Title: Hedging Her Bets
Author: blackknight5
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Four Aliens and Baby & Roswell Books "A New Beginning" and "Nightscape".
*Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. Please continue to Read and Review.*
Part 6
Liz's eyes flew open. The experience of the last few minutes was as earth shattering as the day Max healed her. What she'd learned partial explained her dreams, but she wasn't convinced that her sudden rise to royalty was there soul cause. She would consider that later, but at the moment there were more pressing matters. Khivar is coming here.
Her waking up had gotten the attention of everyone who were now staring in what appeared to be varying degrees of shock at Langley. "Liz!" Max shouted as be pushed passed Michael to get to her side.
"I'm fine Max," Liz said as she wrapped her arms around Max's neck.
After a second Max let Liz go, and looked her in the eyes. "Do you know what is going on?" He asked.
"I know what is going," Liz replied as the rest of the group surrounded the couple.
"How?" Isabelle asked before anyone else could.
"Your mother told me," Liz replied cool although it far from how she felt.
"Our mother?" Max said the shock clear on his face.
"The Dowager Queen of Antar, that's why I passed out. Max she was trying to contact Tess, but got me instead. She wanted to warn you. Khivar is on his way here."
"Khivar! Khivar is on his way here? Oh, god we are so screwed!" Maria screamed.
"Maria shut up. That isn't helping," Michael said.
Max shot both Maria and Michael a look that was as much a command as anything he could have said. "Did my mother say anything else?" Max asked
"Yes, she has sent soldiers, members of the Royal Guard here to help us," Liz said as she turned to look at Langley.
"And she said you wouldn't like who was leading them."
Langley nodded as he turned away from Liz, and began mumbling. "He just has to be alive. No offense your majesty, but when ever I'm around your husband my Queen my luck sucks. So of course it had to be him," Langley said to no one in particular.
"Sorry, but would you mind giving us a name?" Maria bellowed.
"You know Ms. Deluca you aren't one of my charges despite the fact you are shacking up with one. So unlike them I will demand you talk to me with a little respect, but to answer your question. He is the leader of the Antarian Royal Guard, Guard Commander Garen, and he hates me," Langley said.
"How long until they get here Liz?" Kyle asked.
"She said they should hopefully be here in a few days, which should just be ahead of Khivar."
Roswell, New Mexico – Crashdown
Nancy Parker walked into her daughter's room. Jeff avoided it. He preferred to believe in the nonsense stories from Liz's journal, and Jim Valenti. Everyone seemed to have lost their mind, and Nancy couldn't understand why. It was all insane. Max was just some confused teenage boy who had stolen her daughter, and not the reincarnation of some Alien King.
She came up here trying to understand how she hadn't noticed something so clearly wrong with Liz that she believed something so crazy. She felt like screaming, and destroying everything in front of her. Instead of a tornado though she just sat down on Liz's bed, and found she couldn't even work herself up to cry. So she turned around and grabbed the pillow at the head of the bed, and brought it up to her chest holding it as she once held her little girl.
Yet, despite her disbelief in the 'alien' aspect of her daughter's life left her unable to explain why a group of FBI agents had tried to kill her daughter and the others at the high school graduation. So will she hadn't believed in any of it, she had kept quiet. In fact her silence seemed to be disturbing everyone more then the fact that their children had disappeared.
Jeff would come looking for her soon, and try to get her to come to another meeting. She didn't know if she could take Phillip Evans and Jim Valenti talking about plans to protect them against the FBI. Not to mention Diane Evan's obsession with these fantasies...no not fantasies, delusions. If she asks for another story I swear to god I'm going to slug her in the face.
Los Angeles – Langley's Home
Langley watched Liz struggle once more to use her powers, and wanted to go over to the young woman to shake some sense into her. He could sense that she was more powerful then the powers she'd displayed so far, and that there had to be something blocking her from using it. He wasn't sure what it was. It could be that she'd lived most her life without powers, and so her first instinct was to react without them. That's too easy.
He watched as Liz showed clear signs of being exhausted. "My Queen your powers should be more developed then they are. You are holding back, do you have any idea why?"
"No, I don't," Liz answered, but there was something in her voice. He'd spent decades on Earth, and found much to admire about humanity and Americans in particular. Still that didn't mean there wasn't things he found extremely annoying about them. American stubbornness ranked highly among them even if it was also one of the traits he most enjoyed. Damn paradox.
"Take a break," Liz merely nodded at Langley's command, and then turned away. Probably going to find Max or Maria, he thought as a smile appeared on his face. Liz was his Queen. If anyone should be giving orders it should have been her, but instead she was following his lead. On Antar this would have caused a scandal, but here on Earth. Here on Earth Zan had found a woman who was more a Queen then many who had ruled on Antar.
So despite his frustration with her, and his strong dislike for her husband, Langley found himself unable to find a reason to hate Liz. He had spent the past week working with them on their powers, and despite his harshness with Liz it was driven out of the simple desire that the woman most deserving to be Queen of Antar survive the coming battle. He knew that also meant Zan would have to survive.
At that moment a sharp intense pain exploded in his head. Damn it! Damn it! Langley started staggering around. Although he had not felt the surge of pain in decades, but Langley would never forget that pain. He forced himself to a small garden area near where he'd been practicing with Liz, and located the stone birdbath. His hands felt along the sides till they reached the proper place. Pushing in, the stone gave way, and a small compartment opened up.
Reaching inside he withdrew the communication orb, and the pain in his head began to subside. A second later a holographic image appeared in front of him. The image displayed a man far older then he remembered, but still even over great distance projected the aura of lifetime soldier. Langley felt his face tighten, and barely managed to speak without his words filling with hatred. "Hello, Garen."
Los Angeles – Langley's Home
Kyle watched as Maria relaxed by the pool. After every session with Langley Max, Liz, Michael, and Isabelle all came out exhausted. Liz most of all, and yet they also seemed somehow stronger. Kyle could tell whatever Langley was doing to them it was clearly strengthening them. Yet, there was also something else. Something troubling about that strength, he thought.
Deciding he'd stood in the hot sun enough Kyle decided it was time for a swim, and began moving toward the pool. Oh, that water looks nice, and cool. Then he noticed that Maria had placed her chair close to the pool. A devilish thought crossed his mind. Sorry, Maria but I this is set up so perfectly, Kyle thought as he sped up his approach to the water.
Just before he jumped Maria finally realized her situation. "KYLE! No, don't you..." She didn't get anything else out as Kyle's connected with the water in the pool. When his head broke the water he couldn't help but smile. On later reflection was not the wisest thing he could have done. For it was not an angry Maria that he found looking at him, but the furious woman who had been sitting right next to her that Kyle hadn't seen.
"KYLE VALENTI!" Isabelle screamed. In Kyle's mind a simple phrase repeated itself. 'Oh shit!'
Antarian Fleet Ship – Dralfi
Khivar went to check the time till they reached Earth. Two days, two days, till I can finally put an end to all the problems that had plagued him. Two days till he once more could have Vilandra in his arms once more, and deal appropriately with the human who dared to touch her. She was a princess, a beauty even in human form, and how dare some human dare touch her let alone marry her.
But as much as the death of his human rival the important part of this mission was the destruction of Zan, Rath, and those humans they'd seen so fit to bind themselves to. He knew that had fled Roswell, but they had left their parents there. And without their children those humans were vulnerable. Why search the world for his enemies when he could bring them to him. Zan will come in to protect those humans, and he will walk right into his death. This will be easier then last time.
Khivar had left the particulars of the trap to the commander of the troops that would attack Roswell. His own mind was concentrating on his plan to deal with Jesse Ramirez. Even if it took longer then expected to find Zan and the rest his human rival had only two more days of life. With that comforting thought he moved over to his bed, and dreams of Vilandra.
Special Unit
Agent Hanson watched the six other agents who'd gathered with him in the Roswell hotel. They all feared him, and at that he had to laugh. He'd heard himself described as the real world equivalent to the X-Files smoking man. The Agent who told him that had given Hanson the laugh of his life. And considering the courage he'd shown by telling him that really had made him regret the fact the man died a few days later in a traffic accident while chasing the Roswell Aliens.
The other agents assumed that man had said something which had offended Hanson, and Hanson had ordered the man 'punished'. That hadn't happened. Hanson was struggling against Aliens who were trying to take over his planet. Why would he kill humans? He needed all the people he could get to stop these monsters. Not that the more liberal elements of the population wouldn't see it that, damn PC.
"Despite our best efforts our fugitives have evaded custody. As far as we can tell they have not made contact with their parents, and so me must change our strategy. Two days from now we are going to take the Evan's, Parker's, Ms. Deluca, and Jim Valenti into custody," Hanson said calmly.
The other agents merely nodded, and Hanson gave a mental sigh that none of these men had the guts to speak openly to him.
"Now we are going to try and grab them all at once. We know they like to gather together at the Crashdown at lunch..."
Author: blackknight5
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Four Aliens and Baby & Roswell Books "A New Beginning" and "Nightscape".
*Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. Please continue to Read and Review.*
Part 6
Liz's eyes flew open. The experience of the last few minutes was as earth shattering as the day Max healed her. What she'd learned partial explained her dreams, but she wasn't convinced that her sudden rise to royalty was there soul cause. She would consider that later, but at the moment there were more pressing matters. Khivar is coming here.
Her waking up had gotten the attention of everyone who were now staring in what appeared to be varying degrees of shock at Langley. "Liz!" Max shouted as be pushed passed Michael to get to her side.
"I'm fine Max," Liz said as she wrapped her arms around Max's neck.
After a second Max let Liz go, and looked her in the eyes. "Do you know what is going on?" He asked.
"I know what is going," Liz replied as the rest of the group surrounded the couple.
"How?" Isabelle asked before anyone else could.
"Your mother told me," Liz replied cool although it far from how she felt.
"Our mother?" Max said the shock clear on his face.
"The Dowager Queen of Antar, that's why I passed out. Max she was trying to contact Tess, but got me instead. She wanted to warn you. Khivar is on his way here."
"Khivar! Khivar is on his way here? Oh, god we are so screwed!" Maria screamed.
"Maria shut up. That isn't helping," Michael said.
Max shot both Maria and Michael a look that was as much a command as anything he could have said. "Did my mother say anything else?" Max asked
"Yes, she has sent soldiers, members of the Royal Guard here to help us," Liz said as she turned to look at Langley.
"And she said you wouldn't like who was leading them."
Langley nodded as he turned away from Liz, and began mumbling. "He just has to be alive. No offense your majesty, but when ever I'm around your husband my Queen my luck sucks. So of course it had to be him," Langley said to no one in particular.
"Sorry, but would you mind giving us a name?" Maria bellowed.
"You know Ms. Deluca you aren't one of my charges despite the fact you are shacking up with one. So unlike them I will demand you talk to me with a little respect, but to answer your question. He is the leader of the Antarian Royal Guard, Guard Commander Garen, and he hates me," Langley said.
"How long until they get here Liz?" Kyle asked.
"She said they should hopefully be here in a few days, which should just be ahead of Khivar."
Roswell, New Mexico – Crashdown
Nancy Parker walked into her daughter's room. Jeff avoided it. He preferred to believe in the nonsense stories from Liz's journal, and Jim Valenti. Everyone seemed to have lost their mind, and Nancy couldn't understand why. It was all insane. Max was just some confused teenage boy who had stolen her daughter, and not the reincarnation of some Alien King.
She came up here trying to understand how she hadn't noticed something so clearly wrong with Liz that she believed something so crazy. She felt like screaming, and destroying everything in front of her. Instead of a tornado though she just sat down on Liz's bed, and found she couldn't even work herself up to cry. So she turned around and grabbed the pillow at the head of the bed, and brought it up to her chest holding it as she once held her little girl.
Yet, despite her disbelief in the 'alien' aspect of her daughter's life left her unable to explain why a group of FBI agents had tried to kill her daughter and the others at the high school graduation. So will she hadn't believed in any of it, she had kept quiet. In fact her silence seemed to be disturbing everyone more then the fact that their children had disappeared.
Jeff would come looking for her soon, and try to get her to come to another meeting. She didn't know if she could take Phillip Evans and Jim Valenti talking about plans to protect them against the FBI. Not to mention Diane Evan's obsession with these fantasies...no not fantasies, delusions. If she asks for another story I swear to god I'm going to slug her in the face.
Los Angeles – Langley's Home
Langley watched Liz struggle once more to use her powers, and wanted to go over to the young woman to shake some sense into her. He could sense that she was more powerful then the powers she'd displayed so far, and that there had to be something blocking her from using it. He wasn't sure what it was. It could be that she'd lived most her life without powers, and so her first instinct was to react without them. That's too easy.
He watched as Liz showed clear signs of being exhausted. "My Queen your powers should be more developed then they are. You are holding back, do you have any idea why?"
"No, I don't," Liz answered, but there was something in her voice. He'd spent decades on Earth, and found much to admire about humanity and Americans in particular. Still that didn't mean there wasn't things he found extremely annoying about them. American stubbornness ranked highly among them even if it was also one of the traits he most enjoyed. Damn paradox.
"Take a break," Liz merely nodded at Langley's command, and then turned away. Probably going to find Max or Maria, he thought as a smile appeared on his face. Liz was his Queen. If anyone should be giving orders it should have been her, but instead she was following his lead. On Antar this would have caused a scandal, but here on Earth. Here on Earth Zan had found a woman who was more a Queen then many who had ruled on Antar.
So despite his frustration with her, and his strong dislike for her husband, Langley found himself unable to find a reason to hate Liz. He had spent the past week working with them on their powers, and despite his harshness with Liz it was driven out of the simple desire that the woman most deserving to be Queen of Antar survive the coming battle. He knew that also meant Zan would have to survive.
At that moment a sharp intense pain exploded in his head. Damn it! Damn it! Langley started staggering around. Although he had not felt the surge of pain in decades, but Langley would never forget that pain. He forced himself to a small garden area near where he'd been practicing with Liz, and located the stone birdbath. His hands felt along the sides till they reached the proper place. Pushing in, the stone gave way, and a small compartment opened up.
Reaching inside he withdrew the communication orb, and the pain in his head began to subside. A second later a holographic image appeared in front of him. The image displayed a man far older then he remembered, but still even over great distance projected the aura of lifetime soldier. Langley felt his face tighten, and barely managed to speak without his words filling with hatred. "Hello, Garen."
Los Angeles – Langley's Home
Kyle watched as Maria relaxed by the pool. After every session with Langley Max, Liz, Michael, and Isabelle all came out exhausted. Liz most of all, and yet they also seemed somehow stronger. Kyle could tell whatever Langley was doing to them it was clearly strengthening them. Yet, there was also something else. Something troubling about that strength, he thought.
Deciding he'd stood in the hot sun enough Kyle decided it was time for a swim, and began moving toward the pool. Oh, that water looks nice, and cool. Then he noticed that Maria had placed her chair close to the pool. A devilish thought crossed his mind. Sorry, Maria but I this is set up so perfectly, Kyle thought as he sped up his approach to the water.
Just before he jumped Maria finally realized her situation. "KYLE! No, don't you..." She didn't get anything else out as Kyle's connected with the water in the pool. When his head broke the water he couldn't help but smile. On later reflection was not the wisest thing he could have done. For it was not an angry Maria that he found looking at him, but the furious woman who had been sitting right next to her that Kyle hadn't seen.
"KYLE VALENTI!" Isabelle screamed. In Kyle's mind a simple phrase repeated itself. 'Oh shit!'
Antarian Fleet Ship – Dralfi
Khivar went to check the time till they reached Earth. Two days, two days, till I can finally put an end to all the problems that had plagued him. Two days till he once more could have Vilandra in his arms once more, and deal appropriately with the human who dared to touch her. She was a princess, a beauty even in human form, and how dare some human dare touch her let alone marry her.
But as much as the death of his human rival the important part of this mission was the destruction of Zan, Rath, and those humans they'd seen so fit to bind themselves to. He knew that had fled Roswell, but they had left their parents there. And without their children those humans were vulnerable. Why search the world for his enemies when he could bring them to him. Zan will come in to protect those humans, and he will walk right into his death. This will be easier then last time.
Khivar had left the particulars of the trap to the commander of the troops that would attack Roswell. His own mind was concentrating on his plan to deal with Jesse Ramirez. Even if it took longer then expected to find Zan and the rest his human rival had only two more days of life. With that comforting thought he moved over to his bed, and dreams of Vilandra.
Special Unit
Agent Hanson watched the six other agents who'd gathered with him in the Roswell hotel. They all feared him, and at that he had to laugh. He'd heard himself described as the real world equivalent to the X-Files smoking man. The Agent who told him that had given Hanson the laugh of his life. And considering the courage he'd shown by telling him that really had made him regret the fact the man died a few days later in a traffic accident while chasing the Roswell Aliens.
The other agents assumed that man had said something which had offended Hanson, and Hanson had ordered the man 'punished'. That hadn't happened. Hanson was struggling against Aliens who were trying to take over his planet. Why would he kill humans? He needed all the people he could get to stop these monsters. Not that the more liberal elements of the population wouldn't see it that, damn PC.
"Despite our best efforts our fugitives have evaded custody. As far as we can tell they have not made contact with their parents, and so me must change our strategy. Two days from now we are going to take the Evan's, Parker's, Ms. Deluca, and Jim Valenti into custody," Hanson said calmly.
The other agents merely nodded, and Hanson gave a mental sigh that none of these men had the guts to speak openly to him.
"Now we are going to try and grab them all at once. We know they like to gather together at the Crashdown at lunch..."