Chapter 1

"I know you're planning something, Zim!" the pale boy shouted from beyond the protection of the fence before ducking once more, a lazer skimming the tip of his hair as he did so.

The petite Irken swiveled, fists clenched. True eyes concealed behind bothersome yet necessary lenses glowed with annoyance. "Of course I'm planning something, you little worm! Now take that hideous thing you dare to call a head and leave!"

"Never! You mutated cricket! I'll find out what you're up to if I have to sit here all day." Dib grinned to himself. He could hear the Irken slam the toilet-insigniated door with passion. Well, I think it worked...

Turning on a black-booted heel he walked in the direction of his house hurriedly. Hopefully Zim would stay preoccupied with his frustration at the paranormal investigator's dogging him the entire morning. Too occupied to notice the monitoring devise planted on his back from a rather vicious slap on Dib's part...

A small smirk creeping onto his thirteen year-old features, the boy pounded up the stairs to his room. Slapping on the light switch he picked up the walkie-talkie sized box from the cluttered desk and flopped into the chair beside it. Scrunching his eyes shut in preperation for the worst, he turned the silver knob on the bottom of the box slowly. A soft fizzle of sound seeped from it. His tongue was poking out of the corner of his mouth.

"...nd you wouldn't BELIEVE how horrible that dirt-monkey was today! Like a dumb dog-beast. He IS a dumb dog-beast! I hate him! Squirmily, disgustingly...smelly..."

Yes! Dib cradled the box like it was pure gold. Now he'd be able to get Zim once and for all...

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Sen rocked back in the red-plastic mock-padded chair, putting his feet on the dashboard. A large planet with film-circle rings sped by beyond the cockpit, disappearing into the stream of stars. Only a few more hours until the Earth's atmosphere was breeched by the rose and violet hued ship...

The green-eyed Irken felt his head lolling to the side and snapped it back up. He pulled sharply on an antenna to keep his eyes open wide. He couldn't doze off now. There was so much to be done...and so little time.

A rapid beeping to his right caught his attention, and he rolled the chair over to inspect the blinking button on the keyboard. Oh no! He knew what that symbol was for, and quickly dropping his feet to the floor, pressed it.

A small screen directly above the front windshield crackled to life. It blinked in a dark blue tint. Then black. Now the picture appeared, panning out form the center of the monitor. Wide, uninterrupted windows could be seen in the background. The keyboards of the transmitting stations, now devoid of occupants save one. The lone figure nodded to Sen, green orbs flashing with recognition and trouble. Sen returned the gesture, and gazed beyond the transmission tech to those who wished to speak with him.

He blinked.

A single tall being of a similar, albeit paler complexion looked back. His purple eyes lacked their usual humorous gleam. He did not stand.

Sen nodded, a fist at his chest. "My tallest..."

Tallest Purple half-nodded back. He pushed himself to a more regal sitting position, thin arms trembling in the process. He looked penetratingly at the necessecity-made soldier on the large screen.

"Sen. I'm checking in on your present progress. I see that you are still aboard the ship. How far is Earth?"

"A few hours away, my Tallest. Is...is everything alright?" Where was Tallest Red?

Purple tried his best to smile. "We're hanging on. Not by much, of course, but we are." He could see the soldier's worry. "Red is still alive. He is worse off than I am, however, due to genetics. You have seen how fast the virus affects those with his eye color..."

Sen nodded. There wasn't much time left at all. Was there enough? What if there wasn't? Was this all just a waste of time?

Purple looked at Sen straightforwardly. The green-eyed loner detected the strained nature of the expression.

"We are...rather dependant upon you, Sen."

"Yes, my Tallest."

"You know that there is little room for mistakes..."

"Understood, sir."

"And, being that its Zim you're dealing with..."

Sen felt his mouth turn up at the corners slightly. "I know, sir."

"Yes. I suppose you do..." A small, true smile crossed Purple's lips. "You know what I'm trying to say. Good luck." He gave the tech a clipped hand gesture.

The screen returned to obsidian.

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"What? Computer! Identify the spacecraft."

"Approaching craft is Irken."

Zim's eyes widened. Another Irken? Here? Was it a messenger from the Armada, signalling the arrival of the fleet? He looked around wildly, fear evident in his large lustrous ruby-tinted eyes. But, the Earth wasn't ready for subjugation!

"Who is the pilot?" How would he explain his lack of progress?

"Pilot identified. Irken named...Sen."

"Sen?" That couldn't be right. Sen was a transmission tech for the Tallest. Had been long before Zim became an invader..."Computer! That has to be false. Let me see the pilot!" He stood up, gaze fixated on the monitor. It just couldn't be, could it?

"Transmission failed. Scrying blocked by ship's console."

"What?! They dare to block ME from seeing who they are?!" The short psuedo-invader stared at the screen, eyes narrowing. There was no reason for such a thing. He drummed his fingertips on the keyboard, watching the 3-D diagram of the ship passing through the Earth's atmosphere. Maybe it was Sen...