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 28 - Interim
Maria stood silently behind Liz, who hadn't noticed Maria's presence. Maria wasn't sure she should bother Liz at all, but Liz had been sitting in the same place since before dawn, and though it was only ten o'clock, Maria was still worried. Isabel hadn't even woken up yet, which was unusual for her, but Maria had checked on her and found her sleeping deeply but breathing. But Liz was breathing slowly, and her eyes were unfocused.
"Chica, you have to eat," Maria finally said. Liz didn't move. Maria moved around to crouch down in front of Liz. She took Liz's hands in hers and shook them gently. "Liz, come on. You need to eat so that when Max gets back he'll have a wife to come home to."
"I have to concentrate Maria. If I concentrate, I can feel him. He's afraid but he's brave. He's getting tired. But he's alive." Liz didn't so much as look at Maria as she spoke.
Maria dropped Liz's hands and took Liz's face in her hands again, forcing Liz to look at her. "Liz, you have to come eat, okay? For me?" She got no response. "For Max?"
Liz appeared to think about it for the first time. Finally she looked into Maria's eyes. "Okay, but I can't leave Max for long."
Maria nodded, pulled Liz into a hug. "You're always with him, Chica, you know that."
Liz gave a slight smile and followed Maria silently into the kitchen.
Isabel rolled over in Kyle's bed. She was dreaming, and didn't want to leave the dream. In it, she and Kyle were stargazing on the roof of the Resistance compound.
"It's nice to be able to do this with someone again," dream Isabel was saying.
Dream Kyle wrapped his arms around Isabel's waist and pulled her back against his chest. "I'm glad you feel you can."
"With you," she replied softly.
He kissed the top of her head tenderly and she leaned back against his shoulder. His face was close to hers, his mouth close to her mouth. She knew in another minute they would be kissing, and she couldn't find any reason to stop it from happening. She closed her eyes.
"Vilandra."
Dream Isabel's eyes flew open. Why would Kyle call her Vilandra? Then she saw that suddenly was being held by Kivar, not Kyle.
"No!" she screamed, and jumped out of his embrace. "No, I don't want you!"
"You do, Vilandra. You always have."
"No. You're a liar and a murderer. I don't want you!"
"You will. You do. We will be together soon, my beloved."
"NO!" Isabel shot to a sitting position in Kyle's bed, breathing heavily. She looked around the room in a panic, half-expecting Kivar to be sitting in a corner. Of course he wasn't, and she fought for control. She lay back onto the pillows, breathing deeply and drawing comfort from Kyle's scent.
"I don't want him," she said softly to no one. "And I never will."
Serena, Nikolai, Tristan, and Christiana sat tensely in the control room, the sounds of battle all around them. They didn't speak to each other, and only spoke at all when on of the generals at the battle addressed them, which was rarely.
"Dammit! Oh shit!" Erik's voice was more panicked than it had ever been. Nikolai sat up straighter and fought to keep from getting panicky himself.
"What is it Erik? What's wrong?" he said loudly.
"I just found out that Dimitri Raies is in the castle."
Tristan shot out of his seat, and Serena and Christiana lost all color in their faces.
"How the hell did the most effective assassin on Antar get into the castle without us knowing about it?" Tristan yelled.
"I don't know," Erik yelled back.
Serena's eyes filled with fear. "Does Max know?" she asked urgently.
Erik didn't respond right away, and the four people in the control room held their breaths.
"No," came Erik's answer, and everyone fell silent.
"Start praying," Tristan said softly.
Generals Daimtos and Maikos sat tensely in Kivar's War Room.
"We're just lucky Kivar hasn't woken up yet," Daimtos said grimly.
"I know," replied Maikos. "There's no way we can win the battle. They will gain control of the castle."
Daimtos nodded. "How the hell are we gonna tell Kivar without getting ourselves killed?"
Maikos made no response. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Daimtos spoke again.
"You're sure the reinforcements you set aside wouldn't be able to take the castle back?"
"Our entire army and space force combined couldn't take that castle back from the King while he still draws breath. The only reason we got control of it in the first place was because the king was dead."
"I was afraid of that."
In the Skyview control room, Colonel Forester was still making panic communications with the headquarters, despite being told multiple times that General Maikos was still meeting with General Daimtos and could not be reached.
"We're losing, dammit!" he yelled to the unhelpful soldier on the other end of the line.
"I understand, sir, but I cannot interrupt the general."
Colonel Forester dropped into the closest chair in defeat. The sounds of battle were getting closer. He pulled his gun from the hip holster he wore and made sure it was primed and ready to fire. If he was going to go down, he was going to take some with him.
A/N – Sorry that updates are farther apart now, but school intervenes. You're worried? I'm gonna take that as a compliment to my writing, lol. Seriously, though, you guys have been awesome about always giving feedback and it has really helped me to keep on writing, so thanks!