Episode 11: Battle Lines Blur

Episode Summary- as Dib and the rest of the rebels lay low; Gaz and Tak with the help of Kazar begin to convert more Irkens to side with the Human race. Meanwhile Zim and Scamooch continue their search for the Ancients.

Disclaimers: I Do Not Own Invader Zim

Author's Notes:

Yours Truly, RoxieDivine :)

Episode 11: Battle Lines Blur (Part 1)

He had knew this would happen…

Heck Zim had even said the Tallest would blame him for his escape.

Still, Commander Reed had not been prepared for the punishment that the Tallest had in mind for him. After Zim's escape a very angry Red had called all of the top twelve to the throne room. Of course, now that Koi was dead they were really the top eleven, unless you counted Zim as the new twelve. Obviously, no one was dumb enough to do that.

Regardless, the Tallers had assembled before their Tallest in the throne room.

"Can someone please explain to me how that wrenched Defective was able to enter my Palace?" Red growled. His entire demeanor was like that of a rabid gorge beast.

"Our." Purple corrected him.

Red hissed at purple threateningly, obviously daring him to challenge his authority.

It is in this moment that Reed notices for the first time that Zim has created a huge rift between the once close brothers.

Diaz notices it too, but wonders why? Was it because Zim had pointed out their flaws to them that she was now starting to see the cracks in their resolve? Was Zim right? Was the Tallest losing it? It was starting to look like that way.

And it made Diaz wonder just how crazy Zim really was. Maybe he was right, if the Tallest had truly lost it, then perhaps they were wrong. After all, the Tallest had decided the beginning of Impending Doom two without the council of the other members of the Top Twelve. They had also banished Zim without giving him a proper trail. As a former Amon, Zim should have been granted an audience before the collective, not sentenced in private.

In the beginning she would have never dared to question Zim's defective nature, but now that she was seeing the true colors of her Tallest it was making her think dangerous things. Like maybe Zim was never defective at all, or worse maybe the Tallest had been the cause of the worthy ones' demise, and not some strange disease.

Reed couldn't help but wonder the same thing, and Kazar couldn't help but notice their slipping faith. Had the Tallest been more focused on them instead of threatening one another they might have noticed themselves.

Yes, the Top Twelve was losing faith in their leaders, and with them their subordinates would soon follow.

Kazar smiled, it was time to make his move, but who to start with?

The Tallest soon gave him his answer.

"YOU!" Red turned his anger on Reed. "You had him in your grasp and let him escape twice!"

"Yeah!" Purple agreed. "What kind of commander cowers in fear at the sight of a defective?"

"My Tallest please." Reed tried to plead his case. "I don't know how Zim got in, the guards reported no weaknesses in their defenses."

"Not true." Purple revealed reading a report. "One guard reported a member of the Top twelve entering the castle with a drone." He gasped. "Kazar?" He looked to the General, shocked. "You left the palace?"

Kazar wanted to strangle Zim in that moment. Oh yes he had no doubt his future Tallest had done this. No doubt as pay back for the incident with Scamooch. "I needed a new drone." Kazar revealed.

"For?" Red challenged.

"One of my projects include providing cloning samples for the next generation of solders, I didn't like the last drone sample so I went to acquire another." Kazar answered swiftly.

"And it did not occur to you that Zim may have been disguised as the clone you allowed in?" Red questioned.

"No I do not see Zim as a valid threat, besides the drone died during sample extraction, his body was destroyed on a molecular level, which is a rare but known side effect." Kazar reasoned. "I can show you his remains if you need verification."

"That will not be necessary." Red dismissed the idea. "As of right now we are officially disbanding the Top Twelve."

"WHAT!" Reed and Kazar had released the outburst at the same time.

"For now on you are nothing but regular soldiers who hold no authority." Red growled. "This will assure us that Zim will not try to use your status to get in here again. And No one leaves this castle without permission for any reason." He eyes Kazar."

"My Tallest." Diaz tried to intervene. "The Top twelve has been a part of our hierarchy since the dawn of Irken civilization you can't just punish us for Zim's actions."

"Can't!" Red hissed and struck out at her with his claws drawn. "You are being punished for your failure to eliminate the problem." His claws dug fresh gashes across her face. Blood dripped through her fingers as she tried to stop it with her hand.

It is in that moment that she sees the truth clearly for the first time.

The Tallest were right, they were being punished for their failure to eliminate the problem…

However, it was not Zim that was the problem.

Kazar stepped in front of Diaz almost protectively. "My apologies my Tallest." He says. "She forgets herself."

"Yes my Tallest." Diaz agrees robotically. "It will not happen again."

"See that is doesn't." Red yelled. "Now leave us."

Diaz picks herself up off the floor and allows Kazar to lead her out, the other now demoted commanders follow their lead. The throne room doors close behind them, and Kazar makes his way to the medical bay, Diaz needs imminent attention. The others continue to follow, once they enter the bay Kazar dismisses the medical drones.

Reed closes the door behind them as the last one leaves.

Kazar wastes no time attending to Diaz, usually she would be insulted by such a gesture, but now was no time for foolish pride. No, right now they had a real problem to deal with. She looked to Kazar as he removed her hand.

"How bad is it?" She asked.

The claws had slashed across her face and over one of her eyes.

"It will scar" He told her. "You may even need to replace the Ocular implant." He informed her as he patch her up with bandages. "We will not know until it completes healing all that it can."

Again silence.

Finally, Reed speaks. "Is anyone going to say what we are all thinking?"

"That the Tallest have to go?"

The words did not come from any of them.

Gaz and Tak entered the room as the door opened.

Reed looks ready to bolt.

"Relax." Kazar assured him. "They are with me."

"You are the one who let Zim in." Diaz realized suddenly.

"No." Kazar laughed. "Zim wasn't the drone." He told them. "He was pretending to be me." He revealed. "I never left."

"But you covered for him!" Ash pointed out.

"Do you plan to report me?" Kazar asked.

"No." Ash told him, he had not hesitate in his answer.

"So we are all in agreement?" Sleerb asked.

"And exactly what is it we are agreeing to?" Nerb dared to question. He was the youngest of the fleet commanders…EX-fleet commanders. Dear Irk, had the Tallest really lost their grip on reality so much that they would dismiss the leaders of their very army?

"They have dismissed us." Flog stated the obvious. "Who will protect them now from Zim?"

"No one." Reed dared to say. "It is no longer our place, the fact that they would dismiss us now at such a crucial time proves how out of touch they have become with reality."

"So we are agreeing to the fact that they are more of a reliability at this point." Dalk stated.

One by one the others nodded their agreement.

"The Tallest must go." Kazar dared to breathe the words out loud.

"But is Zim the better option?" Squab asked. "Or are we changing one rouge leader for another?"

"Zim left to seek council with the Ancients." Kazar revealed.

"So that is why he came here." Ash discovered. "You supplied him that ship."

Kazar nodded. "If he returns with their blessing then he is worthy."

"But how will we know?" Diaz asked as he finished nursing her wound.

"The blessing is a physical mark." Kazar revealed. "We will know."

Diaz nodded her understandment "Then we will wait for him to return."

"And what are we to do in the mean time?" Reed asked.

"Prepare." Kazar said, and then looked to Gaz. "It is time."

"Time for what?" Ash questioned.

"Even if you step aside and allow Zim to attack the Tallest there is still one problem." Gaz told him.

"Which is?" Diaz questioned.

"There is two of them and only one of him." Tak answered for her. "He'll never stand a chance."

"We cannot fight them for him." Nerb stated the obvious. "Only an Amon can challenge another."

"That's why we get them to destroy themselves." Kazar said.

"I don't follow." Reed admitted.

But Ash understood. "We have to get Red and Purple to fight each other."

"To the death." Gaz revealed.

"Shouldn't be too hard." Reed mused. "You saw them, they are already at each other's throats."

"Yes Zim has saw to that, but now that he is gone we have to up the ante." Kazar informed them.

Reed suddenly smiled. "Leave that to me."

(Back with Jamie…)

Crystal was not very happy when she hear that Jamie had confided in Jacob for help. The again she wasn't happy that Jamie had done anything without speaking with her first.

"It would have made us look suspicious." Jamie told her as they were sitting done to eat. The new prisoners had been released for breakfast that morning. Once completed they would begin several hours of brain washing before starting the assembly line that afternoon where they would not eat again until well after sun down. This was their new life now that they were prisoners of War.

"I can't believe they won't let us sit together." Crystal stated.

It was true, the rebels had been stop from siting with more than one or two other members of their former alliance. The Irkens went through great lengths to keep them apart throughout the day as well. Keeping them on separate shifts at the assembly line as well as brain washing sessions. No doubt, there hope was to eliminate any time they may have to plot against their leaders.

"It's probably for the best." Jamie said. "If we are constantly separated they won't be able to keep their eyes on all of us."

Crystal perked up, she hadn't thought of it that way. "I still can't believe you're conspiring with the enemy."

"Is it really fair to call him that?" Jamie asked.

"He sold us out." Crystal argued.

"Yes, but he did it trying to save you, it's not his fault no one wanted to register." Jamie reasoned.

Crystal huffed.

"Just hear me out." Jamie said. "He wanted life to be better for you guys, he got tired of living in a smelly sewered who can blame him? So he makes a deal, proves his loyalty by selling you guys out, and then all you had to do was register and life could have been much better for you."

"He still sold us out." Crystal repeated.

"And it was wrong." Jamie said. "But I really think he had the best intentions. He really seemed worried about you, and he won't help us unless you agree to join to. He obviously wants you safe."

"Or he's trying to gain our trust so he can stab us in the back again." Crystal argued.

"Then we have a contingency plan." Jamie said.

"What?" Crystal asked.

"We use him for what we need, but we have a backup plan in case he betrays us." Jamie reasoned.

Crystal looks unsure.

"I know you are afraid of getting hurt again, but Bec says your friends and family may already be brained washed. If we are going to free them from that and prevent ourselves from falling victim to it too then we have to be on the inside. We have to join the Irken worshipers."

Crystal slowly nodded. She knew Jamie was right, she was afraid of getting burned by Jacob again. Still, it was a good plan, perhaps the only plan they had. Zim expected them to escape with an army, and Crystal hadn't come up with a counter plan during her time of solitude. With a heavy sigh she gave her a nod.

"I'm in."

(Back with Zim…)

He wasn't sure why he thought this was going to be easy.

Scamooch groaned as he stared out at the vastness of space. "This is insanity!" He yelled. "We could be flying out here forever! What if we never find them?"

"Then we are not meant to." Zim stated solemnly, he had been in a dark mood since they left. He knew it was because he missed Earth…MISSED THEM! It surprised him how much he had grown attached to his life there. Even leaving Gir had been harder than he had thought it would be. And recognizing this forced him to realize that he was no longer the harden soldier he had once been.

His Irken pride told him that this was a bad thing, but Gaz had taught him that attachments were not necessarily a weakness. And yet he could not help but want to side with his pride. After all, once this war was over he would be forced to leave again with the rest of his people; and this time it would be for good.

Would Gaz go with him?

She may ask to, but Zim was not sure he would allow it. After all, she had family on Earth, family she would never get to see again if she left to be with him. Zim forced the thought away, he could not let Gaz distract him now. He forced himself to focus on the endless space ahead of them, thanks to the ships hyper-speed capability they had reached the Canopus of Alpha Carinae, in record time. The Star blazed intensely before them as they edged closer.

"If we get much closer to Canopus its gravity will pull us in." Scamooch warned.

"Just following instructions." Zim answered almost playfully.

"She said head for Canopus, not fly into it!" Scamooch exclaimed, he knew that Zim wouldn't really fly in to the star, but then again who could really say what Zim would do.

The guy was just that unpredictable!

Zim snickered slightly, it was fun to pick on the younger Irken, plus in a way it was like getting back at him for all the times he had done the same to him.

"You would think you'd take this more seriously." Scamooch pointed out.

Zim's smile fell.

Scamooch winced, realizing that he may have made a mistake. "Nervous?" he asked somewhat dumbly. Of course, he was nervous! Who wouldn't be?

"Nah." Zim lied. "I'm just about to meet the oldest and wisest of our people. Individuals that abandoned us all because we are too savage to reason with." He joked. "It's not like I have to convince them I'm worthy or anything."

Oh wait…he did…

Scamooch smiled. "If it's any consolation I think you are."

Zim found the smile returning to his face. "Thanks." He sighed. "I am nervous, but to be honest I'm mostly afraid." He admitted.

"Afraid of what?" Scamooch asked. "Rejection?"

Zim nodded. "A lot of people's hopes are riding on me winning their favor. If the Ancients reject me, we will lose a lot of our support in this war, including Kazar's."

Scamooch knew he was right, but there was an even greater fear.

If they rejected him, then as a defective it would mean that there was truly no place for him in Irken society. This also meant the same for the Irken rebels, they were all defects, and being rejected by the oldest and wisest of their race would be confirming what the Tallest had been saying all along.

That they were a waste of space, a mistake that needed to be erased.

Zim wasn't sure if he could take that, even though he always knew something was wrong with him, he never could believe that it made him useless. After all, hadn't he proven that he was anything but?

He had survived the change after all, which many Amons did not.

Surely, if a defective was truly worthless; they would not accomplish such a feat. Still, this fact alone did little to calm his nerves. To come all this way only to discover that he wasn't good enough was eating him up on the inside. All his life he had been told he would never measure up, that he would never be good enough for anything worth wild.

And after a life time of hearing those words it was hard to hope for anything else.

"What do we do if they say no?" Scamooch asked.

It was the question that haunted him most of all, and just hearing it spoke out loud made him cringe; despite himself.

"I promised to fix this." Zim said. "And that won't change."

"But without them…" Scamooch began.

"We made it this far." Zim told him. "Either way Earth will be free."

"And everyone else?"

"I guess we'll have to find another way." Zim said not really giving it much thought. "I guess we could join Lard Nar like Mia and the others have."

Scamooch smiled, he had to admit it was nice to have other Irkens to fall back on if this didn't work out. It was better than being completely cut off from their kind, as Zim had been.

Zim forced a reassuring smile. "We'll be okay." He assured him.

Scamooch wanted to kick himself in that moment. He had come with Zim to help convince him he was worthy, but it in the end it was Zim reassuring him.

Suddenly, Zim lost all control to the ship as a tractor beam from an unknown source caught their ship in its grasped.

And started pulling them in….

Episode 11: Battle Lines Blur (Part 1) END!