Larek stood at the window in the tallest tower of the Antarian palace. He
had spent years as a general in the powerful guerrilla war against Kivar
because he felt he had a duty to his friend, Zan. Larek shook his head and
corrected himself. Zan's name was Max Evans now. After years of fighting,
Kivar had been vanquished, and Antar stabilised. After over half a century
of absence, it was finally safe for the Antarian royalty to return home.
A knock on the door to the chamber startled Larek out of his thoughts. Wordlessly he crossed to the door and opened it to admit his son, Rafe.
"Hey dad. I wondered if you were up here. Mom's worried about you, what with all this brooding you've been doing."
"I've got a lot on my mind, son."
Rafe looked incredulously at his father. "Dad, we've won! Kivar is gone, and the Royal Three can return to Antar. We'll be able to come home and the Five Planets will be at peace again."
Larek began to pace agitatedly. "Son, it's more complicated than us just calling up Za…Max and him just coming home. He has lived his entire life on Earth. He has a wife, children. He may not want to come back."
Rafe shrugged. "What about his second-in-command?"
"Married with children."
"To the princess?"
"No. She is married to someone else."
"Well someone of the Royal House of Antar has to come back."
Larek turned toward his son and looked at him gravely. "The Royal Three have been through a lot in their lives. They had their past lives ruined here, and the things that went on here almost ruined their current lives many times. We can't expect them to just jump at the chance to risk everything once again for something they still haven't seen."
"But it's their destiny."
Larek gave his son a wry smile. "That's the last thing to say to them if we want them to come to Antar."
A knock on the door to the chamber startled Larek out of his thoughts. Wordlessly he crossed to the door and opened it to admit his son, Rafe.
"Hey dad. I wondered if you were up here. Mom's worried about you, what with all this brooding you've been doing."
"I've got a lot on my mind, son."
Rafe looked incredulously at his father. "Dad, we've won! Kivar is gone, and the Royal Three can return to Antar. We'll be able to come home and the Five Planets will be at peace again."
Larek began to pace agitatedly. "Son, it's more complicated than us just calling up Za…Max and him just coming home. He has lived his entire life on Earth. He has a wife, children. He may not want to come back."
Rafe shrugged. "What about his second-in-command?"
"Married with children."
"To the princess?"
"No. She is married to someone else."
"Well someone of the Royal House of Antar has to come back."
Larek turned toward his son and looked at him gravely. "The Royal Three have been through a lot in their lives. They had their past lives ruined here, and the things that went on here almost ruined their current lives many times. We can't expect them to just jump at the chance to risk everything once again for something they still haven't seen."
"But it's their destiny."
Larek gave his son a wry smile. "That's the last thing to say to them if we want them to come to Antar."
