We're almost done. Keep those reviews coming, people!

Special thanks to Roswell428 for finding the huge mistake in the last chapter. It's been fixed, so check it out if you want to.

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Chapter 12: The Judgement of Kivar

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Immediately upon arriving on Antar the High King and Queen had new business to attend to. They met with their advisor, Orophan, to be briefed.

"When Kivar's government was overthrown he was captured by the Gizmod to await judgment. Now that you have comfortably taken over your role in the government, it is time for his judgement," Orophan explained.

"Why do we have to do this?" Abby asked.

"You have supreme control over all of this star system. Kivar was once a ruler of Antar. Even though he is no longer in power, no one can judge him but you. Only you have power over the rulers of the five planets."

"So what exactly do we have to do?" Connor asked.

"Basically, you will hear the wrongs committed by Kivar, against the throne of Antar as well as against your own leadership, and make judgment based on these facts. I believe it is similar to a trial on your old planet."

"Except there's no jury, no defense, no chance," Abby said, feeling a bit sorry for Kivar.

"That is the way things are done here, your Highness," Orophan explained. "I know it may be different to you, but it is for the best. If you allow others to question your authority, you will lose it." Abby nodded.

"I understand but I still feel kind of bad about it," she said. Connor placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We choose what will happen to him, right?" he asked. Orophan nodded.

"The people will want justice for the wrongs he has committed," he explained. "But his fate is entirely in your hands."

"There you go, Abby," Connor said. "We can be merciful, if it's warranted. It's not unfair."

"I suppose you're right," she conceded. "And besides, I don't know everything he's done in the past but, from what I can tell, he's not exactly the greatest person. He probably doesn't deserve an impartial trial."

"That's the spirit," Orophan cheered. "Remember you were born specifically to do this job. You know how to do it better than anyone else. You will know how to handle Kivar better than anyone else." Abby nodded.

"When is this all happening?" she asked.

"Tomorrow morning you will meet with Kivar and the leader of the Gizmod. He will lay out all of Kivar's wrongdoings and, if he likes, Kivar will give explanations and ask for mercy. It will then be up to you to make your decision."

"Ok," Abby said. "Tomorrow then. Thank you, Orophan."

"It was my pleasure, my lady," he replied bowing.

~*~

That night Abby sat on her bed, brushing her hair, with Connor laying next to her. She had spent the entire day pondering the issue of Kivar.

"What do you think we should do about Kivar?" she finally asked, laying her brush on the bedside table and turning to Connor.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "Part of me thinks maybe we should pardon him, or banish him or something, but the other part hates him and wants him dead. He killed our parents once, you know."

"Yeah," Abby agreed, nodding. "Actually he tried to do it twice. Aunt Isabel told me once about how he came for her and tried to kill our fathers. She said he's a really frightening man."

"Do you think we should have him, I don't know, executed or whatever?" Connor asked.

"I don't know. I was always against the death penalty, but I don't know that I see any more options. We can't really let him live. You know he'd just try to take power again."

"That's probably very true," Connor agreed. "People like that don't give up very easily. For all we know he's scheming how to get us to let him off and then how to stage a coup or something." Abby laughed.

"That's probably true," she agreed.

~*~

Outside a man was peering in the window, watching and listening to Abby and Connor's conversation.

"Keep on laughing, Your Highness," he said with a sneer. "You won't be laughing much longer.

He turned away from the window, keeping his ear tuned to the room. As the conversation between Abby and Connor continued, he went over his plan again. There was only one variable that remained unaccounted for.

"How am I going to get them apart?" he asked himself as he turned back to the window. He searched both of their minds for an idea and found exactly what he was looking for.

"Very well," he said to himself. "Now let's get this underway."

~*~

Abby turned from Connor and glanced towards the window.

"I suppose we won't know what to do until we hear what he has to say tomorrow," she said.

"Yeah," Connor replied, turning off the light on his side of the bed. "Just a few more hours and then we'll know." He settled down in the bed and pulled the covers up. "I'm going to sleep. You should try to get some rest too." Abby, barely listening, walked towards the window.

"Yeah," she said. "Goodnight." Something outside caught her attention. Looking closer, she saw the flash of some animal running by. It was an animal from Earth, but what it was she could not say. Intrigued, she decided to investigate. "I'm gonna go for a walk in the garden. I need to think." Connor, half asleep, barely heard her.

"Have fun," he mumbled, before allowing sleep to claim him. Abby wrapped her robe around her body and slipped on some shoes. Quickly and quietly she exited the room and ran out of the palace, hoping to find the creature before it vanished. She entered the gardens outside her bedroom and traveled through them quietly, looking for the horse.

After a few minutes of walking up and down the rows of the labyrinth-like garden, Abby began to get chilled. She decided the horse must have been a figment of her imagination and began to walk the long trek back to her room. As she walked back down the path she had taken, she felt a familiar presence. She knew someone else was there, but wasn't sure who. They felt very familiar, yet something was remarkably different.

"Hello," she said, looking around her. "Is someone there?" After a moment of silence she heard a rustle. Fear began to grip her, but she pushed it away.

"This is the High Queen speaking," she said in her most regal voice. "Whoever is there, I demand that you show yourself." The rustling continued and, after a moment, Connor stepped out from behind a nearby tree.

"Starting to get all Queenly, are you babe?" he asked, stepping towards her.

"Oh, Connor," she gasped. "You scared me so much. I didn't know who was there. You should have said something." He wrapped his arms around her and smiled.

"Well," he explained. "I couldn't sleep without you next to me, so I decided to come looking for you. I didn't mean to scare you, Abby." She smiled.

"It's okay," she said. "It's a welcome surprise." She leaned into him and kissed him. After a few seconds she broke away and stared at him.

"Connor?" she asked, confused. The images she had seen when she kissed him were not anything like she was used to seeing. They were darker, more malicious. She saw places and things she had never seen before. She tried to back away, but she was too late. Before she had taken a step back a wicked grin had spread onto his face and a needle was inserted into her back. Abby's body fell to the ground.

~*~

"Abby!" Connor shouted, bolting upright in bed, sweat pouring down his face. He reached for Abby but found a void in her place. He shouted to her in his mind and received no answer. Quickly he climbed out of bed and ran from the room, searching for his wife.

Connor ran up and down the halls, calling Abby's name and checking in every room. Within a few minutes the entire staff had been awoken by his hysteria. The entire palace was searched top to bottom to no avail.

"Did she not say where she was going, my King?" one of the servants asked.

"No, no she didn't," Connor said. "Wait, I remember her saying something right before I fell asleep, but I can't remember what. I was so tired. She said she was going out.... but where?" The servant immediately called for a group to search the palace grounds and, if necessary, the city. Connor paced back and forth, worried. He kept calling to Abby in his mind but received no reply.

"Your Highness, please, think," the servant begged. "If she told you where she was going our search would be easier."

"I am, I am," Connor said angrily. He stepped towards the servant with a hostile look in his eyes. "Do you not think I want to find my wife?" The servant backed away.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I meant nothing of the sort." Connor walked away and continued pacing, trying to remember what Abby had said. Finally he looked up in realization.

"The gardens," he exclaimed. "She said she was going for a walk in the gardens." He ran out of the palace and towards the gardens.

"Abby!!!" he shouted, traveling as fast as he could through the expansive area. Finally he came upon some members of the search party.

"My Liege," one man said. "We found these." He handed a small bundle to Connor. It was one of Abby's slippers and a tiny needle.

"What is this?" he asked, holding up the needle.

"It is black-market," the man explained. "It is used to inject poison, usually." Connor fell to his knees.

"No," he whispered. He continued calling out to Abby through their connection but received no reply.

~*~

Abby awoke with a start in a strange location. She groggily looked around, recognizing nothing. Feeling the ropes that bound her hands, she slowly began to remember what that happened.

"Where am I?" she asked, frightened. A candle was lit and she could make out that she was in a cave of some sort. A voice spoke to her. A familiar voice.

"You are in hiding with us," Connor's voice said.

"Connor?" she asked. "What's going on here?" More candles were lit and she could see there were several people in the room. Except, she noted, they were not people. They had a strange appearance, one that was like nothing Abby had ever seen before. The only person in the room who looked human was Connor. But was he Connor?

The man that looked like Connor spoke again.

"You are being held hostage by the Flad-adan," he explained. "There is no escape, so do not even consider it. I know what you are thinking." Abby looked at him, frightened, and tried desperately to restore the mental block she had kept up when she first met Connor.

"I demand to be released," she said, attempting her most regal tone. The Connor-man only laughed, as did the strange creatures in the room.

"You are in no position to demand anything, Highness," he sneered, leaning over her and pushing her down. "I am in charge here. You are at my mercy." Tears formed in Abby's eyes. In her mind she repeated tried to build up courage, but to no avail.

"Please," she gasped. "Let me go." The man backed away a bit and looked her over carefully in a way that made Abby feel less than comfortable.

"Now why should we let such a pretty thing go?" he asked.

"I'm very powerful," Abby said, attempting to sway his mind with her powers as she spoke. She couldn't seem to get into his mind, however. Where her powers had been there was some sort of foggy void. She tried persuasion. "I can get you anything you desire if you free me." The man seemed to consider this for a second.

"We will set you free when we get what we want from your dear husband."

"What do you want?" Abby asked, expecting the worst.

"Kivar's freedom," the man replied. He ran a hand down Abby's face and placed it on her shoulder. "And you will not be safe until he has it."