Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Time Leaves Its Scars (an LMB Onevision)

New Ggrrgg, the year 3060


A man sits in a stone chair in a balcony overlooking a magnificent green meadow. The structure the man lounges within is enormous. Its design reminiscent of Greco-Roman architecture, highlighted by the tall white pillars.

The man is very old. He has long, white hair and a flowing white beard that ventures far down his chest.

But this is no frail old man. A close look shows that this was a warrior and one whom an opponent would think more than twice about challenging. His form is muscular and has the appearance of wrought iron, even as numerous scars can be easily noticed. One would have little doubt that the scars he left on opponents are likely much worse, if they were even survivable.

There is a fire in the man's eyes--or rather his eye. His right eye is scarred over with poorly-healed flesh. Others may wear an eye patch to hide such a deformity, but if this man ever has done so, it has been a long time. He reaches out to clasp a flagon of something with his right hand. This is a necessity because there is no left hand. This man has been through many battles and has taken his share of hits. But he has the bearing of a monarch and one who did not merely win his position on the backs of others. This is a man who was on the front lines every step of the way.

He sips from his flagon and jumps up with a start. "This tea is SHIT!" he yells at no one in particular. As he stands, it is clear that the man is dressed in a robe resembling a toga. Much of his chest and all of his arms are exposed, fully revealing the impressive musculature of this formidable figure. He stands on powerful legs that are visible from the knees down and anchored by two powerful bare feet.

"My Lord?" comes a timid squeak from behind him. "Has the tea offended you?"

The man turns harshly, but his face softens at the sight of the small maid who bows shaking at his feet. "Now, now...you don't have to do that, Mylty. I realize Ggrrggian traditions die hard, but I consider no person my servant. Please, rise and have a seat." He gestures for her to sit in the great stone chair next to his. "The tea is not so bad--it's just the bitterness of an old man that can affect its taste at times."

Mylty glances around, not able to fully make eye contact with the man. Her reverence is overpowering. "My Lord, you are no old man! You are the great hero of New Ggrrgg! You are our King!"

He smiles. "That is a title I have held very reluctantly at the insistence of your people." He looks into the distance at nothing in particular. "I wonder what my best friend would think of my fate and how it is one that would seem so much more appropriate for him."

"Y-you speak of the Great Cobaltus?" she stammers.

He looks at her keenly. "You have studied the Histories well, young lady. My friend...the 'Great Cobaltus' has been gone over 40 years--but not a day has gone by that I have not thought of him...and of the LMB and Legion World, which all had an untimely demise."

"'Untimely', my Lord?" she asks with more confidence that reminds him, for a moment, of another tiny girl from long ago who was the toughest cop he'd ever known. "Doesn't the Great History state that all things happened, and continue to happen, as they must?"

He smiles wistfully, "yes...it does, young lady. But over 40 years ago, there was a Time War that absolutely ravaged the timeline and which I know for a fact altered our destiny forever. It left...terrible scars."

He paused and stared blankly for a while, his mind swirling with memories.

Finally, he remembers he has a guest. "Young lady, an old man grows tired and wishes to rest for the night."

"I...hope I've not offended my Lord!"

"No...no, not at all. Your King I may be, but an old man with terrible baggage I am foremost these day, it would seem."

Mylty rises, bows and returns to her family's quarters near the grounds.

The man goes to his bedchambers and lies down. He glances briefly at the empty left side that has not been slept on for a while. He stares at the ceiling for an eternity, but sleep will not come.

Another night held hostages by memories and what could have--what should have been....

Legion World, some point in the mid-to-late 3010's (impossible to calculate precisely because of rampant time variances)


"YAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

"Shit, Lardy! You okay?!?!" Cobalt Kid exclaims at his best friend's side.

"N-never felt b-better!" Paladin answers with a forced grin.

Paladin is surrounded and attached to some esoteric mechanism made of solid green light. It's a construct formed by their fellow LMBer, Green Lantern Abin Quank, who is standing across the room maintaining it with utmost concentration.

"I-is it working?" Paladin asks.

Nearby, Exnihil monitors read-outs from a large computer screen. "So far, so good," he says. "Your established ability to be able to both weather and perceive changes in the timeline is helping Legion World survive this Time Storm that Phineas and the Archduke have assaulted us with." He turns to their green-clad teammate, "Abin, keep it up! This construct you've used to enhance Lardy's natural resistance is working brilliantly! We may just come out the other side okay!"

Abin grins and quips, "I'm a janitor, not some kinda psychic/enhancer engineer! You told me what to make--I'm just doin' it!"

Power Boy bursts in. Exnihil looks over and asks, "is everyone evacuated?"

"Just oversaw the last ship taking off. They've all cleared the Storm! Jerry's overseeing the fleet, so no attacks are attempted," replies the LMB leader.

Suddenly, Paladin starts to shake.

"What's wrong with him?!" Cobie shouts.

"Shit!" Ex curses, "we knew this was possible. He's convulsing..." Immediately, blood starts pouring from Paladin's nose. "...and hemorrhaging! Shit! He can't take any more!"

Paladin stammers, "sh-sure, I can, Ex...uh...uhll be fine..."

"No way, buddy," Cobalt says, giving him a concentrated healing burst.

Exnihil examines the instruments. "Even if we were to allow our friend to make the ultimate sacrifice, it would be for nought. Pal stopped feeding Abin's construct when the convulsions started. I'm...not showing power readings of any sort!"

"He's powerless?" the ironically-named Power Boy presses.

"Looks like," Ex asserts as he taps some one of the gauges in frustration.

Cobalt thinks for a moment and concludes, "we've gotta get him outta here!"

"NO!" Paladin screams and tries with all of his limited might to stand up. "I'm not going anywhere!" He rises to his feet and promptly collapses, his legs feeling like jelly.

Cobalt puts Paladin's left arm over his shoulders. Exnihil follows suit and anchors the right arm. They manage to maneuver their friend over to a one-man escape pod.

Weakly lying in the pod and fighting for his uncooperative body to rise out, Paladin pleads, "don't make me leave. My place is here...always."

"Lardy," Cobalt grins, "you need medical attention beyond what I can do right now. You'll be okay, and we'll meet in a few hours and have a good laugh over this..." He looks around to the others with a meaningful glance and returns to his friend's face. "Love you, buddy."

Cobalt hits a control and the pod seals shut. Lardy screams as loud as he can manage, but no sound escapes the air-tight enclosure. Cobalt nods to Abin, and the LMBer bathes the pod with green fire that propels it with tremendous speed to the escaping fleet.

The four remaining LMBers watch the green gleam fade for a moment. Then, Power Boy breaks the silence. "Did we get enough, Ex?"

Exnihil examines all of his instruments. "No. Not enough," he reports. "We weakened the Time Storm, but my calculations show it is already starting to rebuild."

"So," Cobalt nods, "Plan B?"

"More like, Plan Z and a half," Ex responds. "This is more than just trying to save Legion World at this point. I don't know if it can be done. If we don't stop this Time Storm, the universe is a wrap."

Abin grins, "well bring on Plan Z-point-5, already!"


A short time later (though it was hard to measure under the circumstances), Paladin is lying on a gurney receiving oxygen and an I.V. in the medical bay of one of the refugee ships.

Suddenly the whole ship shakes in a way that makes everyone sure that it will shake itself apart. But it doesn't, and the shaking finally subsides.

But from the moment it started, Paladin knows. He knows that Legion World and his friends are gone.

His screams of anguish, to those who hear it, are as tremendous in their own way as the near-destruction they have all just weathered.

Earth, Metropolis Time Institute, 3021


A dark-haired scientist works intently on something. He nearly jumps out of his skin when someone grasps his shoulder.

"Yaah!" he exclaims and almost falls as he spins around to see who is there.

"Rond," the visitor says simply.

"Wha? Paladin?!?" Rond Vidar says in disbelief.

"No. Not anymore," the visitor corrects. "Just Anthony now."

Rond regards the man formerly known as Paladin for a moment. Rond can't recall the man ever wearing something so...normal. No costume or mask of any kind. Just a dark blue shirt under a black jacket and black pants and boots. Even so, the man still cut an imposing figure with his size and striking black beard and mane. The eyepatch doesn't hurt the impression either.

"It's been a long time....Anthony," Rond says after a moment. "Are you well?"

"I'm fine...physically. After a long recovery, of course."

"Yes, it's been well-known that your injuries were quite significant."

"Yeah, harder to heal without powers, but I'm back."

Rond is disappointed. He'd heard that Paladin's powers had not returned since the Time War, but he had been hoping they would because of their potential benefits to his research. "Why are you here?"

"You know why I'm here, Rond. I know you've been studying the Time Storm since it happened. I want to know what you know."

"In a sense," Rond begins as he casts his eyes down, "I 'know' virtually nothing. Most of it's theoretical."

"Then, tell me your best guesses. Whatever there is."

"Well, as everyone knows, the events of the Time War rendered approximately 5 years of the timeline practically non-existent. People remember scraps, bits and pieces, of those years, but it's mostly like they never happened. People who survived that period didn't age during those years. But we know that many died or are missing, and the circumstances certainly dictate that many simply winked out of existence while others winked in. The latter instances are impossible to quantify."

Anthony sighs, "yes, that's all common knowledge. And I'm sure you know that I'm one of the few people in existence who remember what happened during those years, and one of the few who aged during that time as a result because of the special resistance to temporal energy that I'd had since the LMB's Thyme Crime case. But..."

"Yes," Rond interrupts almost giddily, "you can help me! Your accounts of those years have been largely classified to the public, but you've gone on record to the media that this is 'not the future we were supposed to have'."

"It's not," Anthony blusters. "The LMB saw enough of the future to know that Legion World is supposed to survive at least thru the 41st century and probably beyond. At the very least, Time Boy's diaries described encounters well into the next 20 years...!"

"Diaries that no longer exist," Rond clarifies. "Phineas and the Archduke damaged the timeline badly."

"I know this, Rond," Anthony shrugs, "and I know the damage extends to the galactic economy, which has been in freefall ever since. That was not supposed to happen, nor was the resultant uprisings and power struggles within and without the U.P. What I want to know is how to undo it all and set things right! How to find out what happened to Legion World and my friends and save them!"

Rond removes his glasses and cleans them absent-mindedly. Finally, he replies, "we can't."

"What do you mean 'can't'?" Anthony yells and pounds his fist on Rond's desk. "This is the fucking Time Institute! Let's take a time machine and fix this mess!"

"Anthony," Rond barely squeaks through sobs, "time travel....is no longer possible."

"What do you mean, 'not possible'?!??" This time the wooden desk breaks from another powerful blow.

"It's the scars, Anthony. The Time War left scars in the time stream that make it impossible to time travel any more. The damage is incalculable! We're lucky it wasn't annihilated! Time travel is unnatural to the greater order of the universe in the first place. Prior incursions were mostly minor. But now...the time stream has made corrections to protect itself. It is immutable. Even if we could manage it--and we definitely can't, I'm afraid--I'm fairly certain the result would be the literal end of time."

Anthony grits his teeth. He clinches his fists, the real one and the cybernetic one, and wordlessly leaves.

He's never felt so powerless, in every meaning of the word, but he refuses to give up. He'll have to find a way. The alternative is unthinkable.

Saturn's moon of Titan, Imra's Coffee Bar, 3024


Anthony had acquired a taste for coffee over the decade-plus he'd been sober. Indeed, he often feels he probably just exchanged his alcohol addiction into one for caffeine.

"Imra's coffee doesn't have a stitch on Cramer's blends, but it's the best I've found in its stead," he says wistfully to his beautiful companion sitting across from him in the booth. She unsurprisingly hasn't changed a bit. he thinks.

"Just one more motivation to restore what is supposed to be, Lardy," she agrees. She brushes aside her long, platinum-blonde hair, still looking no older than 16 because of her ageless gifts. "But I thought you were here to join us. Why aren't you coming?"

"I'll explain in a minute, Lolita" he responds softly. "But please...tell me about your plans again."

Lolita bristles slightly. She's always had a hard time understanding this man, who was the best friend of the man she loved more than anything. She sometimes wonders if it was Lardy or Cobie was more mysterious or all around frustrating.

"You know darn well what we're doing!" she half-shouts. "Me, Brittney, Bart and YOU--so we thought--are going on an extended trip to find any person or place or object that we think might possibly be a lead to getting our guys back and making things right! Sorcerers, mystical places, scientists, old friends and enemies--anything that might--just might--be able to help us time travel or otherwise set things back to the way they should be! I thought you believed the same! I KNOW you can be of help to us, even without your powers!"

He gently grasps both of her hands with his natural right one. "I do believe, Lolita--always! But, as you know, just last month what was left of the LMB formally dissolved, and--"

"--so that has has just made you fucking GIVE UP?!?!" She's raises her voice even higher and jerks her small hands out of his grasp. "I never figured you for a damned quitter!!" The other patrons at Imra's turn around and stare at them, probably presuming it a loves' quarrel.

He gives a reassuring wave to the other patrons and calmly responds to her, "I'm not giving up, Lolita--just the opposite. With the LMB gone, I feel I've got to do something to help. The galaxy is in utter tormoil, and as much as I want to do something to avert this ever having happened, I feel compelled to help wherever I can! I...I guess I feel those in need could use a... a paladin."

She loosens the tension in her body at that moment. She feels overwhelming pity for him, suddenly. All she can manage is, "Lardy...."

He senses that pity in her eyes, and for a moment rage flairs up. But he pushes it back. "It's not like that. I'm not chasing old glories and trying to feel like a man again or something stupid like that. I just......" He hesitates for a moment and continues, "there's...no guarantee we'll ever be able to change how things happened or find our guys. And if we can't..." He sees her about to object. "IF we can't--and I still believe we can, mind you--I can't just ignore these trillions of sentients and put all of our eggs in one basket. If I can help them, I will."

"It sounds like you don't think..."

"No," he corrects her, "I have faith that if anyone can do this, the three of you are the ones for the job. You, Brittney, Bart--you're the three most stubborn and persistent souls I've ever met! You don't really need me at all. But there are people out there who do--I can feel it!"

She takes his hand again and no longer feels pity. Just sadness. Tears flow, "it...it's just been so empty without him in my life. I...I feel...lost. I thought having......"

"...the one other person who also loved him the most along on your quest would help?" he finishes for her, his own tears flowing.

Trembling, she nods and she moves to Lardy's side of the booth to embrace him, finally resting on his shoulder.

" I know you'll find him, Lolita, and that the three of us will have the best coffee again at Cramer's. No more settling for Imra's."

"D-did I tell you Bart finished his survey of the area of space where Legion World used to be?"

"No," he answers, still a little in the moment, "tell me."

"He confirmed what the scientific expeditions did--that there's no trace of debris or anything like that. Barely any traces of chronal energy, even. It's impossible to tell what happened to Legion World. We still don't even know what that shockwave was, exactly."

"Hmm," he nods. He knows that this might very well mean Legion World was not destroyed but displaced in time. But knowing it was at the epicenter of the Time Storm, an anomaly never before seen on that scale, there was nothing definitive to be concluded as to its and their friends' fates.

She finally summons the will to sit up straight. "Will you see us off, at least? Brittney and Bart are waiting for us at a dock on the other side of town."

He grins, "I just hope they don't both kill me for bailing out!"

"No promises," she laughs.

They gulp their last swallow of Imra's finest and walk out the door.



An hour later, the lone paladin watches as the ship carrying the colleagues he'll always remember fondly as Jailbait Lass (later Oracle), Everyday Girl and Space Ranger disappears into a small dot. He lovingly rubs the shiner Brittney gave him out of her initial anger at his not going. But the hugs that followed from all three of them still make him feel warm inside.

He just hopes they will all have that coffee at Cramer's again.

Daroon Sector, an unnamed smuggler's asteroid, 3029


The paladin's cruiser sets down on the asteroid. Its occupant gets out and surveys the area.

That tavern, he thinks. Looks like your basic wretched hive of scum and villainy. I'll go in there in a minute and meet my contact, but first.... he takes out his Omnicom. No messages. It had been over 2 years since his last communication from Lolita's group, but he checks dozens of times a day, nonetheless. As always, he prays that they are alright. I would know in my bones if they didn't make it, right?

He shrugs and looks thru the last few correspondences and holo-fotos from his children, Hugh and Helena. They're getting so big! I suppose I should be grateful for the Time storm extending their childhood, otherwise they would both be young adults now! He sends them a letter, hoping again that they will understand why dad is always away. He knows that Helena and Serj are raising them well, but he misses them every day.

"We'll take yer widget AND yer ship, mate, if ya wanna live, eh?" comes a mocking voice interrupting his revelries.

The paladin slowly looks around and sees four space pirates have surrounded him. A quick look shows all four are brandishing cutlasses.

"Really, 'mate'?" their supposed victim says evenly. "Fancy yourselves pirates, do you? You can borrow my eyepatch if you want to look more the part?"

"Per'aps we'll take it offa yer dead corpse if ya don't cooperate and shut yer fat trap!" the same man (and supposed leader) snarls.

The paladin fingers the hilt of the sword he's cherished for nearly two decades, one that used to belong to another knight whom he respected greatly. The sword had been broken against the vilest enemy known to the universe, but it had been repaired, re-forged as strong as ever. He knew these were unworthy of it, but it knew no such arrogance.

"I'll give you fleabags one chance to run while you can because," the paladin grins widely, "you guys have no idea who you're fucking with!"

The pirates are either too foolhardy or too desperate to heed the warning, and they charge what they perceive as a mostly gray-haired man past his prime. But faster than they can see, the paladin's sword is drawn and deflects two simultaneous strikes. he whirls and knocks the other two men out with the flat of his blade in two swift strikes. The third pirate, going for a second strike, he disarms with a powerful slash to the cutlass xausing a vibration that the man's comparatively weak grip cannot bear. The paladin knocks him into dreamland with a powerful headbutt.

The leader who had mocked him seconds ago remains and is shaking, having watched his mates fall. The paladin grins wide and makes a mock slashing motion across his own throat, showing the leader a clear indication of his impending fate.

The leader faints right in his place.

"'Pirates'? Feh!" scoffs the paladin. He binds the brigands together to keep them out of trouble. He has business in the tavern, after all.


"'New Ggrrgg'? the paladin repeats incredulously.

"Yes, that's right. A large number of Ggrrggian slaves like myself, with the help of a handful of sympathetic, progressive-minded nobles, left Ggrrgg about a year before it was destroyed. We colonized an uninhabited planet. I daresay if Ggrrgg hadn't met its untimely end, they would have soon lead a devastating attack and slaughtered us all. I suppose you could say we got lucky? In any case we named our world 'New Ggrrg' after hearing of our Mother planet's demise. The naming was intended to both honor it and signify our commitment to discarding the old ways."

The paladin regards the man and wonders why something seems vaguely familiar. The man is about his age but is slightly younger. Add the lost five years, and they would be the same age.

I don't remember ever hearing about any colony of Ggrrgg, the paladin thinks. Is this a product of the time revisions, or did I just never hear about it? If so, did Cobie know about it? It's hard being one of the few who remembers the former timeline but not having an exactly great memory. "What did you say your name was?"

"My name is Marius, Sir Anthony," the man says proudly. "I was a young slave in your friend's household."

The paladin is startled. "My...'friend'? You mean..."

"Yes! The one you called Cobalt Kid! He was my young master--we were the same age. Desmonius was kind....he secretly taught me how to read and write--and began to teach me how to fight! When he discovered his father had found out about the lessons, he helped me escape to a place where some other former slaves had found refuge."

The paladin's jaw is agape. Now, he remembers. That's where I recognize those eyes. Des once showed me a holo-foto of the young slave named Marius he befriended. Cobie told me his father killed him! It must be the timeline revisions...

"Why did you summon me?" the paladin finally asks.

"Well besides the fact that you were the great friend of the great man I knew, your exploits over the past five years helping those in need, have reached far and wide. We want you to help us!"

"Help you? How? Isn't New Ggrrgg a great improvement over its Mother?"

Marius shakes his head. "It was...for a time. After the Great Economic Collapse, one of our citizens started a movement...'to make New Ggrrgg strong like our Mother', he said. You would think a former slave would learn history's lessons. But the lack of an economy grew many supporters for him. Those of us who opposed him were hunted and became the resistance. His regime has proved as brutal as any of the Mother, maybe even worse."

The paladin knows this is an all-too familiar story, not only throughout history but all over this galaxy in its current state of turmoil. "What do you need me for? I am but one knight, after all."

"We need a leader," Marius says firmly. "We need your tactics, your ability to train us...your presence and inspiration! We are a resistance made up of former slaves and are ill-equipped to face the evil we oppose."

The paladin answers quickly, "all right. Give me a few days to vet your claims. If everything verifies to my satisfaction, I will meet with you in exactly seven local days at this same location."

"Thank you, Sir Anthony!" Marius says bowing in gratitude. "I just know that you will make all the difference in our fight!"

"I will do all I can to make sure your faith is not misplaced, good sir."


The paladin watches the former slave enter his ragtag space-skimmer.

Oh, Cobie...I wonder what you would think of this--that fate appears to be leading me to a 'New Ggrrgg', of all places!

And his hardy laugh echoes around the desolate asteroid.

New Ggrrgg, 3031


The general surveys the surroundings from the best vantage point of the resistance's main base. The news is no better than it was minutes earlier. Their fort will surely fall, perhaps within the hour, and the resistance will die with it.

He wipes his brow and rubs his eyes. Wasn't supposed to be this way. We were well on our way...until that bastard Cassian brought in all those mercenaries a few months ago!

He spits at the thought of the self-styled 'emperor' and the lengths he will go in his cruelty and his desperation to keep his feet on New Ggrrgg's throat. The general hadn't thought mercenaries would come into play in this conflict. After all, the regime had no viable currency to afford such help. But Cassian offered a currency that was increasingly invaluable in this galactic super-depression: a place to live and wield some power. When the resistance had been put down, these men would be rewarded as Cassian's new noble class and would rule their own patches of New Ggrrgg under his own ultimate command. In a universe where money had no value and chaos was the rule, any kind of security was of the highest value.

The general shakes his head. From the moment he arrived here, he had been determined to let the resistance succeed on its own merits and not ask for any outside help. Since Cassian had no such qualms, the general had sent a message to some friends he thought might be inclined to assist them.

He looks at the Omnicom. The reading still shows what it has since the day after he sent the message: This device is no longer supported by McCauley Systems, LLC.

The general shrugs. He doesn't know why he still holds on to it. Clearly, McCauley has finally folded as the news reports had been warning for some time. He honestly doesn't know how the company held on for so long in such an unimaginable economic climate. Worse, there's simply no way to know if his message was ever received. If they even did, it will be too late in an hour, anyway.

"General Anotaylus!" comes a familiar voice to interrupt his musings. He turns to see his lieutenant Marius at full attention. He finds himself still unused to being addressed by his true birth name. But the troops really took to it, and he remembers those brief moments fondly when his grandmother addressed him as such.

"At ease, lieutenant," the general says wearily. "No need to be so formal when it's just you and me. Do you have a report?"

Marius only barely relaxes his tone and posture. "We've determined the identity of the traitor who gave away our position, sir."

"It's Leopold, right? I'd wager they found his daughters."

Marius is shocked for a moment. He is still amazed by the number of times his general seems to already know what he thinks is news. "Yes, sir. He appears to have fled in advance of this latest wave."

"Well, I hope his girls are somehow safe," the general concludes wistfully. "There is likely nothing we will be able to do to him for his betrayal."

"I could send two men...."

"No, Marius. We need every single body we have for...what is to come."

Marius nods grimly. he too knows their time is running out. Then, he pulls a bottle out of his robe. "Do you think, sir, you might share a drink with me?"

The general seriously considers it for a moment, then shakes his head. "No, old friend...not even now." His response was as much for the bottle as it was for Marius.

"My apologies, sir," the lieutenant says in shame. "I should have thought--"

"There's nothing to apologize for. You have been a great friend and loyal soldier throughout this great quest you've brought me on. Even now, I wouldn't change a thing." He nods toward the bottle, "drink one for me."

The general then turns to his gauntlet and begins to attach it to the stump on his left arm. He's gone through so many cybernetic hands over the years. But even after his powers left him, his body still eventually rejected every implant he'd attached there or to his right eye socket, just as it would never allow any organic replacement either. He often wonders why this is so. Theoretically, it was his genetic gifts holding these back. Maybe there was still some vestige of it, if only enough to make things uncomfortable.

He regards the gauntlet after it's attached. There's nothing more than hand operated gears to lock it to his stump and to lock the digits into different configurations. He figures a closed fist will do and locks it in.

He holds up his sword before putting it in his scabbard. "One last time, Roy," he whispers. He'd never named the sword bequeathed to him two decades ago, but he'd taken to calling it 'Roy' after its previous owner occasionally in recent times.

The general allows himself a glance in the mirror. He barely sees any pepper among the salt of his hair any more. His beard and mane are generous, but he has kept them somewhat tamed to prevent them from encumbering his movements or allowing opponents any handholds. Like all of the rebellion, his attire consists of only some leather to support his weaponry and his limbs and to protect more vulnerable areas. Sandals offer their only protection against the rough terrain. Any trace of his once trademark fat has been long gone, with only battle-toned muscle in its place. He allows himself a small smirk at how he now looks like something out of the tales of ancient authors like Robert E. Howard or Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Just then, the walls are rocked by powerful mortar fire.

"It's ON, men and women!" the general yells. "Prepare the last defense!"


Two hours later, the resistance is surrounded in the rubble of their ruined fort. As the general sizes up the advancing swords and spears, he can't believe they've lasted so long. He's never been prouder of these warriors and what they've shown in their final moments.

He nods to Marius and all those immediately nearby, and they all know they are a moment from making their final charge. They won't be gutted like pigs to slaughter.

The general raises his sword and yells, "CHAR--!"

His cry is cut off by a light in the sky. A craft is hovering above and shining a bright light all over the great field. Resistance and regime soldiers alike look up incredulously for what seems an eternity.

Could it be? the general ponders finally in that long moment.

The answer comes as weapons are fired into the surrounding armies. Screams echo as the regime army scatters to cover. Many of them run into awaiting traps and ambush squads at the treelines.

The rebels still stand where they were with weapons held up, still not knowing if they're next.

Suddenly, a lone human hovers down from the craft, revealing herself as the source of the light.

The general lowers his sword and slowly walks to where the person is about to land. Shading his eyes for a moment, he sees the figure is a woman.

"Kalla?" he shouts.

"Who else, Anthony?" she says with a hint of snark as she completely touches down. "I got your message," she motions around, "and brought a few friends with me."

He looks behind her and sees the unmistakable figures of Helena Handbasket, Seth Gaterra and the Durlan Juj--along with a couple dozen soldiers, the ones not currently engaging fleeing regime forces.


The next day, the combined survivors of the rebellion and their new allies are gathered at a smaller rebellion outpost a few klicks away. The general and Kalla Hrykos finally have a moment to catch up. He regarded her, she looked like she'd barely aged in the many years since they last met. Her hair was still raven black and her bearing as strong and proud as ever. The only sign of age and weariness was her eyes. The look in them showed the years of loss more than anything else. But there was still fire there as well.

"So," he says, "I count maybe a hundred of you?"

"Ninety four," she shrugs. "it's all that's left of Hrykosia and Lubahæfen, I'm afraid." Seeing the general's shock, she explains, "The Khanate of Sol Invictus and the Khunds have emerged as the most armed and united powers in the wake of the Collapse. We got caught in the middle of their territorial wars. What survived of us decided to leave and try to find something else. When we got your message, it seemed as good a place to go as any."

"The Khunds," he says with lingering disbelief. "I thought they'd been neutered long ago."

"Turns out, an offshoot of the Church of the Eternal Void survived, spread and thrived in the Khundish territories. Their fanaticism rekindled their barbarism, and they found the climate it needed in the Collapse. With the U.P. dissolved, it's a matter of time before the conflict between these two burns everywhere.

"The Church--!" the general mutters. "With my father dead, they shouldn't even exist!"

"I know. I was a misguided priestess of theirs once upon a time, remember? Belief and fanaticism easily overcome facts. You know this."

"I do," he agrees ruefully.

"So," she moves on, "your resistance has a bit of a second wind now, such as it is. What's our next move?"

He grins, despite himself. It feels good to have another chance and some old friends along for the ride. He takes out a map and spreads it across their table. "First, a new base. Maybe...here?"

She leans in, surveys the map quickly. "Really? On our descent, we noticed....."

And their debates continue throughout the night and into a new dawn.

New Ggrrgg, 3034


"This is IT, troops!" General Anotaylus shouts to the amassed rebellion in a large field one klick from the capitol building. "We've got that bastard Cassian on the fucking ropes! Our spy, Commander Juj, has sent word...all he has left is a very small group of loyalists with him in there..." He points his sword toward the capitol.

"Most of his men have fled, yet he still refuses to surrender! He wants to hold on to his accursed power to the very bitter end!" He pauses and swivels around to catch as many eyes as he can among the throng of brave freedom fighters. "I say we give it to him....NOW!!!"

A tremendous, ear-shattering roar is his response.

"This is our day of Victory!" he screams in response. "LET"S GO!!!!"

The general then runs full speed, his sword held in the air, and his entire army sprints behind him toward the gleaming white building.


"One last chance to surrender, you filth! You have no one left to hide behind!" the general growls at the man he has backed into a corner of the latter's lavish imperial throneroom.

Cassian haughtily spits, "never!" and produces a rapier from a display within arm's reach.

He charges the general who casually swats the rapier aside with an effortless swat of his own sword. Cassian holds his hands up for a moment as if to surrender but quickly pulls a dagger from his belt for a last mad attempt at murder. But before he can take a full step or fully raise his weapon, Cassian feels a pain in his chest. He looks down and sees the general has pierced his heart with his sword. He staggers backward and slumps down the wall he'd just been backed up against.

The general regards the man who butchered so many of his own people and watches him struggle for his last breaths through the blood bubbling from his mouth.

"It's a much quicker death than you deserve. I'm almost surprise it was a mortal wound...because I've long felt you must have no heart."

Cassian coughs out some blood and then dies.

"Rot in hell, vermin," the general adds as his foe's epitaph.

The victor turns around and sees that his army has arrived in those moments and has witnessed the act that signifies their final triumph.

He holds up his sword to them, still dripping with the dictator's blood.

A loud roar is their response followed by a chant that starts to grow as more of them realize what it is: "All hail King Anotaylus!!!!"

The suddenly-promoted king's response is astonishment. He lowers his sword, and in bewilderment, whispers, "huh?"

In the distance he catches Kalla Hrykos grinning and applauding. She sees his reaction and playfully shrugs.


"I can't remember the last time I've been in a real bed!" the soon-to-be anointed king sighs.

Resting on his left arm is Kalla, basking in their mutual post-coital bliss. "Oh, I'd say we've managed pretty well over the last year or so, Tony...a tent here, behind some bushes there, on a war map table here and so on..."

He grins, "there was a time I swore I'd rather kill you than ever touch you like this again."

"True...we have a long, tangled history, my king." She props up a little and gives him a big kiss. "We've always had some raw chemistry, beginning with that night decades back in Hrykosia when you proposed a forbidden alliance."

"Dark times for me," he remembers, "but eventually we became great friends and true allies on the up-and-up..."

"...and we found true love with others," she adds solemnly, "and lost them forever."

They hadn't spoken of Lon in the three years since her people came to new Ggrrgg, but they were both present when Lon sacrificed his life to save that of his nephew Gear from an assassination attempt in the early days of the Time War. He knew that Lon was her great love and that his loss still hurt her. His own romantic losses were numerous: Helen, Dru, Temp, Rocky, Pru and Marcus. Marcus was a Ggrrggian noble who helped the slaves migrate. They were lovers until the arrival of Cassian's mercenaries claimed Marcus' life.

"But we found each other again, Kalla," he says lovingly and pulls her face back to his for another kiss. "I haven't really gotten around to saying it in those stolen moments between battles...but I love you."

"I love you, too, Tony." And they kiss for a long moment.

He snuggles up to her. "At this moment, I now truly feel like a king," he sighs.

"The role will suit you, lover."

He turns on his side and pulls her over so they can speak face to face. "Be my queen," he says to her in all seriousness.

Her eyes can't mask the depth of her surprise. "You're...proposing?"

"What's a king without a queen, Kalla? I mean it when I say 'I love you'...I want you for my wife! The title of 'queen' just comes with the territory!"

Tears escape her eyes, and she replies, "I meant it, too....and I'd marry you regardless!"

They kiss and she climbs on top of him to celebrate.


The marriage ceremony serves the joint purpose of both formally uniting the two lovers and anointing them as King and Queen of New Ggrrgg. At the conclusion King Anotaylus addresses the enormous crowd.

"Citizens of New Ggrrgg, I appreciate you all being here to witness our two hearts being joined and for you allowing us to serve you as your King and Queen!"

Thunderous applause erupts.

"But, as you can see, neither myself or my wife will wear a crown. Not now...not ever. For you see, New Ggrrgg will become a great democracy, and we are merely here to guide it towards that goal during the transition from the foul, cruel dictatorship we have all endured. In a short time, if the monarchy still exists at all, it will be a purely ceremonial body. And shortly after that, there will be no need for it at all. We are merely stewards for the great, ultimately free New Ggrrgg to come! A world founded by slaves are now truly free....and we---are your servants!"

The crowd roars unrelentingly for what seems like an eternity as their King and Queen stand side by side and hold their hands up to acknowledge and appreciate their outpouring of love.

Throughout the cacophony, the king squints and peers through the assembled throng.

He thinks, no sign of H.G. Wells anywhere. I've never known our Time Boy to ever miss a wedding of an LMBer, and I know he'd make sure I saw him. I guess this timeline will stick after all.

He regards the crowd and exchanges smiles with his new wife. Can't say I'm eager to re-write all of this, I guess.

And the party goes on for days.

New Ggrrgg, 3036

waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh

"It's a girl!" the physician announces, grinning widely.

"It would seem we have a princess!" the nurse adds. She looked over at the shell-shocked-looking father and asks, "would his Majesty like to cut the cord?"

The father manages to shake his head 'no', and the experts take care of the procedure.

The nurse wraps up the infant girl and puts her in her exhausted mother's arms.

The mother regards the new life in her arms, and says softly, "hello, little princess."

Her husband approaches almost timidly to her right at the bedside, tears welling up. "She's so beautiful, Kalla....I-I never got to be there before..."

Kalla knows he refers to his two older children, Helena and Hugh. Both were conceived with the dark priestess Mordra, the first with deception and the other when Mordra raped him. Both ended up with his first wife Helena, and he became a true father to both of them--though a largely absentee one. This new daughter feels like a third chance for him and one that starts with him being able to finally see one come into the world.

"You...you did so wonderfully, Kalla! She looks just like you! It was such a long, long labor, but it was like, all of a sudden, she just....came!"

"I noticed," Kalla says softly. She strokes her daughter's little shock of black hair and adds, "but she was completely worth it." Tears start flowing. "I....I thought I'd never be blessed with a child after all....after all I..."

"Hush Kalla," her husband says soothingly and kisses Kalla's forehead softly, "you completely deserve this. And maybe..." he adds with some contemplation, "...maybe I do, too." He grasps her left hand in his one hand.

"You do, Tony. I never dreamed we...." She just trails off and lets the moment linger.

And the new family just quietly revels in the moment for a while before the physicians have to attend to mother and daughter for their routine care.


Three days later, the father walks into the den of their great royal house, bringing a tray with some refreshments for his breastfeeding wife. (He and Kalla had repeatedly tried to discourage their subjects from providing them such extravagances, but they had insisted. The royal couple tried to balance out this by personally participating in the building of as many homes as possible in this brave new world.)

He quickly sees that both mother and daughter have fallen fast asleep in his absence. The father smiles and puts the tray down. He finds a blanket, covers his wife with it and then gently takes his daughter from her arms to his. Kalla mutters something unintelligible, then slumps down to a lying position on the couch. The father regards and gently rocks his still-sleeping little girl and settles with her comfortably into a plush armchair.

"Sleep, little princess," he whispers to her.

The father spends endless, sacred moments watching his little girl sleep in his arms, gently caressing her hair with his left stump. It is at moments like this where he really misses his left hand, but he feels he simply can't risk the extra support on his precious bundle that the right arm and hand provide underneath.

These are sacred, invaluable moments, he knows. He will cherish every one of them this time.

Slowly, his eyes begin to blink very slowly and his eyelids feel heavier and heavier, until, finally.....


"JEEPERS!"

The father wakes with a start. (Or did he actually ever fall asleep?) He looks down quickly and sees that his baby girl is secure and still sleeps undisturbed. He then looks up to see a hazy green glowing ball of light hovering a few feet away.

His heart beats quickly. Between beats, he mentally tries to locate his sword and calculate how to safely put his daughter down and then spring into action against their assailant in a fluid motion. But in the next heartbeat, he feels soothed as a feeling of familiarity bathes him with waves of calm.

Not fully understanding what is happening, he watches as the orb starts to expand, its green glow beginning to outline a humanoid figure. Finally, it coalesces into a man dressed in green and white. His hair is blonde, his face accented with a full beard that outlines a mature yet youthful face that features two green eyes filled with a certain childlike wonder. The father sees the form is not truly solid as his still-slumbering wife is still visible through the man on the latter's opposite side. For another heartbeat, the father is dumbfounded as to whom this visitor could be and why he feels there is no threat--until the light of recognition suddenly colors his features. It's the hat--or rather the nelly cap--that makes the lightbulb go off.

"Eryk!" the father fairly shouts as he beholds his only biological brother for the first time in decades. He dials his voice down because of his instinct to let his wife and child continue to sleep as he whispers, "is it really you?"

The face of the visitor seems to blush as he replies, "jeepers, yes--It's me! It's so good to see you, Lardy!"

"And I, you, brother! But...." he seems to truly comprehend the image for the first time. "...you're not really here...are you?"

"No, no. I'm....really far away. In fact, I don't really know where you are. I...found a way to contact you, one I've been trying for a long time. So I finally found you--kinda sorta." Eryk regards the surroundings and notices, for the first time, that his brother holds an infant. "um, who's that?"

"This," the father says proudly, "is your niece!"

"Jeepers!" Eryk says ponderously, "you've been busy!"

Offhandedly, the father adds, "yeah, I'm pretty much a king now, and sleeping beauty behind you...is my queen."

Eryk turns around to see who his brother is talking about. "Kalla Hrykos?" he says with a hint of exasperation. The father watches as Eryk's expression changes from surprise to a serene kind of smile. "I can see that," he finally says. "The two of you are both...kind of, er....um...that is to say..."

"I think you're searching for a nice way to say we're both basically 'damaged goods', right?"

Eryk just blushes and looks sheepishly at his brother's blunt yet correct assessment before changing the subject, "so you're really a king here...wherever that is?"

"It's called 'New Ggrrgg'. It's a colony of Cobie's homeworld, Eryk. I found it...well, it kinda found me, really...and now it's...home." As the words leave his lips, the father realizes that, though he's known this fact for a long time, it feels weird to tell it to someone who was one of many who shared a world which he'd always felt would be the only place he's ever feel at home--that having been Legion World.

Eryk's face tacitly shows that he understands those nuances in his brother's words. "I'm very happy for you, bro. I know what it all must mean to you." He regards his niece. "And she is absolutely beautiful! I wish I could hold her! What's her name?"

The father grins and looks at his sleeping wife. "We just decided tonight and haven't told anyone yet, but we're calling her...Victoria."

"A beautiful name, Lardy. And I'll just bet there's a good story behind it, but..." The image shimmers noticeably. "...I can't keep this up for long. There's some kinda cosmic convergence that made this possible, and it's finite."

The father feels a knot in his chest as he asks, "did you find a way?"

"No, not yet," Eryk replies, knowing that his brother refers to somehow restoring the timeline, "but we've been trying to get the band back together, so to speak. Lucy and I went searching for Una."

The father nods, knowing that Lucy refers to their half-sister Lucifer Lass and that Una, the cosmic entity known as 'the One', is the mother of all three of them.

"That...didn't go well. We found her, but the Khanate of Sol Invictus did, too. Una and Lucy...died."

The father gasps. He never really knew his mother, and Eryk had become much closer to Lucy than he had ever been since they learned of their shared heritage. "I'm really sorry, Eryk."

"Me, too," Eryk said sadly, "but I was saved by Invisible Brainiac and Blaze at the last minute, and..."

"Ibby and Blaze?"

"Oh, yeah! They've been married for a while! They discovered some kinda pocket dimension and have used it as a haven for refugees of the Khanate/Khund War! They've adopted dozens of orphans, and so far it's been as safe and secure as anywhere around here. Oh--Fanfie's here, too--with Ann! And we've made contact with a group lead by Lolita with Bart and Brittney!"

The father exhales a breath he's been holding in some part of him for many years. "They're safe?"

"Yes, they are," Eryk grins. "All this time since they parted ways with you, they've been looking and looking for something. And finally, they have a lead. A slim one, but a lead, no less!"

"What is it?"

"They've heard that the Hypertime Bar & Grill still exists in one of a few possible sectors. This means it somehow survived and relocated itself frim Legion World! It could take them years to find it, but if it exists, you know they will! And if it does exist..."

"They may be able to use its unique properties to time travel," the father finishes with a grim accent to his voice.

"Yes," Eryk replies and comprehends the source of his brother's ambivalence. After a long silence, Eryk, says, "jeepers, Lardy....the rest of us haven't really moved on like you have. Even Ibby with his family wants to give his kids their families back, but you..."

"I'm happy, Eryk. There was a time I didn't think it was possible. A time when all I ever wanted to do was restore Legion World, Cobie, Ex, all the rest." He thinks for a minute. "I still miss them all the time and would want to bring them back from wherever they went, but...."

"...at what cost?" Eryk completes his brother's thought. " It's...it's bad out there, bro. The Khanate and the Khunds...they're escalating all the time and building more and more powerful weapons. Rumor is, they're working on something that may cause destruction on a galactic scale. If this is true...no one is safe. Not even your kingdom."

"I...I understand, Eryk. You guys have to do whatever you can to prevent that from happening." The father looks down at his sleeping daughter again. "But I can't be there with you. I've got to protect...to love...my family as best as I can, as long as I can--for as long as it exists."

Eryk nods and gets as close as he can to his brother, making direct eye contact in the process. "Lardy, you have my word that if there's some way to preserve the life, the family, you've made, I'll do it. On my life, bro."

Eryk's image starts to break up badly. "Lardy...losing you..."

"I love you, my brother," the father says.

"...uv...too...dy" Eryk manages before the image completely breaks up and disappears,

Suddenly, little Victoria wakes up, crying loudly.

"Shh, little princess," soothes her father, "it'll be okay."

Please let it be okay, he prays to any higher entity he hopes may be listening.

New Ggrrgg, 3040

"...and then, just when all seemed lost......Zee the dragon rescued me and uncle Cobie just before the hot lava could melt the rock we were clinging to! She had been searching for us all along and was finally able to smell me when we were ouside the Bad King's castle. Then she took us to where all of our friends were, and we had a great celebration!"

The little girl is wide-eyed in her bed as her father finished telling her favorite story of his and his best friend's greatest adventure. Then a twinkle sparks in her eye as she has a question that had never occurred to her before. "But, daddy," she asks, "whatever happened to your dragon?"

Her father smiles as he remembers the great green dragon that was his companion for several years. "Well, do you remember the Time War daddy told you about?"

She gasps. "You mean the one where uncle Cobie got losted?"

The father nods and shows some sadness. "Yes, that one." He then smiles a little bit and says, "well, Zee was with me fighting some bad men before all that happened with uncle Cobie. They were riding bad dinosaur birds and had us surrounded!"

"Oh, no!" she gasps. "Did she get hurted?"

"No, no...she didn't! You see, there were these time doors opening up all over the place--and suddenly, out of one of them, swooped in this OTHER green dragon--a BOY dragon! He was even bigger and stronger than Zee was, and he scared the bad dinosaur birds away!"

"Oh, WOW!" she squeals, clapping her hands.

"You see, little princess," he smiles, "Zee had been the last green dragon in the universe, but this boy dragon came from another place in time through one of those doors. He sensed Zee and came looking for her!"

"Did they get married?" she asked with excitement.

"I don't know if dragons get married in the way people do, but, yes, they stay together for life and have babies!" He spontaneously tickles her feet for emphasis and she giggles. When the tickles slow, he continues, "after he rescued her, Zee looked to me. She didn't want to leave me. She loved me and was grateful that I had saved her life years ago, but if she went with the boy dragon through the door, she could have a family like she never thought she could have."

"What did you do, daddy?" Little tears form in her eyes.

Tears begin to form in his, as well, as he remembers, "I rubbed her nose and told her 'goodbye' and that I would always remember her. She licked my face, and then the two of them flew through the time door. I never saw them again, but I know in my heart that they were very happy."

"Oh, daddy..."

And father and daughter share a warm embrace. She thinks this might just be her new favorite story.



A while later, the little girl finally sound asleep, her father walks downstairs into their den to see that her mother is still not home from the social function she'd been attending that evening.

He sighs and tries to relax a bit. But it's hard not to think of the arguments they've had off and on around a certain subject, arguments that have intensified over the last few weeks.

Before his train of thought can drift any further into the basis of the argument, she walks in. She sees him, smiles, darts her eyes around a little and finally whispers, "is she asleep?"

He responds with a wry grin."Yes, my dear. The princess has been regaled with tales of old and has been sent off contentedly to the night-night realm."

"Aw," she grins and gives him a peck on a bit of cheek not adorned with long white hair. "I'm gonna go look in on her..."

She half-runs up the stairs, eager to see her little princess and give her sleeping head a kiss goodnight.

Her husband waits patiently for her, knowing that his wife's next stop will be their bedroom to change into her sleeping clothes and perhaps take a shower. He might ordinarily be inclined to follow her and perhaps initiate a little night time fun with her, but things have been a little too tense between them for that kind of activity lately.

She finally descends down the stairs about a half hour later dressed, surprisingly, in the shrill black nightgown that she knows is his favorite. Near the bottom, she notes his surprise and gives him a flirty little twirl before climbing on to his lap and plastering his lips with a wet smooch.

She puts his hands around the back of his neck and looks into his eyes. "Tony," she says lovingly, "I really hate that we've been so tense lately."

"I...I do too, Kal," he admits and rubs her cheek.

"It's kind of silly," she continues, "just a difference of opinion." She kisses him again and finds some tension in his lips this time.

As gently as he can muster, he answers, "I wouldn't say it's 'silly', Kal." He removes her hands and gently lifts her from his lap over to his right side, so this talk won't be influenced by other...distractions. "We're the leaders of these people--maybe mostly figureheads, now--but respected leaders, nonetheless. And we have a fundamental difference of opinion as to New Ggrrgg's future."

"Is there anything so terribly wrong with what I want to do?" she says, her tone changing considerably. "Years ago, your brother told you the whole galaxy was at risk! New Ggrrgg won't be safe forever! We have to be prepared! Don't you believe what he told you?"

"I..." he hesitates, "I sometimes wonder if it was just a dream...I was falling asleep and..."

She looks him sternly in the eyes, "do you seriously believe that it was all a dream?"

He looks uncertain for a moment and shakes his head, "no."

"Then, what's the problem, babe? I want to arm us and get us space worthy again! You know very well that all the ships that were here and all the ones I brought exhausted all of our fuel nearly a decade ago during the war with the old regime! We need survey teams to analyze this world's resources and then mine what we need to build and power ships and weapons. We have the know-how with Helena and our engineers--we just need to make it happen, and you're standing in the way!"

"Kalla," he says calmly, "we're building a peaceful, virtual utopia here. Everything you're proposing could eventually lead New Ggrrgg back to the kinds of conflict we've left behind. And, well, given how Hrykosia fell fairly easily to this conflict with the Khunds and the Khanate, it's unlikely that anything we do would be enough to--"

"Don't you DARE belittle what my people did to try to prevail against those fucking barbarians!" she screams, then rises and shows eyes now crying fierce, angry tears.

He knows he's made a huge misstep. He knows this woman has lost so much that she loved and fought for before standing with him here on this new world. His tone is as conciliatory as possible as he says, "I'm sorry Kal, I didn't mean..."

"'Didn't mean'?" she scoffs. "I married a fierce, fucking warrior! Now, he's an old man who wants to bury his head in the sand!"

She turns his back to him and runs up the stairs. Even from the den, he can hear her slam the bedroom door loudly.

"Oh, Kalla," he whispers, looking up the stairs.

She's right, he thinks. In a way, she's right. I've been hoping that Eryk and the others might be able to stop them somehow, maybe without changing the timeline. I don't know anything about how they're doing, but I'd know in my gut--or they'd somehow let me know--if there was no longer a threat. He sips some coffee. But these last six years....have been the best of my life! This world...our marriage...Victoria...it's all been so...so perfect. I've never felt so...not alone.

He rises and looks out through the great bay window that is in the den's center. He observes the beautiful garden Kalla has made and how it is lit softly by lanterns. In his mind it represents this world in microcosm. Getting these people to create great weapons of war and destruction...the fear that comes with it. It can lead them to so many dark places, even if the war never actually comes here.

And then his thoughts drift to Kalla and specifically the woman she was when they first met. First a revolutionary, then a fanatic, and then part of a vicious cabal that caused the deaths of countless innocents. She had been to a place even darker than he had been. She somehow came out on the other side, but he's always feared the darkness in her might still be there and waiting to come out. It is something he had struggled within himself for a long time, so he recognizes it. He feels he had slain his demons, literally, a long time ago, but with her, he still wonders...

"No," he says to himself. I can't think the worst of her. She's my wife, and her reasons are valid. I have to believe in her, in our marriage, our daughter and New Ggrrgg. I'll be here to support her and help lead our people and keep the fear out of the equation....out of me.

He looks up and visualizes the sleeping little girl with the raven hair. I've got too much to fight for to refuse to do so.

He walks slowly up the stairs. Once up, he gently touches his daughter's door as he passes by.

At the end of the hallway, he knocks on his and Kalla's bedroom's door and says softly, "I'm sorry, Kal. You're right. I...I was afraid. I'll do whatever it takes...to defend our home...to defend you....to defend Victoria. I love you so much."

He waits for what seems like an eternity, but there is no response. In quiet resignation he turns around, intending to head back downstairs for the night.

But, just then, the door opens behind him. He is frozen, not knowing if he should turn around. Before he can even think, he feels her arms wrap around the front of his chest and her soft body press against his back. Then, her head rests gently on his left shoulder. He feels tears dampen that shoulder as she whispers, "I love you, too. And...thank you."

His hand caresses where her hands are joined, and at that moment all feels right in his world.

New Ggrrgg, 3048

"...and just three days ago, the sensor array went online. We estimate its range is about half this solar system and should expand to twice as much within a year, your Majesty!"

"Marius!" the other says sternly. "We fought side by side in the revolution!" Suddenly, he realizes that he sounds rather...majestic...in his indignation and lays a hand on Marius' shoulder. "There's no need to address me like that. You are like my brother."

Marius loosens his posture, "I know, your Maj--er, Tony--but, well, you're no ordinary guy, you must admit!"

His friend grins and eyes the clock. "I guess. Well, thanks for doing your duty as New Ggrrgg's Head of Defense, informing your world's ceremonial figurehead of the state of these things. But I've got a date with a gorgeous young lady, and she'll be cross if I'm late!"

Marius smiles. "Mustn't disappoint her, Tony! Give her my love."

"Will do, Mare, and I'll see you for billiards tomorrow night!"


The self-described ceremonial figurehead arrives at his destination, completing the three-mile brisk walk from the New Ggrrgg military headquarters to his home with about a minute to spare. Awaiting him with a hint of impatience is all 5'1" of his beautiful 12 year-old daughter.

"You're late, daddy," she says with some playful annoyance. The striking young raven-haired girl is wearing a padded jumpsuit and holding a helmet in her hands.

He smiles and looks at his timepiece. "Says here I'm right on time."

"Well, I've been here half an hour!"

"That's my girl," he shrugs and gives her a kiss on the cheek, "always impatient for her fencing lessons...like all pre-teens, I suppose."

Ignoring his sarcasm, the daughter scolds, "and don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're an old man and walked so far instead of taking a car like a normal guy!"

"Tori," he says softly, as he puts on the fencing gear awaiting him on a nearby stool, "just because we're getting all industrialized, doesn't mean we shouldn't rely on all that."

She secures her helmet as he begins to place his own over his head. "Yeah, yeah...whatever. Let's fight!"

For the next hour, father and daughter spar with blunt-tipped foils, resetting after each victory is claimed. The great majority of the hits go to him, but he notes her technique continues to improve, as evidenced by her 4 wins and a number of very close losses. He is so proud of her progress and gratified that her childish interest in developing those skills as a toddler never faded and show no signs to this point. Quite the opposite.

Soaked in sweat, the two share some lemonade on a nearby patio after the lesson.

"You're doing really great, princess," he says after a long sip.

"Daddy, don't call me that! If you don't like people calling you 'Your Majesty', don't you think--?

But she's interrupted by a loud, blaring sound that she's never heard before. It seems to be coming from everywhere.

"Daddy," she says, her wide eyes reminding him every bit of her at six when she heard something go bump in the house, "what is that noise?"

For a brief moment, he's as dumbfounded as she, until his own eyes widen in horror as realization sinks in. "It's the global proximity alarm, princess," he answers hoarsely. He adds, "and it's not a drill."


"What is it, Marius?!?" the father yells at his communications terminal. He has just had the groundskeeper take Victoria to the basement for the time being, despite the young girl's protests that she wants to be by his side.

"It's a single cruiser, Your Majesty...a scout class." All thoughts of their earlier conversation about dropping formalities have faded.

"Well? Do we know if it's friend or foe?" he presses impatiently.

Looking decidedly uncomfortable, Marius answers, "according to our historical records, the transponder shows it is almost certainly a foe." He pauses. "It's Khundish, Majesty!"

A shiver goes down the father's spine. "Well, do what you must, Marius. Is Kalla already there?" He knows the answer, as it is where she spends most of her days for the past eight years, but he asks anyway.

"Yes, Majesty."

The father glances over to his sword hanging on the far wall.

"I'll be there immediately."


"We got it! It's crashed!!!" someone yells.

"Move in!" yells Marius over his communicator as hundreds of New Ggrrggian troops swarm around him.

Among them is the man they know and love as their King, dressed in the same uniform as they but brandishing his signature broadsword instead of a firearm.

Just then, a hatch from the downed ship bursts open, and a flood of Khund warriors stream out, guns blazing. Many on each side fall in the initial exchange.

Suddenly, a bright light comes from above and causes both sides to become momentarily blinded.

The King knows that glow very well. It is his wife, the Queen. Kalla. Although her powers have faded significantly in recent years, she is still a force to be reckoned with. She blasts the Khunds with her light force as she darts around in the sky under her own power. Several Khunds fall, and the home troops press their advantage as they cheer their Queen.


The King withdraws his sword from the belly of the Khund mission commander and watches as the light leaves his foe's eyes. "You have drank deeply today, Roy," the King says to his sword as he attempts to wipe it clean with his tunic. "I was hoping you would never have to again." He looks around and sees the bridge of the scout ship is littered with bodies from both sides, and only a few stir with life. "We need medical aboard the Khund ship, STAT," he barks over his communicator. "We have live ones on both sides, and all should be attended."

He staggers around and starts giving first aid wherever he can, but the sight of one body gives him pause. "Marius!"

He walks over to the form of the man who brought him to this world in the first place. He is dead. "Rest in peace, my friend."

Just then, the medical unit rushes in and starts the triage process he had started. After a long pause by Marius' body, he makes his way over to the Khund ship's computer banks.


"Sixty three of our troops dead, including Head of Defense Marius. All but four of their scout ship's crew of 41 are dead, the four being in custody. No final count yet, but we estimate about 200 civilians dead in the exchange between the ship and our forces."

"It could have been much worse," Kalla says as she looks over the reports Commander Juj is summarizing. "If we hadn't been as ready as we could have for this, we would now be subjugated or worse."

"Yes," Juj concurs, "the power of one comparatively small Khund scout ship did all of this. there's no telling--"

"Who fired first?" interrupts the heretofore silent third person in the briefing room.

"What does that matter, Tony?" Kalla says with some annoyance.

"It matters to me."

"Okay," she admits, "it was us! It's the Khunds--they weren't on a mission of peace! We KNOW what they are!"

"Well, I guess we'll never know if there could have been lives saved if we'd tried using some tact, will we?" He slams a block of circuitry down on the table. "This is a copy of their ship's log! It states that they were passing thru the system on a routine scouting mission. They would have passed us completely by--if they hadn't registered the presence of our defensive sensor array!"

He stops and eyes them both for emphasis.

"This means that if we'd never developed this technology, they would NEVER have noticed us!" he yells. "And, by the way, their orders were to INVESTIGATE, not ENGAGE!!!" Tears stream from his eyes and he points at his wife. "ARE YOU HAPPY?!?!"

The angry, grieving leader of men then knocks over the table and storms out of the room.

Leaving her and Juj behind in the room, Kalla trembles. She doesn't know if it is out of anger, fear, hatred, sorrow or all of these emotions and more. After a moment, she exits out of the room thru a separate door from the one her husband took and leaves the Durlan Commander alone.