly at bay.

Nor did the Spartans have access to either of the necessary materials found only at the two described spots in order to build new spacecraft technological advances, and thus his work in outer space was near nil as well. He'd have to do something underhanded. Yet he was not in a position to do such a thing. Growling at the injustice of being a subordinate served him one great idea. He just so happened to be extremely close to his superior, Corazon Brianbacks. If he presented her with his plans for another Dragon's Nest, it might just get her wet enough to say 'fuck the whole thing'. Or it might get her to place a bribe with the Hive on the order of perhaps…500 energy credits if they'd look the other way while the Believers were pounded.

Grinning at such an opportunity, Mogul moved quickly into action. Plans in hand he turned about and surprised his own subordinates as he began to walk out. Each of them was sworn to secrecy to him and to Corazon. If they dared utter a single syllable of what occurred in his lab, they'd be hunted down by the entire army. No quarter and no mercy were ever shown to traitors. A Spartan is to be loyal to the cause of his and her superior.

This thought pleased Mogul in a way. It signaled that he was somehow becoming more like his wife, more Spartan, more rugged. He kind of like it compared to the evil and heartless tyrant he once was. Sweeping his way through many halls and security clearances found Mogul making his way towards his wife. He did not often visit her during the day unless he had something new to show her which excited him senselessly, which she encouraged due to the benefits it often gave her people. Now, seemed like one of those times and yet…

Corazon had never seen such a cruel smile on his face. It reminded her of ages past when they'd first met and he was little better than a psychotic hunk she'd desperately used for a screw, which somehow had found her way into visiting time and time again only to talk and eventually screw again.

Back then, he had been manically depressed. He'd left his home, the details of which even she was not privy into. It had apparently left its scars however as Mogul at the time looked ready to kill Captain Garland on a whim.

To her surprise, Corazon awoke to find that evil grin in her face. So close to what stoked her at night he always sent her mind riveting in places she tried to avoid during her daylight hours. Observing him more closely revealed the nature of his desire. There was something he wanted to do, something so stupendous and powerful, and yet…

He needed her help. There was something outside his grasp in order to make it become reality that he desperately needed her help. She tilted her head and smiled her own version of the cruel smile which she kept in reserve for use in her court or public.

"Will you not speak up already Director?" she asked, her voice a tad bit chilled by the ice in her eyes.

"Colonel," he spoke softly. Ah he wanted no one else to know. She waved a hand and her 'court' of military and economic advisers left. Gazing at each of them suspiciously, Mogul distrusted speaking about such a daring plan around anyone but his own wife.

"My love," he continued to speak softly, hoping to butter his way into a deal. "I have for you a construction system like you've never observed before." Handing over the plans he let her peruse the schematics before she turned a questioning gaze at him.

"You know I can't read these," she sighed, having to admit she couldn't do something always seemed to frustrate her. It seemed to especially frustrate her when her husband proved something more which he could do that she had trouble with or could not do at all.

Taking it as his moment to shine he coughed into his hand before beginning, "I have for you here my darling, a plan to construct a base that is a few hundred kilometers across on all sides with a channel system for port access, boreholes for a permanent source of energy to power my gigantic colossus, and the finished schematics of the tachyon field which will improve the defenses of every bases and wall section by 300%." His smile if anything seemed to stretch at her puzzlement.

"Yet you know as well as I Director," she stressed the term to remind him who was in charge during the daylight hours, "that we do not simply have a few thousand square kilometers of land to spare." 'This is where he reveals why he needs my help…' she thought smugly to herself.

Slapping down a photo of some ruins it did not catch on to her at first, until she caught sight of the multitude of mind worms swarming around on the land below. "YOU WANT TO USE THE GREAT RUINS?" she screamed at him alarmed. "Do you even REALIZE how difficult it would be to transport all the materials required over the sea?"

Here he just grinned at her and rested a hand on her knee which he knew the one camera in the room could not see. "I propose we do it by land after bribing the Hive to ignore their pact sister."

It all clicked in her head. He was trying to sweeten the deal in three ways. If they eliminated the Believers, they could focus their defenses in case of a surprise attack on their far Eastern territory along the tail of the continent. If they gained more territory, it meant an upper hand that was desperately needed to curve this University growth which was beginning to parallel their own. Finally, if the Hive actually dismissed their pact sister, that would raise doubts in Deidre's mind, as well as Morgan's, about whether or not the Hive might do the same to the Gaians. If the Gaians grew antsy, they might break that pacifist stance of theirs and drive the Morganites out of the one spot that kept threatening to spill over and steal precious land devoted to keeping Planet alive under the constant terraforming done by the other factions.

Nodding her consent in the barest of ways she dismissed him, wary of how the cruel smile he wore seemed to shine so brightly with an oozing gleam of darkness and madness. If she could get him to see an empath, they might uncover the darkest of minds in there, or they might overload the empath into a mental suicide to escape her husband's mind. Overall, Corazon wasn't worried for her husband though. They'd been married for over 300 years. She practically knew him inside and out by now. And yet…

She had noticed that for a year now he'd been much more like his old self and yet entirely more warm and loving than ever before. He seemed bent on creating this technology that, that blasted Provost could barely understand himself, what with most of it being a few decades ahead of its time. While the Vendetta just recently fought six years prior had outdated the Chaos technology, but just a few months prior, her sweet husband had come up with a shielding technology called the tachyon. By accelerating particles faster than the speed of light, it was possible to deflect nearly everything that was sent hurtling towards a perimeter. When morphed into a weapon, it practically went through an object first before melting it outright. Then there was this spider silk metal that had been causing the mind worms a lot of trouble to penetrate. The University had declared a theft of research that the World Council had to clear up. That had brought her sweet husband into the limelight and she saw he was used to it, but why? She had specifically kept him out of the public eye.

If she was going to understand this new side of her husband that seemed to just awaken, though she was unaware of how accurate the sentiment was, then she'd have to force it out of him. Maybe a few nights, but she'd break him. She'd break him the same way they'd broken each other down over the years; she'd just use a mix of wines since he couldn't keep a straight head after drinking and her own womanly wiles to make his tongue relax in her presence.

For now, however, she would need to keep a strong presence of mind in order to make this process run smoothly. "Bring up channel 7; I desire to speak with Chairman Yang." She called out to the camera observing her. When the screen had come up, and the camera had been turned off, Colonel Corazon Santiago began to work her magic of bribe and intimidation to get what she wanted. What did she want? To unite the factions under a single flag: her flag. Interestingly enough, so did everyone else of their own flags; Corazon just had the most powerful force to back up the authority of her flag.

(Story)

AN: May 13th, 2011: Hello! I've begun my edits for Divine Intervention. Why didn't I begin with Eye of the Dragon? I have no clue! I just felt like pumping up my best-written story (at least 1st, 2nd, or 3rd best written) ever first, even if Eye of the Dragon was the first story I ever wrote for (before the accidental deletion).