Epilogue Part 3

There was silence in the room for long moments. Cornazan and Qerda sat together, united once more, thinking of the past and the future. It was time to continue with the meeting, the discoveries.

"Kessa and Tessa, I call you forth to reveal your secrets," I ordered.

"We have no secrets, Sir. Our lives are open books. You only have to ask what you will and all shall be known," the two Planet-Girls declared in unison.

"Tell us who you are."

"We are the Planet-Twins. We are the Essence of Earth and Cornaza," the two girls answered.

"And?"

"Patrick, did you ever wonder how your girls always know what to do the first time you have sex with them? All of them, except Sammi and Cindi in the last cycle were virgins, and even those two were raped. There's not a whole lot you can learn about sex and pleasing the male you're with when you're being raped..."

"You'd be surprised," Cindi and Sammi said together, interrupting Kessa. Kessa chuckled.

"Maybe so, but it doesn't explain the others. Did you ever wonder, Patrick?" Tessa asked again.

"I just assumed they remembered from Cornaza ... and from before Cornaza," I shrugged.

"They didn't remember anything else about Cornaza, and especially from before Cornaza. Why would they remember how to make love? And make love they did with you ... they seldom fucked. They always made love," Kessa pointed out.

"Yeah, I wondered. How did they know?"

"They knew because I taught them," Kessa said "I..."

"We," Tessa interrupted. "We taught them."

"Sorry, Tessa. They knew because we taught them. It's what we do. We're not only the Essence of Cornaza and Earth, we're the Essence of Sexuality," Kessa explained.

"But ... but none of us remembered you before we met you, except Melinda and Melissa. How could you have taught us? We never met you," Cindi protested.

"The very night each of you reached puberty for a Cornazan, which is significantly earlier than Human females - the very night you had your first sexual desires - we took you with us in your dreams that very night. We taught you everything you needed to know. We showed you, taught you how to make love to a male and how to make love to a female. We taught you about sex. We taught you what you needed to know, but we taught you nothing about what pleases you. That was for you to discover on your own. It was for you to work through your own innocence in that way. It's our job ... it's always been our job, ever since our race settled on Cornaza. We think we're pretty good at it," Kessa said and she blushed furiously.

"My sister is still a little shy and embarrasses easily. It's not a trait I share with her," Tessa laughed. "Are we good at it?"

"Oh yeah!" every male voice in the room exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Nope. That's it. That's all our jobs," Kessa giggled.

"So who was your Mother?" Amy asked.

"You'll have to ask Daddy. We don't know," Tessa said. Kessa winked at me. I didn't need her help to know her sister was lying.

"We'll save that for another time," Jermel said quickly before anyone could ask him further about it.

"Lady Samantha, tell us your secret," I instructed, moving on to the next person.

"But I have no secrets," she protested. "All of you know about me. I was originally created as Sandy, as a body for Cindi's mind after she died. Patrick brought me through from the last cycle. I am the Queen of the Tarqa and Eric's wife. I have no other secrets."

"Tell us about the other presence in your mind," I prompted her gently.

"I ... I don't know what you mean. Bandor isn't there anymore." The surprised look on her face told me she wasn't lying.

"I win the bet. You owe me $100, Melinda. I told you he would notice," Melissa crowed.

"Of course he would notice. I knew that. I only bet against you because you can not have a bet if both people are betting on the same side," Melinda said. She looked up to the ceiling. "You can show yourself now. The secret is out. He knows and we have won the war." Her voice was filled with respect, almost awe.

The air shimmered briefly around Sammi, then a young lady about Megan's age walked out of Sammi's body and stood in the middle of the room. There was a hushed silence.

"Oh my God," I breathed quietly. The woman smiled at me.

"Mom?" Valerie and Christina, Kim and Heather whispered together.

"Mother?" Rhonda and Jill exclaimed.

It was none other than Rhonda McGarrett. She flowed into my arms and hugged me as if we'd never been apart. She stroked my hair and patted my back as I cried. After she comforted me, she hugged each of her daughters.

{Note: Rhonda McGarrett is the Mother of Rhonda Garrett (Perkins) and her twin sister Jill (Ji'a-llia). She was also the mother of Valerie and Christina, and Kim and Heather. There is speculation in the historical records that she may have been the sister (not twin) of Patrick Phillips (Katiro). She was killed in the Battle of Cornaza while saving Katiro from capture by the Empress. P.}

"God, I've missed you. I thought you were dead," I whispered.

She shrugged.

"She was. She died saving you in the Battle of Cornaza. The Empress sent ten elite Special Forces soldiers to capture you. They were the best of the best. She killed them all, but died from her injuries," Melinda explained.

"How are you alive again then?" Cindi asked.

Victoria turned pale and groaned.

"It seems a certain Keeper of the Colors called her friends to Earth to revive Cindi. The Keeper of the Portal threw it wide open and poured all the power of the Universe into reviving his daughter. She was brought back to life when that happened," Melinda explained.

"But that was months ago. Where have you been up until now? Why didn't you come back like the others?" I asked.

"I remained hidden in Lady Samantha until I knew we had won the war. I was the ace in the hole. Had the Empress won, I would've made myself known and the war would've ended very quickly and very spectacularly," Rhonda McGarrett explained. She gave a confident little smile. Everyone shuddered as they realized she was not exaggerating in the least.

"You could've made that much difference?" Sammi asked incredulously.

Melinda snorted. Rhonda McGarrett smiled.

"Absotively," Melinda giggled. "Had she appeared, one of two things would have happened. Either the Empress would have turned white as a sheet and skedaddled out of here immediately, leaving half her fleet if she had to, or she would have died a very quick, very permanent death, along with her whole fleet in a massive fireball." There was not the slightest hint of exaggeration in her voice. Rhonda McGarrett smiled again.

"Who are you, that you have that much power?" Becky asked in a shaky voice.

"Have you ever seen Queen Elizabeth in action? Have you ever seen what she can really do? I doubt it, since she was paralyzed by the Empress' threat to her twin. When Elizabeth stepped down as Queen of the Tarqa, she picked someone to take her place." Rhonda McGarrett looked at everyone in turn, smiling. "I was that someone. I was picked to be the new Queen of the Tarqa. I have all the abilities and powers that Queen Elizabeth has, plus more. I'm not a Qerda, so I have powers that very few Qerda have. In fact, I am unique, so I have even more power than a Cornazan."

The former Queen didn't say what race she was. I looked sharply at her. My brain leaped to a conclusion that made me gasp in surprise. Rhonda McGarrett glared at me, warning me to keep silent. If I was right, she was the only full blooded member of that race that ever showed power.

Sammi walked to the woman, stopping in front of her. She had a serious expression on her face. Her eyes held a sad, haunted look.

"I am so sorry, My Lady, for usurping your position. I had no idea. I hereby officially hand back to you the title of Queen of the Tarqa." Her voice caught in her throat. "I assume you will take Eric as your husband also." She turned to leave.

"Lady Samantha..." Rhonda McGarrett said as she reached out to turn the distraught girl back to her.

"It's ok," Sammi said, her tears belying her nonchalant tone. "I came from nothing, I've never had anything of my own, so it's easy for me to return to that. I knew it was too good to last." A defiant look showed in her eyes. "I never wanted to be a stupid old queen anyway. I just wanted ... I just wanted to love Eric," she sobbed, breaking down completely.

"Lady Samantha! Stop it! Now!" Rhonda McGarrett barked. Everyone in the room snapped to attention at the official tone of her voice. She pulled the sobbing girl into her arms, stroking her hair and kissing her softly. "Shhh. Hush, girl. It's ok. I didn't come here to take your title or your man."

B ... But it's ... it's yours," Sammi sobbed. "You were picked. It's all yours. I have no right."

"You're such a silly girl. If you're that silly, maybe you shouldn't be queen," Rhonda McGarrett laughed. She hugged Samantha tightly. "I'm the one that has no right. I was picked, but I died. The title of queen ceases to have an effect in everything except respect when you die. You were picked after I died. The title, the position, the King as husband ... they're all yours."

"R ... Really? But ... I don't have your powers. I don't know how to be queen," Sammi stammered.

"Oh, get real, Lady Samantha, " Rhonda McGarrett snorted. "I've been inside you all this time; I've seen what you've done." She held up her hand to stop the protest. "I will give you the power and teach you how to use it. You already know how to be queen."

"I can't take away your power!" Sammi gasped.

"You won't. Usually the power transfer occurs when a queen dies, so she has no further use for it. Precedent has been set, however, when Elizabeth abdicated her throne. She kept her power, yet gave it to me also. I can do the same thing. You will be the Queen, girl, but I will be with you every step of the way, to show you and teach you what you think you don't know. I will not use the power, however; it is yours to use."

"How is it that you died at Cornaza, if you have all that power?" Amy asked. Cindi glared at her. It wasn't exactly a politically correct question.

"Actually, it is more of a question of how she managed to do what she did," Melinda answered for the blushing, self-conscious former queen. "When she intercepted the force sent to capture Katiro, she could not use her power. To do so would have alerted the Empress of her presence and she would have sent more troops to accomplish her purpose. The Queen-to-be had to take them out with hand to hand combat.

"You need to understand what she was fighting against. The Qerda Special Forces are the equivalent of the Tarqa Protector / Defenders. If they are not as good, the difference is miniscule. In essence, she was fighting ten Tarqa at the same time. That is why she chose to be the one to intercept the group - she was the only one available that had a chance for success. Amanda was busy with some small details like shielding a planet and destroying a fleet, and Elizabeth was not around. It would have been Rhonda anyway - she was the greatest Tarqa fighter in our history, bar none. Tarqa are good, but to take on the equivalent of ten Tarqa and win - well, that is miraculous."

"Thank you," I whispered in the awed silence that followed. Rhonda McGarrett wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. It was a passionate kiss. She lay her head on my shoulder afterwards, her eyes closed.

"It was my pleasure," she breathed in my ear. "I would do it a hundred times over." She raised her head, looking deep into my eyes. "You are one of my true loves, Katiro. I have loved you since the day I met you. I love my husband completely, but I am not, and never have been monogamous. I did it for you ... only for you."

"Daddy's gonna get a new wife!" Katie giggled in a sing-song voice.

"No, I will not marry him, just as I didn't marry him on Cornaza. I will love him, spend the night with him when I can, bear his children, but I will not marry him."

"Why?" Cindi asked, shocked. To Cindi, it was always simple, black and white. If you were in love, you got married, plain and simple. Unless, of course, marrying one you were in love with would hurt your precious sister, like Cindi marrying me could upset Amy.

Rhonda McGarrett smiled.

"Exactly, Lady Cine-llia," she said, reading Cindi's mind. "Because he has enough wives. Because I would interfere. I will bear Patrick's children, I will love him from afar, but I would never marry him. My true husband probably wouldn't care, but I would never ask."

"But your husband is dead. He died at the Battle of Cornaza," Cindi protested.

"Did he?" The former Queen asked.

I reviewed my memories, and yes, he had died in the Battle of Cornaza. I was sure of that; I'd known him well. He had originally dated Amanda and I had been going with Rhonda McGarrett. I had fallen in love with Amanda during our fifteen year ceremony. It could have been messy, except he had fallen in love with Rhonda at the same ceremony. We had switched girl friends and the rest was history. Rhonda and I had remained close friends and lovers up until the time she had died. I had fathered a number of her children, including Kim and Heather, Valerie and Christina, and Jill and Rhonda. Yes, her husband was dead, and unless Victoria's energy outburst had raised him from the dead and he was in hiding, he was still dead.

"Yes, he died at the Battle of Cornaza," I said. "I verified his death myself."

"You verified the death of one of my husbands, and the father of most of my children. He was not my primary husband, nor was he my second husband. He was aware of that. I loved him dearly and he was very content with his status as one of my husbands. We had a good life."

"You had more than one husband? I never knew that," I said.

"I know. Only one person knew who my first husband was, and no one knew of my second husband. There is much you didn't know about me, Patrick dear. You never knew my true race, either." She kissed me on the cheek affectionately.

"You're not Cornazan?" I asked, shocked.

"No, I'm not. Contrary to popular legend, I'm not your sister either ... at least, not your blood sister."

"Oh my God!" Melinda and Melissa exclaimed together. "I know who you are! No wonder you are so powerful. You did not get your power just from being appointed Queen of the Tarqa." The Computer-Girls bowed their heads in awe. "It is a pleasure to meet you, My Lady."

"Who are you? What race are you?" I asked.

Rhonda McGarrett walked over to Amanda, stopping in front of her. She put her arms around Amanda and gave her a hug.

"I am delighted to see you again ... my daughter."

"You ... you're my Mother?" Amanda stammered.

"Yes, dear, I'm your Mother." She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek, then walked over to Bandor. He stared at her, a shocked look on his face.

"But ... my wife died ... and you're not her..."

"I'm sorry, my husband. I had to make it appear as if I died. I'm sorry." Her appearance changed for a moment, then changed back. Bandor's face crumpled.

"All this time, I thought you were dead..."

"I know," she whispered. "It was the only way I could assure your survival. I'm sorry."

Bandor finally hugged her, but it was obvious there would be words later between the two. She turned away, a sad look on her face ... a face that brightened considerably when she saw Jermel, Kessa and Tessa.

"And how are my other two precious daughters?" she asked.

"Mommy!" Kessa shrieked, leaping into the woman's arms. Rhonda McGarrett laughed as the pretty brunette smothered her in kisses.

"I think she's glad to see you. So am I," Tessa said shyly as she followed at a more sedate pace. Her Mother closed her eyes, sighing as she leaned back into arms that suddenly hugged her from behind.

"Rhonda McGarrett," Jermel said softly as he kissed her neck. He smiled as she shuddered. "It's nice to see you again. I'm probably the only one that knew you weren't dead."

"And how did you know that, My Husband?" she replied.

"I could always sense you since the day we met. You did your best to hide yourself from me, but you couldn't hide that from me."

"I know. I didn't even try. I wanted you to know I was still alive. It was a chance I decided to risk."

"Why was it a risk?" Ja'a-llia (Jessica) asked. She and Sa'a-llia (Sarah), his other two wives, smiled at her. There was no jealousy in the smile.

"I was hoping he hadn't gone over to the enemy. He is a Qerda, you know. At one time, the Tor'li'ya was very important to the Qerda, just as important as the Shal'li'ya was to the Cornazans," Rhonda McGarrett replied.

"Silly woman," Sarah laughed.

"I'm confused. If she's the Mother of Amanda, that means she's Human. That also means Kessa and Tessa are half Human. Why did we never detect that before?" Becky asked.

"Did you ever try?" Melinda asked. "The mind patterns of humans and Cornazans are very close, closer even than Qerda and Cornazan. It was only detectable in Christopher and his sister Katie because Lori was trying so hard. I doubt that anyone would dare probe the mind of the Planet-Twins without their permission," Melinda explained.

"Or survive the experience," Melissa quipped.

"That's not all. It means Kim and Heather, Valerie and Christina, Rhonda and Jill are all half human too. I don't believe we missed all that," Becky protested.

"It is easy to miss. Cornazans and Humans are almost identical. Why do you think colors work on Earth, of all the planets in the galaxy? The only reason it was noticed in Christopher and his sister Katie is because it was Lori that was detecting their races. She is probably the only one that can consistently detect the slight differences between Cornazan and Human. She never looked at the others that closely," Melinda explained.

"If she's human, how is it she has so much power?" Becky asked.

"Good question. I'll ask the Ancients if I ever see them," Sammi said.

"I'm confused too ... and I'm pissed as hell," Amy snapped. "It seems everyone, God, The Ancient Prophecy, Amanda, Rhonda McGarrett, all had the power to stop this war, to end it permanently, and not one of you did a fucking thing. How many of us died how many times, I lost something precious I can never get back, all the suffering Lori, Elizabeth, Kessa went through, just so someone could play their fucking games? I oughta send you all to the next galaxy. Someone better do some explaining, and pretty damn fast. I want some answers, and I want them NOW!" Amy stood before everyone, her face flushed with anger, breathing hard, fists at her side.

Rhonda McGarrett sighed, then touched Amy's cheek gently. The young girl snarled, snapping her head back. "Don't touch me! Answer my question, damn it!"

"Amy, are you familiar with a book on Earth called the Bible? Have you read it?" Rhonda McGarrett asked.

"I've read the Bible numerous times. I have the whole Bible committed to memory. What's that got to do with it?"

"Many Humans believe that God created Earth approximately 6,000 years ago. Sometime before that, one of the most powerful angels in Heaven sinned and was cast out of Heaven. He tempted the first Humans, Adam and Eve, to disobey God, and as a consequence, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden forever. War, sickness, death and sin have reigned on the Earth ever since as a result of their actions."

"So?" Amy asked.

"So ... Did you ever wonder why God didn't just destroy Lucifer and be done with it? He could've saved 6,000 years of pain and misery. Or why didn't he just give Adam and Eve a Mulligan? Why didn't he just tell them that time was practice and let them try it again? Why did he let it continue? Did he not care? Is he dead? Does he enjoy watching Human suffering?"

Amy's anger deflated as fast as it appeared. She looked deep in thought.

"I don't know. Why?"

"You figure it out. You're a genius. I'll wait," Rhonda McGarrett said.

Amy thought for a moment, then you could see the light bulb go on in her eyes.

"You have it?" the queen-elect asked. Amy nodded.

"Almost none of the population of Earth have figured it out. There is a small group of people outside of mainstream Christianity that have figured it out, because they let the Bible interpret itself, instead of forcing it into the path they want. Tell us why he didn't stop it."

"He didn't stop it because all the beings in the universe wouldn't have learned a thing. It would've happened again," Amy said.

"Exactly. He wanted the universe to understand how bad things could get if sin was allowed in the world, so no one would take that path again. Now, you can believe that, or you can believe the whole universe is a random chance of physical laws interacting through evolution, or anything in between. The point is, that's exactly why this war had to happen. Had we simply destroyed the Empress, it would've happened all over again. All the ones you mentioned have known all along how this would end. They let it happen the way it did for your sakes, not to play a power game."

"But if the Empress was dead, none of this would've happened," Cindi protested.

"Really?" Rhonda McGarrett asked.

"Yes. Right? She was the one behind all this, wasn't she?"

The former queen turned to Amy.

"Is that correct, Amma-llia? Was the Empress the ultimate power behind all this?"

"No," Amma-llia whispered.

"Amma-llia knows better. That's why she is the Special One. Someday, she will end this permanently when she defeats the Evil One behind all this. In the meantime, the Qerda will never again be led down a blind alley against the Cornazans. They, and the rest of then universe, have learned their lesson. It is a lesson the Qerda would never have learned without suffering the complete defeat of their fleet. Now it is a lesson they will never forget."

"Why me? Why did it have to be me to go through all that? What's so special about me?" Amy asked.

"The answer lies in the Prophecy Julie gave after she banished the ships that tried to destroy Earth. Don't try to understand it now. Prophecy is not designed to let you figure out beforehand what will happen, but to help you know you are on the right track when it happens."

Julie's eyes turned creamy white, unfocused and devoid of all expression.

There didn't seem to be anything more to add. I motioned towards Katie.

"I think it's time we know your secret, Katie," I said. I smiled at the pretty little girl. She would always have a special place in my heart. I loved her dearly. Amy, Cindi and Megan smiled at me. There wasn't an ounce of jealousy in their eyes.

"I have a better idea. I think we should let Christopher's sister, Katie, tell the story," Katie suggested.

I shrugged. There was a flash of light. Somehow, we all knew that Katie was no longer the Katie we knew. Christopher's sister stood in front of us.

"I didn't know you could do that," I said. Katie Carnahan grinned at me.

"First things first," she said as she walked across the room. She stopped in front of Christopher, put her arms around him, and pulled her brother into a close embrace. We all pretended to be somewhere else as the two siblings cried in each other's arms.

"God, I've missed you," they both whispered together. This time, Katie Carnahan didn't have to talk her brother into giving her a lover's kiss.

"So, who are you?" I asked after several long moments. I didn't think the two siblings would ever stop kissing and hugging if I didn't interrupt them.

Katie Carnahan smiled. "I don't know."

"I'm not sure who or what she is, but I can tell you I've never felt anyone like her before. She's not Christopher's twin sister," Lori said. "I told you when she was in my mind, when we contacted Christopher the first time, she's no Qerda. There is no Qerda or Human in her at all."

"She's Katie," Amanda answered.

"We know that. Who is she really, though?" Cindi asked.

"You misunderstand. She's Katie Costello, Becky's twin," Amanda explained.

"How is that possible?" several voices asked at once.

"Melinda?" I asked.

"I have no idea. This is news to me. Whatever she is talking about, I have no knowledge of it," Melinda said. Melissa snickered.

"Do you know about this?" Melinda asked her twin in an accusing voice.

"No. I know how irritated you get when you do not know something." Melissa rolled her eyes. "I am not going to get any sleep tonight listening to you rant about it," she moaned in an overly dramatic voice.

"We do not sleep anyway," Melinda replied

"Still..."

"Oh, shut up. I want to hear about this," Melinda snapped. "Go on, Amanda."

"When the Ancients relocated us to Cornaza, they made sure everything was in place, then they departed, never to be heard from again. The Ancient race remained a mystery, but that didn't mean that all of us were idle.

"I approached Katie over 800 years ago, inquiring if she would be willing to undertake a special project to ensure the survival of our race. She agreed. Through a very complicated, experimental procedure, a duplicate copy of her was sent back in time to be Katie Carnahan.

"Using the same technique that the Ancients used to match up twins, the Katie that is in this time was coupled as the 'twin' of Christopher, the Qerda Emperor. We were aware that he would eventually be deposed and have to flee for his life when the Empress made her move.

"Her job was to die, combining in the mind of her 'twin', to create an unbeatable force to overcome the Qerda. It happened just as planned."

"Now what happens?" Becky asked.

"Now she goes back to the future where she came from. Her job here is done," Amanda said. "She will go back, merge with her original self, and Katie Carnahan will be no more."

"What? No way. I'm not letting you go again, now that I know you can come out like this. Why didn't you tell me? Do you know how much I've missed holding you? You ... you can't go, Katie. Please? Not again." Christopher was near tears. He seemed to finally realize what she'd said before. "You're not really my sister?"

"Christopher, you're being silly again. I'm Katie, she is me. I'm right over there, as much as I'm standing here. I won't be gone. You couldn't tell the two of us apart most days anyway. Hug and kiss Katie and you'll be hugging and kissing me. As far as being your sister, we grew up together. I'm your sister in every way that really matters."

"But..."

"She has to go back, Christopher. If she doesn't, she'll die, for real this time. This was only a temporary thing, to get us past the war. It's time to put things back the way they are supposed to be. Melinda, access the program in section 198,29,34,117. It'll show you what needs to be done," Amanda answered.

Showing her human side, Melinda took thousands of times longer to access the program than her computer side needed as we watched Christopher tearfully say goodbye to his sister. Katie Costello joined them, trying in vain to convince him that his sister would still be with him. Finally, the goodbyes were complete.

"Close your eyes, Katie. It will be easier that way," Melinda told the girl from the future as she wrapped her in her arms from behind.

Katie squeezed Christopher's hand tightly for a second and kissed him quickly. "See you in about three years," she whispered. Her eyes shone with excitement.

Melinda murmured some squeaking noises in rapid succession. I don't know what the 0's and 1's that computers use as a language are supposed to sound like, but I was sure that was what we were hearing. Melinda was making them audible to allow us all to participate in the experience.