The War

by

Domino



Part 31

The skin commander gave the order through a loud speaker. Actually it was more of a threat, to open the cave. Those inside ignored it.

Then they ignored the gunfire at the entrance. The cave held, and the entrance remained shut.

However they couldn't quite ignore the threat to blow up the cave. And a countdown began outside.

Inside Kyle grabbed the emerald from where it had been hidden, and ran to the granolith, and carefully placed it in place. Slowly the top part of the granolith began to spin.

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Michael threw Kivar against the wall, and the skin commander struggled to his feet. It had taken ten minutes to get into the building their Recon had identified as the headquarters of the Zarian Empire on Earth. But really speaking, that identification was unnecessary since all Michael needed to know was that Maria was in the building, and that he already knew.

The entry had been made easy by the fact that most of the Zarians were outside fighting, and Jim and the troop he led had easily overpowered the initial guards, and while they went to get Reese, Michael headed upstairs.

As anyone who has ever performed a military coup knows, you were never safe and surrounding yourself by guards was the only way to ensure your continued survival. It was something Kivar was well versed in, survival that is. But at the same time, he was also highly arrogant. Higher than himself, no man thinks was particular true of Kivar, whose arrogance was legendary.

And he wanted to fight Michael. To destroy Michael. To prove his superiority.

It was why guards stood uselessly as a the war moved to a one and one level between its two leaders. A ruthless, no holds barred brawl that had each of them both winning and losing points - a fight to see who was more powerful. Five years ago, Khivar could have beaten Michael with his eyes closed, but that was before the War he started. Today, Michael was stronger - years of battles, and training Maria had made them all do had had its effect. More than that, Michael was mad, and his own soldiers could attest to from observation, a furious Michael was not someone you wanted to go up against. Not even, or rather especially if you were Khivar. It was why for the moment, Michael was leading.

"You won't win, you know," Kivar said. But already his voice was less smug.

Michael pointed towards the window where the sounds of the battle invaded, "That there - that's for her. All for her. That was your big mistake. You shouldn't have gone after my family, " he said, his eyes icy, and lifting his hand sent one last blast to Kivar.

This time Khivar didn't get up. But he looked at Michael and said, "What's that stupid human saying you have? All's fair in love and war." And then he smiled, an evil smile, filled with triumph.

Michael turned around, but it was too late. Two guys grabbed him from behind. Michael fought wildly to escape, and even worse when Kivar began to talk.

"This time I'm going to kill you in front of your wife. Or maybe I'll kill her in front of you," Kivar said consideringly as he was helped to his feet, "And when I am done, I am going to kill your daughter. Slowly. Painfully."

Michael looked at him scornfully, then he gave a smirk, a very Michael smirk, "You're too late!" he said.

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Nicholas held her in a mind meld. He had been doing this for last two days, since her capture, trying to break her mind. But she was stronger than he was, and she had Michael's strength to work with. Their connection was the only thing that kept her mind from becoming a vegetable.

Still, this was the longest session yet. And she was getting weaker. A part of her couldn't help fear that this time she would succumb. She could sense Nicholas's increasing frustration that she held out so long, longer than any other before, and she knew Kivar was getting impatient. She was his key to victory, but first he needed to break her. Without that, the victory would be a hollow one.

It was because of this, Maria decided to finally change her strategy. And it was only in the last few minutes that things were beginning to change. Maria struggled to remember Riverdog's training from so long ago. And began, instead of strengthening the walls protecting her mind from Nicholas's rape, she started to move into his.

By trying to access her consciousness, he left his own wide open and vulnerable. It was actually easier than she had thought it would be, or else she was stronger than she believed she was. Not something she could normally achieve, but his attempts to read her mind and rob it of information created the link she couldn't do on her own. Quickly Maria began to build walls again, only this time not around her own mind but around his.

Nicholas distracted by the little access she allowed him to the front portion of her brain didn't notice until she was half done - the price of arrogance and belief of invincibility. In a panic he tried to remove the mental barriers in his mind but it was already too late. He unbuilt as she rebuilt, and kept adding. She was faster, and he lost more and more of his mind as the walls grew higher and higher. Until they were too high to get out. Too high to leave. She locked him in his own mind.

In a war fought on another plane, a competition not physical in nature, a battle between barriers and walls - she won.

Maria opened her eyes to see Nicholas's hands go limp from the tight grip they had on her face. She watched him fall back, almost in slow motion and lay beaten on the floor, an unseeing look in his wide, unblinking eyes. And she smiled.

In another room, her husband smirked at his enemy, "You're too late," he said.

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"Three," the skin commander yelled.

Tess found the ruby and yelled in triumph before running to place it on the granolith. The second part of the granolith began to move slowly before catching up and spinning in unison with the first.

End Part 31

Part 32

Kivar stood up slowly, "Please, she's only human."

Michael laughed, a genuinely amused laugh. It sent chills down Kivar's fake spine.

"Have you even met her?" he said mockingly.

"Bring her here. Now," Kivar yelled to one of his minions that stood around.

"Oh, that's not necessary Kivar. I'm already here." Maria's voice carried from the door.

"Hi, honey. Miss me?" she said to Michael.

"Of course, baby. Took your time to rescue poor little old me," Michael answered. At the same time he sent his fist flying backwards, knocking one of the surprised skins who was holding him to the ground. The other he took out with her spinning back kick before sending a blast of energy at both, totally incapacitating them.

Kivar stared in shock as Maria took out the three guards, standing useless in the room.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Nicholas was being a tad difficult. Forgive me."

"Of course, honey. Don't I always?" Michael answered taking out another two guards.

Slowly Kivar began to back away, trying to leave inconspicuously.

"Going somewhere?" Maria turned and smiled at him. Despite the loose strands of hair falling, her flushed cheeks from battle, many bruises and slightly rumpled clothing courtesy of two days of capture, she sounded and managed to give the appearance of a dinner party conversation.

Michael moved to shut the door, "Wouldn't want you to miss the party," he said, "Would we, babe?"

"Oh, definitely not, spaceboy," Maria replied, "No fun in that, is there, Kivar?"

She began to advance towards him and much to Michael's amusement, Kivar began to back away. Then he stopped. His expression neutralised, and he again became the enemy they had been fighting for so long.

"You won't get away with this. My army will defeat you," he said calmly.

Michael laughed again. Kivar was beginning to loathe that laugh.

"Well, not exactly, Kivar. You see, it tuns out we have a secret weapon. But then again I am sure you know all about it, don't you?" Michael said, smirking as he saw Kivar blanche.

"After all," Maria continued, "You did try to steal it before."

"I'm guessing you know all about its little quirks and abilities," Michael picked up where Maria left off.

Kivar's head swung from one to the next. Their little tag team approach was an intimidating effect, completing each other's sentences, moving about constantly. It was difficult to know what to concentrate on.

Normally Kivar would have focused on Michael, his own arrogance assuring him of his superiority but there was something about Maria that unnerved him. Her total lack of fear for him - everyone Kivar knew was scared of him, that and the fact that Nicholas was gone. Kivar knew more than most how difficult it was to overcome a mindrape, having performed many of his own. And Nicholas was the best at it. It was why he was second in command.

But above all, the thing that scared him the most was the mention of the Granolith. The power it contained was infinite and more importantly their confidence in it as a weapon destroyed his final belief of their lack of knowledge over its existence.

Having manipulated Destiny, having kept a far watch over them, having made numerous attempts to destroy them, he had been till now almost convinced that the threat of the granolith for him wasn't one he needed to worry about. Then again, if they had the granolith why didn't they use it, "You're bluffing," he said, his voice held the assurity of 50 years forced rule over Antar.

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"Two," the commander yelled, and two skins lifted the missiles and loaded them into a cannon.

Alex found the diamond and placed it in the correct spot. The third quarter of the granolith began to spin. It was an amazing sight

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Isabel was winning. The skins were retreating. As if to balance that victory, on the other side of Roswell, despite their best efforts Max and all the soldiers were being crushed under the superior war power of the skins.

They held their own, but the sheer numbers and power the skins contained wasn't easy to defeat. And now, Max on instructions from Kyle, finally ordered the retreat. It was almost time.

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"Look out there, Kivar," Maria pointed out the window to where the skins were retreating under Isabel's non-stop attack, "That's your army being beaten."

"You may have held the earth hostage for years and kept Antar in slavery for over half a century. But its now over," Michael stated, "We are taking back what's ours."

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"One," the skin shouted and with a wave of his hand motioned to his soldiers.

"Fire!"

End Part 32

Part 33

Kyle looked at Tess before taking the last step and placing the final crystal - a beautiful sapphire blue, the colour of Tess's eyes, firmly into place.

The ground began to shake as the last part of the granolith began to spin, and as the device began to go faster, Kyle threw Tess to the ground and covered her with his body while Alex dived behind a protruding rock.

Sparks began to fly from the granolith as they watched fearfully wondering if the move to activate the weapon would only bring about their own destruction. Tess grabbed Kyle's hand and held on tightly as wave after wave of energy so strong it was visible, began to emit from the weapon, which was now spinning so fast all the could make out was its general shape.

The waves began to move all forming one big one. Kyle pushed Tess further into the ground and Alex and him exchanged worried looks, but it wasn't necessary. The wave passed over them barely disturbing a hair. It was a strange feeling, almost as if something was walking through you - just not painful.

Kyle stood up and pulled Tess to her feet, and together with Alex they stared at the weapon. The wave had travelled in a complete circle, emerging from the central point of the granolith. As it passed through the cave walls, they saw the rocky surface waver for an instant before resuming its normal unmoving status.

Walking slowly, cautiously, the 3 moved to the edge of the cave and slightly fearfully opened the entrance. They stared in shock. It was all gone. No skins, only dust particles floating amongst the now deserted tanks and weapons that was all that was left.

In the distance the massive displacement wave continued to move in all directions, its circumference getting larger with each metre it passed by, the ground wavering slightly as if in a different sync to this dimension as it passed by.

Without saying a word, in an unspoken agreement, Kyle, Alex and Tess jumped into the nearest deserted jeep and raced of in a futile chase of the wave phenomenon towards Roswell.

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There was no contact with each other, but then again under these circumstances it was understandable, with all the parties concerned being rather too preoccupied with the escalating fight with the Zarians too converse - which was why Max and his soldiers, and more importantly the Skins were not expecting the ground to move, they weren't expecting the air to waver or the buildings to shake. But it did.

For the first time since the War began, all were united in common fear for the Wave, a complete unknown and sheer terror had people and skins pausing in their battles to run, to hide. Three soldiers dived over Max to protect him with their lives, reason having no place in their thoughts - only instinct.

And fear.

It took only seconds to pass. No one could escape it's passage. But it took minutes before they realised its total devastation and complete destruction was not aimed at them.

The celebratory cries were real, they were free, there was relief and unrestrained joy of dancing under a rainfall of dust.

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From a window, Khivar watched, fear building slowly inside him. Next to him stood Michael, one arm curled around his wife's petite waist, his other standing guard for any last minute, last second desperate moves by the man that had destroyed cold-bloodedly two worlds.

"I guess you win after all. Who would have thought?" Khivar said, as he observed the wave getting closer to him, "Just remember, death isn't always final." And those were his last words before the massive displacement wave moved through the walls, through the door, through it all, leaving nothing but piles of ashes in its wake where there was once an enemy.

And that was it. The end of a War. The total annihilation of a species bent on the conquering of a world not their own, and the fulfilment of a prophecy made aeons ago.

To save their world.
To live.
To be free.
To love.
And be loved.
To survive.
Against all odds.
For the future was now theirs.

End part 33

Epilogue

Years later historians would debate if the Wave really existed, they would debate if to call the War - which was all it was known as - as World War 3. Some gave the argument that it was fought for the world itself and therefore deserved the title, while others claimed it was a war fought by only one nation and therefore an inaccurate term. The counter argument for that was simple - it had been to free the world. And so the debate raged.

The Wave which destroyed all the Skins was viewed with slight scepticism centuries later. The granolith, its power and the wave were never again seen, its existence questioned despite various accounts of this rather miraculous event. It was a decision that the Royal Eight made easily - the granolith held too much power. In the wrong hands it would be lethal and the sobering event of the total annihilation of a species was enough to convince them that it was something that they didn't want to happen ever again. Thus, it was hidden.

In the example of their ancestors, the crystals were taken and kept in separate hiding places, all of which, the total components to activate the granolith again, was known to no one person. Each of them, that is each couple took their crystal and hid it - the knowledge passed down generation to generation, as a vision for use only if the world was in danger again. Then the descendants of the original Royal Eight would again band together to lead a war to defend the world. It was their duty - one which was taught to them from birth.

And so the story grew - to one of myths and legends, rivalling those of any fairytale. The granolith held the power of King Arthur's Excalibur and the eight were the stuff of fairytales were made of. Their love was legendary, so strong it defeated destiny, it defeated an enemy stronger than any the world had known, and the most amazing of all was that it became history. It was a true story. Their children became leaders, the prince and princesses of a world that refused to let go of the Eight.

But before all that could happen, the nation had to be rebuilt, its people freed from the slavery that been forced upon them. If it were up to them, the Royal Eight would have retreated to their Boston Sanctuary to live in peace, and resume their lives and bring up their children - but fate and destiny had taken some of those choices out of their hands a long time ago.

It was the greatest of ironies, one could say - the Destiny they were meant to fulfil and the Fate that put them together finally merged to form a chain so intricately interlinked that the difference between the two was almost indistinguishable, and the fine line between Fate and Destiny didn't exist anymore.

In history, he aftermath of War was what really mattered - countries collapsed under the weight of its losses and the blood shed, or they came back stronger than ever. It was important to realise that it was for that reason the Eight stayed. To take care of the people they loved. To make sure that what they fought for wasn't lost in the corruptness of the dual face of human nature. To lead the world they saved from the brink of the lowest they could fall back to the heights the nation, once so powerful, was capable of reaching.

And the nation that they painstakingly rebuilt was a different one from that which had started. It was different one from that which had began this war. This new country was one that understood the meaning of the word freedom, a nation that appreciated peace and understood its costs - but more than that, it was a nation that understood humanity and recognised good.

There wasn't a government left anymore, nor a corrupt political system buried under its own paperwork, or a legal system where justice was no longer the reason - instead all they had was a beginning.

A new start.

And leaders that ruled with justice and where love held equal if not more importance to money and power.

A new world.

A free world.

*****The End*****


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