Author's Notes: Thank you, thank you, thank you for reviewing.

In this chapter, I try to show how Tess kind of finds herself feeling sorry for what she did on Earth - you know betraying everyone. You know how when she is going to sacrifice herself in "Four Aliens and a Baby" she says to Liz, "At least I can do one good thing with my life." That indicated to me that she changed over the time since she left. In this chapter, I tried to show how that happened.

Chapter Four: The Resistance

So, I was brought here to the Resistance compound. I don't know exactly where it is. The vehicle they brought me here in had opaque windows in the back seat, so I couldn't see where we were going. I think it took about an hour to get here, but they may have taken a circuitous route just to confuse me.

The compound is a spacious, comfortable place, completely subterranean. There are a few garden rooms with artificial lighting that simulate sunlight. My room is about one-fourth the size of my room at the palace. About the same size as my room at the Valentis', I realize with a pang. I push that thought away. Lately, thinking about the Valentis just makes me feel.......I don't know........sort of sad. Almost......homesick. Whatever.

The resistance people here pretty much ignore me. They look at me with suspicion and disgust. But the way they look at Zan is a whole different matter. They give him looks of curiosity and adoration.

One night at dinner, about a month after I'd been here, two young people, maybe a little older than me, came over and sat at my table. I stared at them. I had been eating alone ever since I'd arrived. I had to wonder why all of a sudden these people were sitting down to eat with me.

I took a bite, and glanced at them. They were pretending to be busy eating, but they kept sneaking looks at Zan, who was sleeping in his baby- carrier, which I had set on the floor next to me.

I sighed. "You want to see him?" I picked up Zan and held him so the three resistance fighters could see him. The girl sitting directly across me reached over and took his little hand, and let out a breath. "The King's son," she said in a wondering voice.

I snorted. "Why are you so loyal to---Zan---anyway? Were you even alive back then? Didn't the coup happen like fifty years ago?"

The girl stiffened. "My grandparents were on the Council. They were killed in the coup. My parents joined the resistance soon after they were married. They were killed during a government raid a month after I was born. The resistance has taken care of me ever since. Kivar's government is corrupt and under it all the Antarian people are oppressed---"

"Tirana...." the young man sitting next to her said.

Tirana turned to him in a fury. "Kural, look at her. She doesn't even care about our plight. Her own people, and she could care less. She betrayed the royal family....."

Kural looked at me. "Is it true that the King didn't know who he was on that planet, Earth? He didn't even remember Antar?"

"Yeah. There was a miscalculation, and when Max --- I mean Zan, Vilandra, and Rath broke out of their pods, the protector wasn't there to guide them. They were early. They grew up with human families, living human lives. They had no idea about their destiny. And when it came right down to it, they didn't care."

Tirana looked furious. "I don't believe that."

I shrugged. "Believe it or not, it doesn't matter to me."

"Is it true then that humans only live 80 or 90 years?" Kural asked curiously.

"Uh, yeah." Oh. I suddenly realized something that should have occurred to me long ago. I set my fork down and stared at the table. "And Antarian lifespans are......"

"Two hundred years."

"So," I took a deep breath. "The king's mother is still alive?"

"Yes, Alana survived the coup," Kural said.

"Is she here? In the compound?" I didn't wait for an answer, I just stood up, grabbed Zan and left the dining room, leaving a confused Kural and Tirana behind.

I went straight to the office of Torann, one of the resistance leader's top aides, the man who had picked me up in Kensharra City and brought me to the compound.

"Torann!"

He looked up from the computer monitor on his desk. When he saw me, a guarded expression crossed his face. "What is it, Tess?"

"Alana is here in the compound? Why haven't I seen her?"

Torann sighed. "Yes, she's here. She's made it clear that you were to be kept away from her. Your betrayal of her children was a great blow to her."

I felt sick. "I should talk to her. I need to explain--"

Torann cut me off. "There's no explanation. You betrayed her son, her daughter, and her son-in-law. She has disowned you. She will have nothing to do with you."

I left his office and went back to my room. I remembered my mother- in-law. She had been a good advisor to Max, when he was king. And I remembered the message Max, Michael, Isabel and I had watched not long after Nasedo and I arrived in Roswell. In the message, she had told us who we were and what our destiny was. Her heartfelt plea for us to come back and save our people had even moved me, a little. Back then, I still hoped maybe we could go through with that plan, despite what Nasedo said. But we were only four teenagers. What could we possibly do against the whole of Kivar's army? So, I had decided that I had to carry out Nasedo's plan, and at least save myself.

Now that I was back here, though, I wondered if I had done the right thing.