Title: King's Opening

Rating: PG-13/R

Category: M/L, M/M, Ky/I

Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell and I never have. Don't sue me, I'm just a poor college student, you wouldn't get anything anyway.

Summary: Part One of the Battlefield Antar series. The group is summoned to Antar after a year roaming the US in their battered VW van.

Chapter 7 - Questions and Answers

"Wow," Kyle said. "That's quite a story." He felt Isabel trembling, and let go of her hand in order to sling his arm over her shoulders. She gratefully leaned onto his shoulder.

Max noted his sister's distress and frowned over it. Liz squeezed his hand. "She'll be all right," she whispered.

Michael said nothing, merely clenched his jaw and contemplated being a general in a war over an entire planet.

"I'm sure you have some questions," Serena began. She was slightly puzzled when five pairs of eyes gazed at Liz expectantly.

"Yes," Liz said. "I believe we do. The first being about the Granilith. Do we have any clue as to where Tess might have hidden it?"

Serena shook her head sadly. "Not really. Except that it probably would have been on Kaima. Much as she didn't want Kivar to get it without holding up his end of the deal, she really didn't want the Resistance to get their hands on it."

"Okay," Liz said, nodding. "Makes sense. Second question - who was your father? You said he had a hand in the creation of the clones. Will we meet him?"

Again Serena shook her head sadly, a look of deep grief coming briefly into her eyes. "My father was Larek Deimara. And I'm sorry, you won't be able to meet him, he died a few months ago while on a mission to Kaima."

"Larek?" Max broke in. "The Larek who has contacted us before? The one who knew Zan when he was king?"

"Yes, that Larek," Serena affirmed, noting Max's referral to 'Zan' as opposed 'me.'

"I'm sorry for your loss, Serena," Liz said sympathetically.

"Thank you, Your...uh, Liz," responded Serena, remembering at the last moment that Max wanted everyone called by their names and not their titles. "Do you have anymore questions?"

"Yes, I believe we do. What did you mean when you said that your father was sorry for cloning the wrong girl?"

Serena's startled eyes flew to Max, then Michael and Isabel. "You don't remember?"

The three podsters shook their heads.

"Perhaps that's for the best. From what my father told me of the times before the Fall, I wouldn't want to remember either. I can give you details later if you wish, but the short answer is that Vilandra was not the only one in love with someone she was not betrothed to, although one could argue that Zan perhaps chose more wisely." Isabel flinched at the mention of Vilandra's betrayal. Kyle stroked her hair soothingly as Serena continued her story.

"Zan was in love with a young girl who worked in the palace. She was a lady-in-waiting for Princess Vilandra. She had noble blood, but she was the sixth daughter of a minor earl, and Zan's father deemed her too low for his son, betrothing Zan instead to the Lady Ava. Lady Ava was the only child of the Duke of Kaimeria, the largest province on Kaima, besides the area surrounding Antarina, of course."

Serena paused, looking pensively at Liz. "She looked a lot like you, Liz. I've seen pictures. Same hair, eyes, build. She was killed at Zan's side during the Fall. He wanted her to leave, to go to safety, but she wouldn't. Queen Ava joined Kivar when he stormed the palace, and killed Zan's love in front of Zan, just before he was killed by Kivar."

Serena lifted her eyes to Max's. "So perhaps it is just as well that you do not remember, for I see that it is painful just for you to hear it."

"Thank you for the telling, Serena," Max said sincerely.

Liz allowed a moment of silence before asking the next question. "The Granilith. Why is it so important?"

"It has immense power." Serena began to fiddle with the rings on her fingers. "The one who controls the Granilith can amplify their powers beyond belief. It was used to send the ship your pods were on to Earth without them being seen. They were able to cloak the ship so that Kivar's people couldn't detect them leaving the planet. With the Granilith, many things can be done that cannot be done under normal circumstance, even with the powers we have already."

"Like time travel," Liz muttered.

"What?" Serena asked, startled by Liz's comment, but also intrigued.

"Um, nothing. Nothing at all." But Liz was thinking of Future Max. She glanced curiously at Serena. She could hear Future Max's voice in her head, talking about a girl named Serena. She'll be a friend of yours one day. Liz smiled at Serena. "And my last question, how did you know that Tess had died?"

"When the clones were made, my father created a device of some kind that no one but he understood that could monitor whether you were alive or dead, and give a general location on Earth as to where we could find you."

Serena stood. "Are you sure you don't have anymore questions?"

Liz nodded. "Yes...no, wait. One more. What should we pack for Antar?"