Chapter 2: Treachery

No memorial service would be held for his fallen soldiers aboard the Night Hammer, his personal soldiers weren't actually official members of his standing forces. As Kevin gloomily made his way to his stateroom he once again cursed himself for agreeing to so many infuriating rules concerning what he could and could not do. According to the rules that he had so foolishly agreed to, none of his standing forces nor Treize Faction personnel were permitted to engage in combat missions on planet Earth unless Treize Kushrenada himself gave permission… and he never did.

Kevin's standing naval forces had one single purpose, to protect Earth from outside aggressors and long-ago Kevin had felt like this had been the best use of his overwhelming power. Along with the Night Hammer, a 'Super' Star-Destroyer class dreadnaught, the largest ship in his fleet, he had a dozen Imperial-Class Star-Destroyers and four Victory-Class Star-Destroyers. The 'Imperial' class ships were by far superior in almost every way to the 'Victory' class ships boasting heavier armaments, shields, armor, but they were slower and less agile because of this. The 'Victory' class ships were more agile and faster than their more heavily armed counterparts which made them a valuable addition to his fleet. The only other capital ship that he commanded looked like a Star-Destroyer but it wasn't. His Immobilezer 418 Cruiser, the Surprise, wasn't designed for pitched battle but instead was an area control ship that was able to create a gravitational anomaly that blocked hyperspace travel. Once activated, the gravitational anomaly would prevent any ship from escaping into hyperspace and unmercifully tear any nearby ship that was in hyperspace back to 'real' space.

Kevin's impressive fleet made him the most powerful person in this solar system and if he wanted he could easily conquer the planet. He lacked significant numbers of ground troops, and personnel for his fleet in general, but the mere presence of just one of his ships in orbit of Earth and he could bring the planet to its knees. Especially since the planet was doing an impressive job of tearing itself apart and even though Treize now commanded a large and respectable military presence of several nations he adamantly refused to disrupt the 'natural order' of the world.

Arriving at his annoying large stateroom Kevin threw himself behind his desk and glowered at his surroundings. The Night Hammer was a command and control ship that boasted more everything than any other class of ship that he was familiar with. With this in mind it was expected that only the top echelons of Imperial officers would command such mighty warships so his stateroom was lavish in every sense of the word. However, this ship no longer served its Imperial masters and the Empire was dead and gone, good riddance.

Kevin had made his stateroom his own over time and it boasted an impressive library of literature and a few artifacts from around the galaxy. His favorite item that he had procured was the famed and forgotten 'Mask of Revan'. According to his research into Sith lore and history, Darth Revan had once been a Jedi who turned Sith and then turned back to the light. Apparently, and almost logically, he had gone crazy and thousands of years ago had declared war on both the Sith Empire and the Old Republic and he had apparently been such a force to be reckoned with that they had paused their seemingly never-ending war and banded together to crush Revan and his so called Revanites.

An incredible power was imbued within the mask and every time he wore it he could feel Revan's presence lending him his power, seducing him, enticing him, goading him. Revan had been a Jedi and a Sith but he had become something more. Though Kevin had never actually been a Jedi, he aspired to be like Revan and strived to combine both sides of the coin. The darkness gave him power but he used his powers for the light.

But no matter how hard he tried to do the right thing there was always something that stood in his way. He had found ways around Treize's rules and had formed his own force, independent from his naval forces and the Treize Faction and over the years they had fought all over the world as they toppled dictators, assassinated warlords, dismantled drug cartels, destroyed or simply stolen weapons of mass destruction, and fought the good fight whenever and wherever possible. His team was so good at what they did that the credit for all of their exploits had gone to someone else, they simply didn't exist.

Two of his soldiers had now embodied this state of nonexistence quite literally, they were dead and gone. His team had held a memorial service for them and added their bodies their slowly expanding graveyard and their names to the lengthening list of the those that had fallen. Close to one hundred names made up this list and every single name marked a failure on his part. Each name cut him deep and personally, each name was a reason for him to hate himself just a little more. I need more power, I need more resources, even with all of our successful deployments the world still burns around us… The problem was that he had more power, more power than anyone on Earth, but because of the rules his ships simply sat in orbit, slowly decaying.

Luckily, years ago, he had found a planet in a neighboring star system that could support human life and his fleet had colonized it. The neighboring star, which was actually a binary pair of stars, Alpha Centauri and Proxima Centuari, had a number of planets orbiting them and one was almost identical to earth. Years of work had turned their colony on this literal 'Garden of Eden' into a sprawling farming community and they had quite recently completed construction of orbital shipyards. This small colony however could barely support his massive fleet, but it was better than nothing. The materials for their shipyard facilities had actually been provided by a third party.

Kevin had made a long list of friends during his adventures and a web of alliances spread throughout the stars close and far. His largest and closest ally, the Taidan Empire, supported him with men and material quite often and their latest gift had been his new shipyards. New was a relative term, and the shipyards had needed to be heavily modified to support his Star Destroyers but the gift had been a precious one all the same. He had his incredibly close relationship with the Taidan Empress to thank for their implacable support, she did everything within her power to help him whenever she could. The rumors around his fleet didn't surprise him, it was said that long ago he had wooed the empress so successfully that she now pined for him to return to him and that she showered him with gifts in an attempt to win him back. This couldn't be further from the truth, but he would never reveal the truth behind the relationship, not to anyone.

An alert sounded on one of his consoles and he quickly ascertained that the illustrious and so-called Lieutenant Colonel Treize Kushrenada was reaching out to him. What the hell does he want… he better not be inviting me to another one of his extravagant balls, he has to know by now that I won't come… Accepting the transmission Kevin didn't bother to hide his black mood and remained slumped in his chair. Treize's hologram appeared and as usual he was extravagantly dressed as aristocrats of his status usually were. As usual, Treize got straight to the point.

"I see your losses in Syria weigh heavily upon you. I hope that the rebels are able to hold onto that airfield long enough to make the sacrifices of your men worth it." Kevin wasn't surprised that Treize had finally found out about the private army that he was building, he had probably always known but not said anything because it hadn't suited him. The aristocrat's intelligence network was as impressive as it was unnerving, if something happened on Earth he would find out about it almost immediately.

"Calm down 'Master' Treize, I broke none of your precious rules. The activities of my men are of no concern to you, nor are their sacrifices." Treize's closest subordinates affectionally called him 'Master' and Kevin had mockingly added the accolade in attempt to put the man off balance but his comment appeared to have no effect.

"In contrast to what you believe, your activities are always of great interest to me." He paused, clearly as if he didn't already know exactly what he was going to say. "But perhaps, if I may, suggest that your interventions in the Syrian civil-war are prolonging the conflict." Kevin frowned back at the hologram that seemed to be silently judging him. Forcing himself to sit up straight he felt his expression turn hard as he responded.

"You're saying that I'm making things worse…" Kevin scoffed angrily.

"Indeed."

"Even though I'm helping out the good guys."

"Good and bad are irrelevant at this point. You are assisting the losing party, you must have realized this. The rebels are doomed and eventually, even with your assistance the regimes' forces, backed by Russia, will regain control of their country."

"Then help me damnit! You have one of the world's largest and most powerful armies behind you, use it!" Treize's complexion remained placid and his calm demeanor only infuriated Kevin more.

"Why would I squander my forces in a fight that means nothing to me?"

"Because it would be the right thing to do!"

"Politically it would be suicide, if I were to back the Syrian rebels it would put us into direct conflict with their Russian masters, this I cannot afford."

"You are already in conflict with Russia! I know that you've pledged forces to defend Ukraine when Russia invades again!"

"Russia never invaded the Ukraine, even though they successfully annexed Crimea… and I predict that as they slowly devour the Ukraine, Russia will never actually invade. It's all rather clever really, you have to admire their scheming."

"So, your pledge to defend the Ukraine means nothing then? Russia will slowly conquer the country and you will do nothing because of semantics?"

"And this upsets you?"

"You're damned right that it upsets me! I won't sit by and watch the world tear itself apart!"

"But that's exactly what you promised that you would do?"

"No! I promised that I would protect the planet, not watch it burn!"

"You are protecting the planet, from outside threats. I do not interfere with your admirable efforts and you are not supposed to interfere with terrestrial matters…"

"I will not stand by as you wait for the world to tear itself apart so you can become the ruler of what's left! Don't you dare for a second think that I don't see what you are planning you scheming bastard!" Treize looked authentically wounded by his harsh words but Kevin knew that it was a ploy, just like everything the man did his facial expressions were calculated and precise.

"You wound me dear friend. If world domination was what I desired I would have simply pushed for the invasion plan that we threw away years ago… I have other matters to attend to… I will contact you again once you have calmed down and are ready to listen to reason." Without another word Treize's image vanished and Kevin was left feeling more aggravated than he had in a long while. Treize is playing me… I know exactly why he's tearing apart the European Union and forming his own little empire… he wants control of everything… that's what people like him want, I've seen it before. If you think I'm going to sit around and do nothing while you slowly take over the world then you know me less than you think… Moving quickly Kevin contacted Admiral Daala on the bridge and she answered immediately. Her face instantly grew concerned as she noticed his mood but she hurriedly covered her reaction and made her face blank and emotionless.

"Signal the fleet Admiral, I want everyone mobilized and ready for combat within the hour." Natasi's blank expression hardened as she blinked in confusion but she saluted nonetheless and prepared to carry out her orders.

"Our destination, sir?" She asked, almost hesitantly. As if you haven't already guessed.

"Earth."

Lieutenant Colonel Treize Kushrenada, or 'Master Treize' as his subordinates affectionally called him, pondered as he sat in his luxurious office. The world is almost ready, but how much longer can I keep Kevin at bay… his unpredictability is almost too predictable. And yet, he, like a pawn on a chessboard, only needs one simple nudge and he moves exactly where I expect him to. If I read him correctly just now… he may be planning to act too soon.

As if on cue, Colonel Une burst into his office, her normal calm and frigid demeanor lost to panicked haste.

"Master Treize! We-." Raising his white gloved hand in a slow and deliberate movement he motioned for her to stop.

"Lady Une… rash actions always lead to rash decisions. Before you make your report, please, take a moment to collect yourself." Biting down on her lower lip he watched as his subordinate held back a fury within herself and he couldn't help but smile. She was a commanding and powerful woman, but her emotions ruled her and would often lead her to make mistakes. She was a hard woman, no doubt, and as she forced herself to relax her well known steely expression began to form. Her brown hair was always neatly arranged in a double bun and contrasted starkly with her usual cold, shrewd and sometimes arrogant demeanor. Her brown eyes were usually emotionless but were quite lovely when she was caught off guard. There was a different woman lurking somewhere deep inside his colonel, and he desperately wanted to meet her one day. What have you brought for me today… if I had to guess I would say that Kevin has done something rather foolish. As he finished his thought he watched as his colonel calmly adjusted her thin circular glasses and straightened out her burgundy uniform. When she finally spoke her voice was hard, barren of emotion, her eyes frigid and calculating.

"Sir, the grand admiral's fleet has been making some unscheduled maneuvers." She paused as if waiting for his reaction but he made none and waited for her to finish. "All the data supports that his fleet is maneuvering to the jump point that will take it straight to earth." This is not unexpected, but sadly, he has played his hand too early. I'm sorry dear friend, but I can't have you complicating matters.

"Send orders to our assets aboard his ships… the grand admiral has become a threat to us and must be eliminated. His officers are all secondary targets of course, but he must be eliminated." Lady Une nodded and began to turn to make the necessary arrangements but she paused when he signaled that he wasn't finished.

"Sir?" Her eyes softened and the moment was simply beautiful. For a fraction of a second, she seemed like an entirely different person. But the moment passed quickly, too quickly for Treize's liking but there were more pressing matters than unravelling his subordinates hidden personality at the moment.

"Kevin Anderson is to be isolated as well, we will need to move quickly before he leaves the country, we mustn't allow him to slip out of grasp."

"Isolated… but not neutralized?" She asked coldly as she clarified his orders.

"Harm to him is unnecessary at this time… but if he resists…" She nodded and seeing that he was still deep in thought, patiently awaited his next words. "We will need to take appropriate steps to ensure his obedience, Kate Marsh will be with him, we will need to use her… bring her in as well."

"Anything else, master Treize?" She was always so eager to spring into action and she was impatiently waiting to be unleashed to send forth his orders.

"The girl who can manipulate time… we will need her and her friend as well… we can't have her interfering with our plans." Clearly surprised he was rewarded with another enchanting display of uncertainty as his subordinate stared at him.

"Do you really think that girl is a threat to you?"

"No, but her abilities are of interest to me, we shall use her… friend as leverage of course, bring them to me."

"And what of the Fringe team, will they be a threat to your plans?" Treize thought for a moment and shook his head dismissively. An interesting notion, you are so very clever when you take the time to think my dear, so very clever.

"Those pieces should be left on the board for the moment… send our best, we will need the board cleared of obstacles before the grand admiral's fleet arrives." With a nod of dismissal, he unleashed her to carry out his orders and she briskly saluted and quickly left the room. The world isn't ready for you my friend, it's such a pity that you sprang into action, such a pity.

At least this part of our mornings was still the same. Max and Chloe always cooked together, and that hadn't changed. Joyce, Chloe's mom, had instilled in both of them amazing abilities in the kitchen and a love for the culinary tradition. Chloe usually made things quite difficult during the breakfast procedure though, she was always so frisky in the mornings. Luckily, today her lust had been satisfied and Max was still trying to calm herself after the erotic experience. Why do I have to be such a nerd… the only thing I want to do right now is drag her upstairs and… you have class today Max… focus. Thank God Chloe isn't toying with me as she usually does, if she touches me just once I might lose it. Chloe, to Max's surprise, kept her hands to herself and she almost wished that she hadn't, almost.

After a quick breakfast she was ready for the day and a good thing too, she had only minutes left if she wanted to leave and still be on time for her classes. She hated leaving Chloe though so with the few remaining minutes she clung to her and relished in the moment as the time vanished all too quickly. I can be late today… I just want a few more minutes… Max's thoughts however were brutally interrupted as the sound of screeching tires exploded from just outside their front door. Almost immediately someone was pounding on their door and Chloe forced Max behind her. Before Max could move or say anything their door was forced open and two armed men barged in, weapons at the ready. Max would have screamed but somehow her mind focused and she was somehow able to remain calm and analyze the situation as it happened almost in slow motion. It was because of this that she was able to stop Chloe in mid-motion as she reached for the gun that she kept secreted away in the desk near their front door. Chloe struggled at first but relaxed when she saw how calm Max was.

"You girls need to come with us, now!" Chloe, ready to unleash her rage upon the two men that had broken down their door and burst into their home took a step towards them despite the tense situation but again Max held her back.

"It's… Hans right… and Canderous?" Max asked hesitantly to Chloe's immediate surprise. The two men froze as if they didn't know what to do, however they soon recovered but remained on edge. She would never forget the men that had followed Chloe into Mark Jefferson's house to rescue her, their faces had hardly changed and Hans was still wearing the same set of sunglasses.

"Damn… how the hell did she know that?" Canderous grumbled as he looked nervously over his shoulder. His partner, Hans ignored the question and holstered his sidearm and calm as ever, reached out towards Max and Chloe.

"You are in danger, please come with us. Kevin sends his regards." Max stopped herself from asking 'which one' because this would further confuse Chloe and she didn't want to have to explain more. Chloe only knew the Kevin that was happily engaged to their friend Kate Marsh so it was probably best that she think that these men were with him, and they very well could be but Max had her doubts.

"It's okay Chloe… we can trust these guys… we should go with them." Chloe hesitated but only for a moment.

"Whatever, you better explain what the hell is going on in the car though, this shit is hella' crazy right now." Max and Chloe were ushered out of the house and into the back of a black sedan before they could say or do anything else. Max found herself in the middle seat with Hans on her left and Chloe on her right and even though she trusted the enigmatic man she nonetheless moved as close to Chloe as she could. The man behind the wheel of the car was unfamiliar to her but he nodded to her and Chloe nonetheless. Before anyone could buckle in the car was speeding away from their house, their broken door hanging ajar. The men were tense and on edge, something was definitely wrong. Something really bad was about to happen or had already happened and her stomach began to slowly turn over on itself. She was almost afraid to ask but she had so many questions.

"Where are we going? What's going on? Is everything alright with Kevin and Kate?" She didn't know why she asked the last question but something deep inside of her had compelled her and she had blurted it out at the last moment. She felt the tension inside the vehicle double as it maneuvered through the light morning traffic and the three men remained silent for a long time. Chloe, oddly silent, grabbed Max's right hand and squeezed it tightly. Oh no…

"It's too late for them." Hans responded flatly after what seemed like an eternity. Max wanted to demand to know more but the words would not come to her. A growing sense of panic and shock finally began to worm its way into her and she snuggled up to Chloe and held her tightly as the vehicle tore down the freeway. Kate… Kevin… please be okay… please…

Kevin had detected that something was wrong the moment that they had approached the final security checkpoint. Everyone was on edge, security was too tight, the hall was too empty, he found himself desperately wishing that he had a weapon on hand. Not that he needed a weapon, his abilities would be more than capable of handling any situation but the instinct to have a weapon in his hands still remained. Just as soon as he had stepped through the metal detector several grim looking security personnel approached him from the front and he sensed several more approaching from behind. Kate was still on the other side of the checkpoint and he quickly motioned for her to join him. Something seemed eerily wrong and if he was going to keep her safe he needed her close.

His quick motion caused every security officer around him to hastily draw their weapons and Kate screamed as the few other people in line were ushered out of the way. Kevin quickly analyzed his situation and noted the seven threats in front of him and the five behind him. Reaching out with his senses he touched their minds and seeded them with doubt and worry and almost immediately he noticed a few of them take tentative steps back, their weapons shaking. Slowly, not to cause alarm he raised his hands over his head and he felt their minds relax as he seemingly surrendered. The deliberately sluggish movement however was a ploy, he needed time to summon the strength to focus his mind.

Shock, panic and disbelief exploded in their minds as the magazines in their sidearms dropped out of their guns and their weapons ejected the rounds that had been loaded into the barrels. As a dozen magazines clattered onto the floor Kevin sent forth a burst of energy that knocked every one of the confused threats clear off of their feet and he spun around, keeping himself between Kate and the remaining threats and sent a second attack towards the fumbling and retreating security guards.

With the area now clear of threats he grabbed Kate by the arm and plotted the fastest route out of the airport but he found Kate unable to move, her eyes were fixed on him in a state of shock. Suddenly realizing what he had just done he stopped, he had acted on instinct and quickly neutralized all of the threats around him but he had used his powers in front of Kate and she was now looking at him as if she didn't know him anymore. He felt his heart ache as her penetrating gaze of disbelief tore through him but he steeled himself, get out of here first, talk later.

"Kate, we need to get out of here, please, do you trust me?" Kate took a step away from him and their arms stretched out as she backed away but she didn't struggle away from his grasp. Unable to back away further she finally blinked and looked around her slowly and then back into his eyes. She hesitated a moment before she nodded and some of the color that had disappeared from her face returned. Kevin took a moment to send a flood of reassuring feelings into her panicked mind, she resisted initially but almost immediately took comfort in them and clung to them.

A rush of movement from both ends of the long hallway caught his attention and his thoughts of freedom sank. Dozens of Treize Faction special forces, fully armed, tense but confident, quickly surrounded them on both sides. Their minds were cold and their moves efficient and he sensed all too quickly that the soldiers behind him had their weapons trained on Kate and their fingers on their triggers. There were far too many, he wasn't strong enough to deal with so many all at once and he had no way of making sure Kate would be safe. Intense feelings of defeat grasped his beating heart and a strange voice cackled in the back of his mind, you… have… failed… her. Kevin's grasp on Kate's arm slackened and it fell to his side but before he could signify that he was surrendering he heard Kate scream from much farther away than she should have been.

Kevin's mind reeled as he realized that he was lying motionless on the floor and his entire body had gone numb. Memories of a lighthouse and a dramatic encounter came flashing into his mind as Kate's screams drew more distant. Relax… they just stunned you, this has happened before. But his thoughts were countered by the strange laughter that exploded from the darkest parts of his mind. You have failed her!

Something has happened… Kevin reached out with his feelings but the answers eluded him. His dark thoughts were interrupted as an alert demanded his attention. Admiral Daala's image suddenly appeared in front of him and saluted. This must be urgent… she rarely forces herself upon me like this.

"Admiral?" He asked his voice steady, not wishing to worry her he masked his worries with an outwardly calm appearance. Either he hadn't been entirely successful or else something else worried her, she seemed less collected as usual.

"Sir… a dozen officers and crewmen are demanding to speak with you… I know that it's unusual but they are being quite persistent. Apparently, they have misgivings about our maneuvers."

"I am guessing that they are all recent additions to our crew, perhaps recruits from earth itself?" Natasi nodded slowly, her face full of worry. It had been difficult at first but slowly they had started recruiting people from earth who were seemingly at the end of their ropes. It was important that the people that they welcomed to their ranks had no connections since the moment they joined it would be impossible for them to go back. Many seemingly broken and desperate people had joined their ranks and with varying amounts of time, training and some therapy they became willing and able additions to their crew. The additions weren't nearly enough but every single one helped fill the massive need for manpower aboard his ships. Slowly, especially the Night Hammer, the ships were being modified so they didn't need so many crew aboard them but the need was still great. Every single person that they welcomed into their forces had something in common though, they lacked a purpose and Kevin had given them one.

"Yes sir," Her response was slow and he waited patiently as she carefully formed her next words. "If you meet with them, you shouldn't do it alone." He thought on this for a long moment and searched his feelings for the source of the danger that he had detected a few moments ago but it seemed far off and distant.

"Your concerns are noted Admiral… I will meet with them alone… send them to the conference room adjacent to my stateroom. I will meet with them there when I am able." Clearly unhappy about his decision she saluted nonetheless and ended the transmission. It would take them time to reach his conference room so he had plenty of time to meditate and search his feelings for the illusive danger that he had detected for a brief moment.

Frustrated with is inability to pinpoint the exact cause of his distress he once again regretted his decision not to take part in Luke Skywalker's fledgling Jedi Academy. The offer had surprised him for several reasons, most of all was that he was technically the 'Dark Lord of the Sith'. Though he had never officially been dubbed as such he was the surviving apprentice of Darth Vader who had been the previous holder of the infamous title. Kevin had turned him down for a number of reasons as well, foremost was the fact that he hated the man more than he hated anyone else living in the galaxy. Luke had been the one to defeat Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, stealing Kevin's ability for revenge. He had wanted to end their lives himself, it wasn't enough that they had perished. Luke had robbed him of his vengeance and he hated him for it. That wasn't all though, it had been Luke's fault that Kiera had died.

You left her alone… it's your fault! If you had been there with her she would still be alive! Old wounds were torn open and something snapped within his mind and it took every bit of self-control and discipline that he possessed to restrain himself from lashing out at his surroundings. It took a long time for him to force himself to be calm and as his breathing steadied he slowly unclenched his fists. His thoughts went back years ago when he was so much younger and his training at the hands of Darth Vader had grown stagnant.

His training had been rigorous and demanding but no matter how hard he had tried he had always been a disappointment. His punishments had been harsh for his lack of progress but they took a new form of evil when it had been discovered that he had met, and fallen for a troublesome senator's daughter. The senator had been suspected of dealings with the growing rebellion anyway, but Kevin's interest in his young daughter had been what had doomed him. He had been arrested and eventually executed but his daughter was imprisoned and it was promised that if Kevin didn't take his training more seriously she would suffer for it.

Kiera spent less than twelve hours in captivity however, he had easily located where she was being held and freed her. But this had all been allowed to happen and he had been confronted by his master while trying to escape. They had fought and somehow Kevin had bested him. He should have killed the man that day but the young and foolish boy he had once been hadn't been able to murder a defeated opponent so Darth Vader had survived.

Kevin and Kiera, two kids, had fled the Imperial capital of Coruscant and traveled from system to system with numerous pursuers hot on their trail. Their ship, an aging stolen Imperial shuttle had finally given out over Tatooine and they had been forced to abandon it in the wastes of the desert planet. Unfortunately for them the closest refuge had been the moisture farm owned by an elderly couple, Luke's aunt and uncle. The pair had taken the obviously disheveled pair of children in and offered them shelter from the unforgiving desert. Kevin had left Kiera behind as he went off to arrange transport off planet. The pair had been shocked that they were traveling alone at such a young age but he had cast aside their worries easily with his infectious confidence. You never should have left her…

Upon returning he had found the small settlement ablaze and everything horrible that could have been done to a young scared girl had been done to Kiera, everything. She died in his arms in the middle of a sentence that changed his life forever. She had struggled against her pain, fought to cling to life so she could confess her love to him with her last dying breath, she had been so brave. But she had succumbed to death's embrace despite her tenacity, her words trailing off mid-sentence and Kevin distinctly remembered the moment her life had left her ruined body.

He had razed the Imperial presence on Tatooine to the ground, one by one he had slaughtered the massively unprepared garrison. His vengeful destruction was soon noticed by the disgruntled populace of the planet and a revolution exploded as hundreds took up arms against their oppressors. Once Kevin had moved on the revolution was quickly and efficiently put down by reinforcements but Kevin's personal war against the Empire had begun, and Luke had robbed him of his final prize. Even worse, he found out much later, that it was Luke's own meddling that had brought the Imperial troops to his home. It was his fault they had found Kiera and dragged her out of hiding to work their evil on her once they had discovered who she really was.

An alert sounded from his conference room bringing him out of his memories, they were ready for him. Kevin took several moments to calm himself once more but he was soon walking into his personal conference room as a dozen grim-faced men and women saluted him as he arrived. He returned their salute and as the doors slammed shut behind him he quickly ascertained the reason for their meeting.

"We have received word from our agents embedded in the grand admiral's fleet." Lady Une had returned with news concerning their operations, this time however, she maintained her icy composure, not wishing to let him down a second time in one afternoon.

"And?" Treize didn't like the silence that had followed her words nor the words that followed.

"They have joined his forces and are demanding your surrender, sir." Her words were flat and void of emotion even though her eyes showed that inside she was stewing in rage.

"I see." This had always been a concern, of course. Kevin's leadership inspired a great deal of loyalty from those that served under his command. My agents spent too long with him… Treize wasn't surprised though, a part of him had hoped that Kevin would survive his assassination attempt. It was good to hear that his men hadn't perished in the attempt but their losses would have been trivial regardless. "And our other operations?"

"The… other Kevin resisted at first but our forces put him down and he and Kate Marsh are in custody. We are keeping him sedated so his abilities don't cause us any problems." Nodding he allowed a small smile to cross his face, this clone of Kevin's had certainly grown stronger over the years but his men had still been able to overpower him, this was a good sign. "Our agents in Seattle were too late however, it seems that someone extracted Maxine and Chloe before they arrived. They report that they are in pursuit and assure me that they will succeed in their mission."

"Please inform me when they have them then, that is all for now Lady Une." His subordinate hesitated a moment before saluting but as she turned to leave her curiosity finally got the better of her.

"Master Treize… why are we not preparing our defenses? Kevin's fleet will be here in hours…" He smiled warmly at her, his calm and pleasant demeanor surprising her once again.

"Ah, Lady Une, we have no idea that horrific alien invaders are about to descend upon us. It would look suspicious if we anticipated their arrival even if by a few moments, wouldn't it?" His words brought a cruel smile to her lips and she saluted once again, with a marked improvement in enthusiasm he noted.

"Yes, Master Treize, it certainly would."

"Don't worry, the entire world will stand beside us when the grand admiral arrives and he will find himself in a fight that he cannot win, he would never fight the very people that he has sworn to protect and we will be their heroes."