c4

An Elf, a Queen, and a Stranger

For two hours Harry had been wildly agog over traveling in space. Then they went to Hyperspace, and after fifteen minutes of looking at mottled blobs of light and dark and streaks he took a nap. Since then he had been either working on his padd, teaching, learning, working on the ship, scheming with the astromechs or getting his ass handed to him by girls with light sabers. When he wasn't pulling memories, or being badgered into opening his trunks and keying the women to them in one of the big null spaces behind a door.

He had started putting the memories, or copies of them, in labeled vials in a warded trunk he built out of scrap for the girls and making flipbooks of them to go in that trunk as well. it had a projecting pensieve, a set of comfortable seats, and a popcorn machine. He told the girls to be on the lookout for butter beer in the other two trunks. He was sure there were a lot of pallets of it in there. Somewhere. The girls kept two of the droids in those trunks working all the time on a rotational basis. He called the new trunk the cinema trunk.

Harry had also scanned Maris and Shaak Ti with medical charms and given them a few options and potions and then extended the massages to them as well as Aayla after she had shoved him that direction. He learned Togrutan and Zabrak females like he had learned Twi'leks. Shaak Ti had then demanded he reciprocate as she was a healer, or had been in that track before the lead in to the war and war itself, she got to confirm he was base human in every way. She and the medical droid spent a lot of time pouring over his physiology and whatever samples of fluids they could talk him out of. He also found out lekku were erogenous zones as well and smirked at the time he had spent fascinated by Aayla's and oiling them. Montrals were for even better echo location. Oh and Zabraks, at least red ones, blushed neon red all over. The one he had access to had hair in the expected places as well. Of course payment for that was him turning pink as Shaak Ti took Maris through all the muscle groups and what the function of everything was. Maris had pertly thanked him for the live demonstration. She then made him teach her the depilatory charm. He had dueled her with magic some more. That Shaak and Aayla had great bodies, and Maris was well on her way to the same was not germane to the discussion at all. And it had nothing to do with him avoiding the bath they had him set up. Them redesigning the shorts and tops and him teaching them to make the material by transfiguration and fixing it with stitched in runes and getting the droids to sew it for them to their own fiendish designs were all just part of the training. In this case, specifically, in how not to be distracted and get saber burns everywhere.

He designed his own bath after that in one of the rooms and it only ran cold water in the shower.

Harry learned how to fly the ship via a simulator, and about hyperspace lanes and what they really were, spaces least effected by gravity wells, and the people who charted them. He felt they were either the bravest people in the galaxy or rejects from the island of misfit toys. Potentially both, as those things weren't mutually exclusive. They made fortunes selling their routes if they saved shipping lines time or fuel though. Maybe they were prospectors? As far as he could tell sensors could tell you what was at commercially viable mining depths on any body in the galaxy, so prospecting didn't really happen here. Surveys did, mostly done by droids, and apparently Navy people who had pissed someone off, but not prospecting.

He had explained to the Jedi that Earth was as far as he knew way out on a spiral arm to the galactic south west in his plane, universe, time, or whatever this was, or rather was distinctly not. He found out that was wild space or the unexplored regions here. That drove home how vast a galaxy was, and how fast they were really going. There had been a Republic, or other type of government, with this type technology minus incremental improvements here for twenty five thousand years, and they still had not explored the whole thing.

They had some discussion about their somehow being contact with Earth and the parallel development and math being math explanations got thinner and thinner to all their ears.

All three women knew something was bothering him but he just said he was missing something. And then the empire holonet exploded. 'Second Assassination attempt on Beloved Emperor!' Harry snorted. 'Rogue non-human religious zealot attacks Leader of the free humans of the galaxy.' Harry frowned "Pretty blatant propaganda and race baiting there. Too bad it will work." He got raised eyebrows and shrugged "Seen it before. On Earth there were five distinct types of the species homo sapiens, what we called humans. Biologist and anthropologist couldn't even agree on that. Then there were hundreds of ethnicities. Once we got the people to mostly stop harassing each other about race, black people versus white people for instance, they took off on ethnicity. Then about sex, as in male or female and there being more than male or female, there isn't by the way, that's a choice not a fact of biology. I mean, more power to em, but lets try to stay in the realm of possibility, yeah? Male female fine, male male fine, female female fine. Males who dress up as females and think they are, whatever floats your boat. Some imaginary third sex? You might need some professional help, possibly medication. Does it matter in the end and did everyone else care? No and no. That isn't even talking about religion, haves versus have nots, or any of the other shit people come up with to hate each other and be closed minded over. The more liberal folks got so narrow minded and strident it was impossible to tell them from the most conservative and those two groups hated each other. The propagandist didn't help. The demons proved none of that mattered and ability was all. They didn't ask about race, creed, color, sex, or ethnicity. They also didn't book slots on talk shows. If you couldn't fight them off they ate you. If you were lucky you were dead before they started." He shrugged. "Be the best you can be, don't be a fuck, keep private shit private, and work as a part of the team. Or get eaten." The women all frowned thoughtfully remembering instances of intolerance from both sides of issues in their lives.

The video of Yoda attacking Palpatine was pretty obviously faked. No old human could dodge all those strikes from what looked like a pissed off elf fighting a demon after an overdose of crank. Much less doing it with a sad face and trying to talk the elf down.

Aayla sighed "Why would Yoda attack him?"

Harry nodded "Knowing he would play it for propaganda if he failed and even if he succeeded the Galaxy is in a civil war. It was lose, lose for Yoda. Is this Yoda prone to this type of thing?"

Shaak shook her head "No."

Harry frowned "I'm confused. He could only lose here. Four of your top people, at least, already couldn't take this guy knowing what they were in for. What did Yoda hope to be able to do? Is he that much better than everyone else?"

"No. He is not, especially than Master Windu." Shaak glared at the screen a moment "This bout of hubris will cost the Order much, perhaps all. The only thing I can think of is a diversion to get the rest of the Jedi off Coruscant but sabotage would have been easier. Or stealth. The Senators who were leaving were gone before this. The majority of the Jedi and Rangers as well."

Harry nodded and shrugged "Dumbledore was the same way. Only he knew best. Mainly because only he knew. Plus he was 'the most powerful since Merlin' and had years of experience. The Order is going to have to change to survive. If he did live through this and got away he will have to change to meet this threat."

He looked at Maris who had frozen at the non-human comments "You're still the hottest demon I have ever seen Maris."

Maris gave him a scorching glare and he grinned "Better. I actually felt that one." The other two women laughed as the chase began. Harry apperating randomly and Maris using the Force to try to catch him, the laughter was a bit shaky though. This could be really bad. The one good thing was Yoda was reportedly alive, and if he lived others they knew probably did. Master Yoda had originally been stationed on the planet Kashyyyk when the execution orders went out. Aayla sighed. Her former Master, Quinlan Vos, was stationed on Kashyyyk, along with Barriss Offee's former Master, Luminara Unduli. If Master Yoda had survived Kashyyyk, and managed to make it to Coruscant to attempt to attack the Dark Lord, there was a good chance her former Master and her dead friend's Master survived as well.

Harry had found Aayla did not react well to news that featured the Chancellor, because in almost every article about him, a small blurb would always mention the initial 'attack' upon him. The names of the four Jedi Masters that had failed to 'assassinate' him were always prominently mentioned. Oddly the pitched battles at the Temple and Senate were not. Among those names was Jedi Master Kit Fisto. Harry knew she no longer held the deep feelings for Master Fisto she once did and she knew he was 'with the Force'. It was still hard for her to come to grips with the fact her close friend was gone. All Harry could do during these moments of grief was to hold on to his friend and be there for her as she dealt with her slowly rising losses. He had been through this. He hoped it didn't accelerate for her as it had for him during the demon war.

After Maris caught Harry and beat on him a little they were all seated again watching the holofeed over when another article in the series or a recent addition to the grand propaganda effort popped up. Harry turned his attention away from the articles related to the assassination and brought up the other big headline. 'Anakin Skywalker Sacrifices Life to Kill Separatist Leaders!' The biggest news surrounded the betrayer, Skywalker. According to the Empire's headlines, their former ally had single-handedly ended the Clone War when he travelled to the remote world of Mustafar in the galaxy's outer rim. The entirety of the Separatist leadership council had apparently hid on the planet to lead the final stages of the war from afar. Harry snorted, more like they were having an early victory party and got caught with their pants down probably arguing over the spoils. The Republic Fleet and Army had taken a mauling however and they still had an army and fleet in the field. Much reduced, on its last legs even but it was out there. Details were quite vague from the articles, but it appeared a victorious and mortally wounded Skywalker had ordered the Droid armies to stand down. The fact that Skywalker was dead according to the articles wasn't believed for one second by Shaak Ti. She had seen the Legion that he had brought to the Jedi Temple. She couldn't imagine anything less sent to deal with the leadership of the Separatists, which Skywalker would always find a way to snake his way out of. Plus the revolt holofeeds were in direct contravention of this.

Details of the battle were extremely sparse, and Harry and Aayla both agreed that something much more must have occurred there, especially since this would be a prime thing for the Emperor to publicize. All that the Empire's news broadcasts stated was that the Separatist's leaders refused to surrender and that Skywalker went into the complex they occupied and, regretfully, was forced to kill the entirety of the Separatist Council. Harry got the opinion from the ensuing discussion this would never happen, as some of the members of this council were of species who would never resist openly at the risk of their own lives.

When he asked about how Skywalker could have gotten the codes he was told powerful Jedi could read minds. "Legillemency. Should have known. Probably not much control though, like the very basic occlumency you all use. More passive than directed."

The army that the Marauder had flown above during its ascent out of Felucia's atmosphere had received its shutdown orders that very day from Skywalker. They must have been waiting for orders after order 66 when Shaak saw them on her way down. Why had the emperor not had the code? If as it appeared more and more likely Palpatine had engineered this whole thing and run both sides of the war, why then hadn't he had the code?

Why hadn't the droids continued their occupation of Felucia as well? Where had their human officers buggered off too? Harry chuckled, fog of war, questions he would probably never know the answer to. Shouldn't look to closely at either. Gift horse and mouth, all that.

Harry knew all this was significant for some reason, but couldn't for the life of him figure out why. He did as Hermione had taught him and wrote a timeline as best as he could including a weird little diagram of their loop through time. They all spent hours after meals and during their nominal watch shifts trying to figure out why this was niggling at them all by now but Harry allowed it might have been him affecting them. They did not buy that.

Harry always returned to the main news menu, and scrolled down further in attempt to focus on something else. The empire had touted one story multiple times over the past few days: 'Jedi Conspiracy Unmasked. Clone War Ends!' Finally, with the Separatist Council's defeat, the rest of the at-large high-ranking members of the Confederacy had surrendered. Palpatine made a nearly Roman victory parade of his announcement of the glorious end to the Clone War and parading the surviving defeated leaders on the feed. He really took off on laying the whole thing at the Jedi Orders door and promised he would hunt them down.

The Jedi dug up information on these 'leaders of the confederacy and rebellion' and they were more money men and minor figures in obscure positions that could barely effect policy or the execution of it. That didn't make any sense either as his apprentice Dooku had been running the confederacy.

The news coming from the rebel feed directly contravened most of his points and included hacked, sliced, he was corrected, video from the Senate, the Temple and some off of the bridges of capitol ships some enterprising soul had gotten.

The empires whole media play was odd. It really seemed as if it had been put in the can months ago waiting for order 66 and was now running regardless of the outcome of that and the Jedi sabotaging the fleet.

The rebel feed took great pleasure in recounting the numbers of, to include the names of the ships where known, empire casualties.

Harry offered that it was the same old Dark Lord problem. If events didn't fit your narrative ignore them. Alleged light lords too really. When people weren't trying not to be eaten they loved their opinions. Especially if they wanted to be 'In Charge'.

The Jedi agreed and Maris pointed out the propaganda ignored both the revolt and their holo channels and that order 66 had apparently not been the killing blow against the Jedi it was intended to be.

Maris spent time dueling Harry, physically, sword, and magic, and meditating. The propaganda campaign against the only home and family she had ever had really made her angry. It improved her magic, occlumency and Harry's swordsmanship by leaps and bounds. Her Master had felt she was his last apprentice and had traveled the back hyperspace lanes and by ways during the war. Maris hadn't seen the brutality and lies of it until now. The upside was her old Masters ships navigation core had most of the routes in the space of the former Republic in it and helped them find their way around blocked hyperspace lanes.

Shaak and Aayla had seen propaganda already and knew there was truth somewhere in the middle, or at least an idea that probably had a truth attached to it somewhere. They saw this was a problem, but maybe more for later than now. Now they needed to find out what happened to the Jedi and see if the Order was still coherent and if so how it was going to act. If not. Well that was a whole new cricket match as Harry said.

Harry was a cynic. He thought this would parallel the Voldemort war after Dumbledore died if the Order collapsed. "People follow the loudest noise. Palpatine is pretty loud on those worlds he managed to hold onto. These Core worlds." He shrugged.

The Corellian feeds eventually presented something resembling clarity and unbiased fact. It had dates names and places. It cleaned up the timeline and mostly matched it. It also included that order 66 was programmed into the clones at their inception and other pertinent information but still the thought that was trying to peek through would not pop into focus for Harry. He had had this happen before and it was always something odd that set the chain of connections running. It was frustrating.

Harry frowned "Who would know all these orders?"

Aayla shrugged "The cloners and the people who ordered the clones. We knew some of them. Enough to work with the clones but not all of them and some were canceled supposedly but how would you do that except in the next batch?"

The article laid out the events and the timeline then savaged the Jedi leaders when it was mentioned they attempted to secretly arrest the highest-ranking official in the galactic government with no media present and without notifying any political or military allies. In fact, it was determined less than half a dozen sentient beings in the entire galaxy were aware of the four Master's self-appointed mission to arrest the Chancellor. Even if they had succeeded in their mission, the political consequences of the Jedi's presumptive actions would have been disastrous for the organization. Harry nodded "Like I said. Even their friends are at least exasperated now."

Throughout all the articles, it was immediately apparent to the foursome that the fallout from that day was immense. Jedi were now hunted on all Imperial worlds, and bounty hunters had now turned up in droves to make fast cash as they chased down crippled Force users who no longer had their former unlimited resources. The head of a Padawan currently paid out more money than some of the most dangerous jobs offered by the Hutts. The bright side of things was that rank and file Jedi were welcomed with open arms on any of the newly formed Alliance worlds, and bounty hunters who chased them were being taken down with extreme prejudice within those system's borders. Law and Order noises always made politicians look good in a crisis.

SSDV

Shaak Ti gave a lesson in Alderaan, its people, climate, terrain, government, and factions and their significant players of that government as they got close. It was one of the best pre-mission briefs Harry had ever had. "Shaak that was great, thanks! One of the best pre-mission briefs ever. How up to date is it?"

Shaak smiled "Not to worry. Ships in hyperdrive cannot be tracked accurately by most means. I have been working my connections and contacts however I have conveyed that we are trying to stay under the radar."

Harry frowned and Aayla gave him a shove with her hip where she sat nearly in his lap "Be nice. Now it will only be the unofficial, official, radar.

Harry sighed "Actually I wasn't thinking of tracking. I hate politics, and I am not good at it. I hadn't even thought about them tracking us because of who Shaak is. Military can track ships in hyperspace I take it. Hmm because of the way the lanes are I would assume they track based on them. That would make it slightly easier for them. We should see about getting full maps from those lane scouts."

Maris shrugged "We have to learn politics Harry. We won't be able to just beat everyone to pieces. Alderaan was known as 'The Soul of the Republic' and was one the Republic's founding worlds 25,000 years ago when the first galactic constitution was signed. It's a core world that we have significant allies on. It is a well-respected and popular world. Bail Organa is a good man. Even I saw that from just the holo's, he is the Viceroy, and is married to its Monarch, Queen Breha. They already announced their intentions when they took sides against the new Galactic Empire. They are a Republic planet and people. The planet has not yet drawn much of the Empire's wrath despite its location in the Core because there are other systems with much more formidable Navy's that have already actively engaged the Empire's remaining fleets. Corellia for one.

Plus the Black Sun and the Hutts. If Palpatine gives them an inch they will bite off hundreds of worlds."

Shaak nodded "Very good. He has also perhaps realized that the political fallout that an attack on Alderaan, which does not have a fleet or army, would drive many of the worlds still on the fence firmly into the camp of his enemies.

One of many reasons we chose here rather than Chandrilla or Corellia. I trust Bail Organa to act honorably and do what he says. What he has said for years and has acted on for years, was keeping the Republic together. He will drive to make these rebelling worlds and systems a Republic with a representational government as well."

Aayla nodded "I have dealt with him and Queen Breha in the past, all his dealings have been completely honorable. He had been one of the dissenters against the Clone War, and was one of the more well-known 'quiet' political antagonists of the Chancellor. Now I supposed direct opponent, politically, financially, and now, newly militarily against the Empire and its interests. The reports have the Antarian Rangers heading for Alderaan with their fleets as they withdraw from the core. That may or may not turn permanent."

"Any idea what we'll do when we get there? Or who we should try and get in contact with?" asked Harry.

"We'll have to play it by ear," said Shaak Ti. "We don't know how the defenses in the system are now arranged, nor do we know if or how many Jedi may already have fled to the system."

"Aayla, I want you to leave your suppression necklace on, Shaak you and Maris take yours off." said Harry suddenly.

"Why Harry?" she asked.

"You've seen the news reports. You're listed amongst the casualties of Felucia. If we arrive at Alderaan, and someone can sense four Force-capable people on a craft, they'll come looking for you and me. But if you're wearing it, and I'm suppressing my own aura, they'll only know about Shaak Ti and Maris."

"It's a good plan," said Shaak Ti after a few moments of silence, as all three Jedi pondered his suggestion. "I'm not quite good enough at aura suppression yet but I can damp it some as can you Maris. No need to advertise who we are to anyone who has been around us, before we know whose side is whose and which we are on."

"OK and lightsabers for you all but remember I will do ranged attacks if necessary. You can all feel my magic when it's sent and you know it's me so don't bat any curses down." Harry added. "And I think we should decide on our next destination, have the course laid in, and the droids keep the ship ready to lift. As soon as Palpatine gets his area secured and a fleet he nearly has to attack Alderaan if all you say is correct."

Maris was scowling. She was still struggling with occlumency. Harry smiled at her. "We'll get there. It takes time, but it's absolutely crucial to a lot of really valuable skills you can eventually master," said Harry.

Maris nodded "I'm taking that hold out blaster we worked on Harry."

Harry winced "Careful, remember that poor asteroid. Dead before its time, dust to dust."

Maris poked out her tongue at him. They all chuckled. The hand blaster had broken up a fairly dense asteroid up at one of the lane changes after Harry and the droids had worked it over. They weren't sure why. Though it was full auto and had a huge tibanna gas supply in a null space in the grip now. It also had a cyclic rate of about five thousand rounds a minute. Harry had grinned hugely and told them it was like a Hog. They were still working that out a day later when Harry told a story about a Hog brrtting some class threes. They had figured out a Hog was an in atmosphere speeder. A Thunderbolt II A10. One built for war with an apparently magnificent cannon just for taking out ATTEs and vehicles like that.

Shaak Ti nodded, then leaned back and stretched her back. "It's time to sleep. Are you coming, Maris? Or will you stay up here for a while?"

"Well, I probably should chaperone these two, but I guess we can trust them alone… to not wreck the ship, mainly because Harry made that impossible." said Maris before she quickly moved down the cockpit access passage.

"She's getting better." observed Aayla to the remaining group.

"I like her, she is getting… more normal? To me at least. Are Masters really strict?"" asked Harry.

Shaak Ti sighed, "Some." Harry nodded and Aayla shrugged. They had had a few of these conversations. "Anyways, good night you two. Have fun staring at the star lines." Shaak Ti waved absently behind her and closed the cockpit door.

Harry shook his head "Who would have thought traveling a jillion miles an hour would be boring. Nothing near as fun as a broom. Out of hyperspace is ok but this is just boring."

Aayla merely rolled her eyes and gave him a light slap on the back of his head, "Stop being so melodramatic. Play with your padd. When are you going to let us see that thing?"

Harry handed it to her and she dug in. After a few minutes, she grunted scowled at him and worked on the computer backing up his data, sorting it into categories and giving him the padd back while she perused what was now becoming organized rather than a white board in a new large team brainstorming session that had gone on for far too long with far to many white board markers in the hands of type A personalities.

He blinked after looking through it for a few minutes as it was synchronized with the computer Aayla was working on and continued to get more organized under her direction. "Thanks. Still right there tip of my brain though."

Aayla waved him off "Fly the simulator while I look at this. Leave your padd. I might have some tighter organization to do." Harry smiled at her and gently stroked a lekku as he moved to the copilot's station and the R2 driving set him up a course that would drive most pilots mad. Harry liked his challenges. The droids seemed to enjoy virtually smearing him over some planet or asteroid belt. Occasionally chasing him down and blowing him out of the sky.

After an hour or so Aayla looked up at a sharp whistles she perceived as astromech laughter in time to see Harry buy it in some simulated fleet action taking on a Lucrehulk battle ship and a lot of vulture droids. "Harry there are a thousand contingency plans in here."

Harry leaned back "Trying to cover all the bases. The pieces can be swapped around too. Well the fully separate actions. Never know what a mad dark lord is going to do but there are limits. Mainly in his available forces and the terrain. I know mad dark wankers. I am getting a handle on weapons capabilities and the galaxy. When I have a dark wanker thought I write it down change the weapons and vehicles for those available here then game out my response to that. The problem is they all end up run away right now as I have very few resources. If he comes out personally and I can get to him I think I could throw the whole thing up in the air with a killing curse."

"And all this magic?" She asked.

"This and that. Ideas. Like the potions section. Stuff worth trying." Harry allowed. "Getting the tent windows to work wherever it is is one of them. Oh the stateroom designs are in there too. The mass driver installation. Specs for the runes on it. Ideas to improve it, engines, hyperdrive coils, blasters all kinds of stuff. St Vitus brain Luna calls it. Most of the stateroom designs are complete, just upgrading the fresher's to real water left to do. Maris doesn't seem to be interested in plumbing, and you and Shaak are busy decorating. She will finish the rooms with a droid and I will come behind and do the bathrooms, once you all have a design you can knock that out. The portals I made are the pain. I can't figure out how to link them to the ship for holocom and the like."

"Maybe make little hole portals like the mass driver muzzle, one linked to one over a holonet control. It can be near enough to reach a control panel and relay the signal or hard wire it then disillusion the whole thing and hide it behind the panels in the lounge. You do know those can come down right?"

Harry blinked "Thanks."

Aayla shrugged "You and all the training, building your portals and playing with your cannon. We are happy to help you Harry." Harry grinned at her sheepishly and got an eye roll. "Plus we will need to figure out who is safe to tell about all this. I still think of these oaths you talked about."

Harry grimaced "And if they sell the ship?"

Aayla sat up. Harry had built portals to variable sized null space portals and put them all over including the gun space This ship could now haul as much as a large freighter and accommodate a brigade of clones. The discussion over these devices had gone on endlessly with Harry pointing out slavers and smugglers and what they could do with the things. "Didn't you say the goblins could make things return to vaults?"

Harry nodded slowly "Yeah, have to find that book of Bills and we will have to have a secure place. Maybe a small moon under the fidelius charm."

Aayla smiled. They could all get what they wanted here. They just had to work together. Harry rolled his eyes.

All that greeted this response was one very well-manicured eyebrow slowly rising upwards. "For that, you'll begin my lessons now."

She sank back still reading his padd but now frowning. Harry asked "Something wrong?"

Aayla snorted "All of this."

Harry nodded moved back the expanded seat and sat by her. "We'll figure it out."

Aayla bit her bottom lip "Harry I have. I'm going with you no matter what the Order does. If they can't deal with it then well I think we have the start of our own Order."

Harry laughed "Sure, what's one more faction in this mess. I got a good record against dark lords though."

Aayla was looking at a section where he had written out the similarities between Palpatine and the dark lords he had fought and Harry's estimate of what he would do. "So I see. Dark Ladies too?"

Harry snorted "Worse than the males. They just get mean when you thwart them."

Aayla raised a brow "Good that you know."

Harry spluttered "Oh feisty. Defend your mind Master Secura." She narrowed her eyes at him and he slipped into her mind like a warm breath from a lover on her ear. She gasped. He had never done this before.

Harry got past her defenses and she glared at him in her mindscape, he grinned. "Come on show me around and I'll show you some other tricks." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Aayla eyed him "I better have my clothes on in that cockpit." Harry laughed and followed her around then took her hand and let her in his mindscape. She gasped at the castle.

Harry nodded "Hogwarts. My school of magic. Come on I'll show you around. It will give you some ideas."

Aayla followed him, seeing some things that she was sure were very personal. Harry named the students, professors and beings they met in the halls and told her their stories. Unfortunately, they all ended "They were killed at such and such on so and so date."

She looked at him for a moment "Harry why are they here?"

Harry smiled "I gave them access to all my power. In here they're all as powerful as I am, and here they live forever. They are my defenses."

Aayla hugged him from the side.

Harry took her back to her mindscape and shooed her in to do some work. She smiled and went to it. Harry exited to Maris reading his padd. And doing a little more cleanup on it and then synching the backup. "Thanks?"

Maris grinned at him. "You were busy. Aayla good?" how did you get past her shields? I can't."

Harry blushed and she giggled "You can do that in there? Good, stop wasting time and do it out here."

Harry huffed "She needs to figure out what the deal with the Order is."

Maris shrugged and waved the padd "Not better than this is what they are, or aren't as the case may be. We can be our own splinter cell."

"I knew I shouldn't have put that stone on you or let you read that book." Harry leaned back in the seat putting an arm around Aayla and pulling her close.

"Phhtt I want to code the game on a data core!" Maris bounced in her seat.

"Can't sleep?" Harry asked gently.

Maris sighed "No, not from nightmares for once, just nervous. I'll sleep in a bit. I'll wake you before I go if you want to nap. I'm picking your brain over here."

Harry chuckled but nodded. "So sinceuwas up." He tossed her a grin and got a eye roll, He was the only one who thought that routine was funny. He should make a crystal of American. "Why are these big ass boats the droids keep killing me with retarded donuts?"

Maris looked at him blankly for a moment then grinned "Airshaft max. The core worlds are ecumenopoli? Is that the word? Anyway the whole worlds are cities. They have air shafts that because of some regulation are a standard size. The Lucrehulks were cargo ships the CIS converted for the war. The hulls without control spheres let down into the shafts and unload cargo and take on waste and concentrate. They haul that to agricorps worlds and then haul food back. Without the control spheres traffic passes through the hole in the middle of them as they are loading and unloading cargo. Not like they can grow food. They do extract everything possible from the waste and use it, to include growing algae and converting that to ration bars which are nearly free but kind of skeevy to eat."

Harry snorted "You know skeevy but aren't sure about ecumenopolis?" He got a look. "Fine. So they are really just fit to purpose, then because they had them and they are enormous the CIS armed them."

Maris nodded "Yep. Now sleep. I'm picking your brain. Well after I clean it up some more."

He woke up to a gentle touch an hour or so later and Maris looked at him and nodded. He nodded back and shifted gently. As she left Harry had a feeling "You know Maris you'll never be alone again. Shaak and Aayla are older than you. They had already left their masters. No matter what though, I won't leave you. You take your time and decide what you want. I'll be here."

Maris came back hugged him and left.

Harry looked down at the blue head on his shoulder. "So how much did you hear?"

Aayla looked up and smiled "All of it. Found number two, or perhaps three." Harry rolled his eyes. "I know you struggle with it but there is no random. The Force moves things to where it wants. Maris needs you and needed to hear you say it."

Harry shrugged "Magic gets what magic wants."

Aayla shot him a glare "Primitive."

"Yep that's me."

She gave him a shoulder check and reached for the padd. Harry arched a brow "So how did it go?"

Aayla grinned "I got the rest of the memories done and put in a surprise for the next person in my mind." She looked at Harry sternly. She had a wampa wandering her tunnels. A wampa with dark, flat, charcoal fur. The first time someone knew it was there would be when its claws came out of their chest.

SSDV

Harry and the others listened to the beeping then watched as the ship dropped out of hyperspace and a blue green planet swelled in the cockpit windows. Harry relaxed when it stopped doubling in size twice a second "Nice brakes."

Aayla chuckled "Good thing."

Maris looked at the two. Shaak started speaking before she could get a comment off "So we will enter the holding pattern and wait for a query."

Harry had frozen though "There is a very powerful magical right there." He pointed and Maris brought up a view of the area, then magnified it showing a cruiser in orbit. "More on the planet and in orbit but that one is the most powerful." The Jedi went quiet and Harry shuddered as a mental sweep passed over them "You all felt that right?"

They all nodded and Shaak relayed "Master Yoda."

She was interrupted by the cruiser calling them "Vessel exiting hyperspace this is the CNS Reliant. Identify yourself and state your purpose."

Shaak keyed the coms "Corellian Navy Ship Reliant this is the mixed freighter/passenger vessel Marauder. We are intending to land on the planet to discharge cargo and passengers."

"Master Ti. Good to hear from you it is. Worried about you we have been."

"Master Yoda. We need to have a discussion, but here is not the place." Shaak replied frostily. The others raised brows at her.

Yoda replied "Agreed we are. Follow Reliant you will."

Harry frowned "Used to being obeyed he is. This should be fun. A bit unrestrained with the legilimency as well."

Shaak nodded "He will know about Maris and me for sure."

Aayla was scowling. "You know, that had not been so invasive to me before."

Harry nodded "Powerful and skilled. He was reading your surface thoughts or trying to. A lot of you all's battle precognition is tied up in that I've noticed."

The Jedi nodded. They had had this conversation and when Harry had his occlumency screwed down tight their precognition was less effective. It had been a bit of a surprise to the Jedi. Aayla was an empath and Harry putting his shields on full bothered her. He didn't screw them down to demon hunting mode unless they were sparring. He also didn't tell her that what he was doing with suppressing their but leaving a trickle connected to others auras was what couples or parents did. He was also doing it with Maris and Shaak. As well as training himself to let them in a bit.

They paralleled the cruiser with no problem. The frigate had powerful sublight engines, attitude control engines too, with literally tons of available reaction mass now stored in null space, and more repulsar coils than it really needed. It could keep up with or outrun a lot of fighters. A lot of ships in hyperspace as well. As it was designed with no armor, its defense was agility. Its hull plates now, while the same, were all rune engraved and activated, and after days in space were fully charged, and probably better armor than heavy cruisers.

Harry smiled at Maris question of where they were headed as he looked out at terrain that reminded him of Switzerland and pointed as they cleared a mountain range announcing in an over the top voice, that he considered Pythonesque, "To the castle!" Maris shot him a raised brow, that sounded suspiciously like something from one of the 'swashbuckler' movies he liked to make into books and laugh at the sword play in, and he shrugged "Castle that big only governments can afford. If you are keeping it, might as well stuff it full of drones, seems to be the predominant thinking in my experience."

Shaak nodded "Never heard that reasoning but yes that is the seat of the planetary government and the landing pads and security apparatus are close to it."

Harry shrugged "Drone hive. Hopefully they won't learn to decentralize and power down the hard way." Harry's theories of governance were colored by losing layer after layer of governments to Demons. It had been interesting or led to interesting discussions rather. "Shaak I'll let you do the talking. I'll try to stay invisible."

Aayla snorted "Nearly two meters tall, powerfully built, and moves like a predator, green eyes I have never seen or heard of in this galaxy, that glow when you are working on something. Wearing black leather and armor. And carrying twin blasters in hip holsters and one in a shoulder holster. Yep invisible. I thought you might use your cloak. Are you serious Harry? You are going to set off every warrior presents precognition. Occlumency or not." Harry pouted at her. The Jedi laughed. They landed as Reliant and two flights of fighters circled, They made their way down to the personnel ramp as Reliant landed. The fighters circled to a higher altitude and Maris pointed out the speeders coming toward them.

Harry smirked "Not as cool as hover bikes." They had stopped with Shaak and Aayla in front, Harry behind Aayla and Maris behind Shaak. The Jedi nearly rolled their eyes. Harry loved the speeder bikes he had stolen without Aayla realizing. He, with his droid conspirators, had then disassembled one and hopped another one up to and passed the maximum they thought it could be, certainly past what was safe. They were sure the thing could get out of a planetary gravity well on its own. They were dreading the first test ride. Harry had waved them off saying he could always apparate off and leave it. He had nine more after all.

The Jedi smiled, amused, and composed themselves. The armored speeders arrived and a tall light brown skinned human dismounted as the security formed up, and he handed out a very pretty, conservatively dressed woman. Shaak informed them "Bail Organa and Queen Breha. Unexpected."

Bail led the Queen up and opened the conversation "Master Ti, Master Secura."

Shaak and Aayla inclined their heads and Shaak spoke "Senator Organa, Queen Breha. May I present Padawan Maris Brood and Harry Potter?" The two bowed slightly.

Bail nodded "I didn't know you had taken Padawans Masters." Bail wasn't a dummy. He heard every word said and filled in the unsaid blanks. Then he probed for the truth.

Shaak replied "Padawan Broods Master was killed."

Aayla added "Harry is not a padawan."

Bail apologized immediately "My apologies Knight Potter. I don't believe we have met before. Our sympathies for your loss Padawan Brood."

Harry smiled at the smooth attempt "No we haven't. I am not a Jedi. I met Master Secura on Felucia." He had been watching the mob approaching from the Reliant. He and the Queens Security people. The lead speeder stopped and a house elf got out and tottered over with a cane. Harry raised a brow. Like elves but not. And like them nearly made of magic.

It spoke "Master Ti, Master Secura. A surprise this is. Padawan Brood, Happy to see you well I am." He turned to Harry and Harry rebuffed a probe. The small being stumbled.

"Where I come from that is an actionable offense. It is also usually how fights start." Harry offered calmly.

Bail raised a brow. He didn't know what had just happened but it was significant, suspected of the Jedi as well. He watched quietly. Aayla added "I will no longer tolerate intrusions on my mind without permission Master Yoda."

Shaak nodded and Maris grinned impudently when she rebuffed the probe. Bail coughed as he put it together. Shaak nodded "Senator Organa we would like to speak with yourself and the Queen at your earliest convenience."

Breha had watched the whole time as Yoda was rebuffed then ignored. She suspected what had just happened. It confirmed something she had suspected Yoda of for a long time. Now here was a council member, a senior master who had been very publicly involved with the war and allegedly dead and a rescued padawan with what appeared to be someone like a Ranger General snubbing him.

Bail asked "Master Ti how did you manage to save the Order? Sorry but I have been desperate to find out."

Shaak looked to Aayla "Master Secura saved us. Not I."

Aayla shook her head. "It was all Harry but I'm not sure the apron of the star port is the place to discuss it."

Bail nodded and turned back to Master Ti working through some more initial meeting details and customs and doing a bit more fishing and Harry stepped over to Maris "You OK?" He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.

Maris sighed "Master Yoda just tried to barge into my mind! I'm fine though."

Harry nodded "I used that. Sorry. I'm not sure he has control of it. It's like standing beside a dwarf forge. The magic coming off of him is massive. I need to get a stone on him soon to protect us all. I used the opportunity presented though and set him back a little. It also told his allies he has been doing it." Maris looked at him and he smiled. "Full disclosure this is a bit of theater too. Me talking to you while the masters are busy."

Maris narrowed her eyes and he sighed "Sorry. I hate politics but it is necessary."

Maris sighed "I caught the Legilimency and that was it. I think I might not be a Consular."

Harry chuckled "Me either. Yoda was cruising for a bruising though." Maris smiled and snickered as he turned and bowed to Queen Breha who had walked up "Your Majesty."

Breha had been Queen for years. She eyed him closely "You Mr. Potter, are going to be interesting, aren't you."

Harry sighed "I do seem to have been cursed to live in interesting times ma'am."

Breha nodded "Please be careful. Yoda is a necessary ally."

Harry nodded "Ma'am."

The Queen looked at him "Not a Jedi but not inexperienced. A Ranger?"

Harry smiled "Perhaps a conversation for more controlled conditions Ma'am."

The Queen arched a brow "You do realize we are under all kinds of surveillance here. Some eager analyst is right now searching the nets for your details to give to me."

Harry smiled "And if my skills are what they should be they have heard an annoying buzzing and my face is just blurry enough for them not to be able to read my lips ma'am."

The Queen smiled "Yes, interesting. And Maris Brood. We were sorry to here of your loss. If there is anything we can do for you please ask. Shall we join the others and go?" Harry bowed and she turned and walked to the other group. Maris was a bit stunned. The Queen led them, a few paces ahead.

Maris looked at him and arched a brow. He shrugged "She doesn't stay Queen of an unarmed planet being silly." He saw the Senator look at his wife and nod then catch his eye and nod. Harry returned the small nod and smiled. They were in for now. Maris sighed. Harry put an arm around her shoulders and chuckled. "I had to learn the hard way. I'm glad to talk to you about it. But later."

They came up on the group and heard the Senator "So the clone war is over but now we have a rebellion against a despot." He looked tired.

Breha patted his arm she had taken "Fortunately Palpatine has made mistakes, those mistakes have multiplied and left him at sea for now. Master Secura's actions have reduced his forces, and the various sectors in rebellion have him spread so thin we have a bit of room politically and militarily."

Harry zoned out, Maris, aware of this, steered him a bit by an elbow as they moved slowly, still talking, to ground transportation. Something in the Queens comments had triggered a cascade. He suddenly jerked and Aayla then Shaak turned to him. Aayla looked at Maris and then asked "Harry?"

Harry looked up and smiled evilly "The Queen has supplied the missing piece. Mistakes." He looked at the raised brows. "OK I am the Dark Lord. I have a plan, but my evil overlord guild rules say to have a backup. I am running both sides of the Clone war to deal with my political opposition, as the Jedi have been neutered by the Rusan accords. They are pretty much an annoyance. As part of my primary plan though, they must go. My primary plan blows up spectacularly, taking my primary force with it. I was running both sides of the war though. I send my henchman to get full control of the secondary force, to finish the primary plan. He sends the standby signal but is interrupted before he can send the change of mission instructions. My secondary forces go into standby. Henchman gets chopped up, and I don't have the code. I have to wait until I screw him back together, unless I am a high order necromancer. I would have felt something that dark. Playing with souls leaves a distinct, impression, let's say. I didn't feel anything. So Skywalker is alive and being healed, and as soon as he is the emperor will get the code."

They all looked at him, it was a reasonable conclusion of how events had unfolded, they weren't getting what was so exciting about this though. Harry cackled a bit "Skywalker sent the signal from Mustafar. Aayla, you told me those holo terminals log signals. Wouldn't the master control code still be there in that log?"

Bail perked up, smiled, then laughed. He turned to the Queen "Your pardon Ma'am but I need to talk to Garm."

Breha smiled at him, he ran and jumped in an opened topped speeder, and the driver gunned it. Breha turned to Harry "Interesting all ready. Come, we will go to the palace and let you rest from your travels. We will have dinner together tonight I think. Ourselves and you four. Master Potter can entertain us with interesting stories by the fire after dinner."

The others followed the Queen while sneaking pleased looks at Harry. Aayla had moved to his other side and Shaak next to her. Yoda followed behind. Harry handed the ladies into a covered speeder got in, and the guard shut the door and stepped on the footplate. The armored speeder accelerated away hard. Yoda waited for his open speeder.

At the palace, the Queen led them to an observation deck high in the building and left them with a butler while rooms were prepared for them. The Jedi hugged Harry who blushed. Aayla pulled him to the side while Shaak engaged Yoda, who had shown up shortly after them, in a stiff conversation with Maris watching. "Force Harry!"

Harry chuckled "I keep putting things in there and they rattle around and sometimes they connect the right way."

Aayla smiled "Nice timing. Way to smack the Grand Master of the Order down and get a few shots in at the Order as well."

Harry shrugged "Somebody has to wake him up. This has been a farce from start to finish. It is finished as well, time to move to the next phase. For the Order to survive they must pull their head out, and take some tough decisions. It may come to a split and letting the Rusan Order finish dying on the vine."

Aayla looked at Shaak, who had a stiff face on, and led Harry over. Yoda looked at him "Apologize to you I must."

Harry, who had been alternately loved and lionized then hated and demonized his entire life had had this before "I forgive you but I won't forget. You should apologize and explain yourself to all these other people who you have been skimming the thoughts of all these years."

Yoda nodded "Think poorly of the Order you do."

Harry shrugged "Not as individuals, though I haven't met them all. I know the type however. You have some apparently mystic power. The Sith side of you use it for their own gain. The Jedi side of the same coin use it for allegedly noble purposes. Allegedly because how can you tell what is good for everyone? Set the conditions for success, make people leave each other alone to get on with it, you didn't do that though. No one ever does. There is always the temptation to impose your will, as you know best. Politics creep in over time, then some major event happens and you get some reform, where the common people without mystical powers emasculate the mystics. Normally the noble ones who are convinced they are serving the good. Because they will listen to the people, if they are loud enough. The evil bastards don't care and chop up anyone in their way mystics or not. One side normally triumphs at that point. This time however the rule of two for the Sith prevented them from gaining dominance. Well, that and their own internecine struggles. Bunch of sociopaths, maybe psychotics. That rule of two guy played the long game though. He knew the Rusan reformation would limit the population of noble mystics and lead to their destruction. All the Sith had to do was wait and be prepared to pick up the pieces. Probably thought he had broken the code on immortality."

Yoda nodded "Dispute you I cannot, as unfolded exactly that way events have."

Aayla blinked "Master?"

Yoda turned to her "Different you are in the Force. Your experience on Felucia changed you it has."

Aayla nodded "It did but the difference is this." She removed her stone and Yoda blinked.

"What is this?" Yoda looked from Aayla to the stone.

Harry snapped his fingers and reached in one of the pouches on his belt. "You need to put this on. You're a beacon in the Force. This will suppress that."

Yoda blinked and took the stone. He looked at Harry "You I cannot feel in the Force. But you used the Force." Harry shrugged and dropped his occlumency to just shielding his thoughts and looked at Yoda's comically wide eyes. Yoda recovered "A Sith technique this is! The paths of the dark side have you walked."

Harry snorted "A technique to keep demons from hunting you down and having you for a snack this is." He pulled his barriers back up and sat in the grouping of furniture on the platform. "As for walking in the paths of the dark? Yes, most of them anyway. Walk, ran, danced down, tripped over. Covered most of them I think. No raping, missed that one, but, somehow it had no appeal. Oh and no torturing and killing kids. You can't catch them and kill them unless you know them. Did I want to? No. I wouldn't recommend it. I'm pretty sure I got all the grease out of my hair but I can never be sure. My eyes don't twinkle though." Aayla elbowed him moderately hard as she sat.

Yoda looked at the stone as the women sat. "Have one of these you do not. Alive in the force is this stone."

Harry shrugged "Wow, you are a perceptive little dude. Took me months to feel that. OK Aayla I will work harder on feeling the force around me, not just searching for enemies. I can teach the technique. My people use these stones for children until they learn to suppress their presence. We put them on our wounded and ill too."

Shaak and Maris pulled out their stones and put them on. Aayla suppressed her signature and Harry beamed at her. Yoda blinked and looked around tiredly leaning on his cane heavily. Harry waved and low chair appeared. Yoda recoiled then poked it with his cane. Aayla smiled "It is real master Yoda."

Yoda looked at the Jedi and put the stone over his head, then sat and wriggled around until he was comfortable. Harry sighed in relief. Yoda looked at him. "The truth you spoke. Failed we have. The new code imposed by the Senate was. The danger we did not see. Rigid is the new code and our practice became that way.

Change the order must and the Senate that imposed the code is gone. The old code we will follow. These techniques in you have no darkness grown. Felt you when you released your essence I did. Darkness you have fought for years."

Harry sighed "More than you know."

Aayla looked at Yoda "Harry is teaching us these techniques." She offered, with the slightest bit of challenge.

Yoda looked back at her "Suppressed useful knowledge you think the Order has." Aayla nodded and he closed his eyes. "Powerful force users in my youth there were. More powerful by far than I. The last of the Jedi dynasties. The Sunrider clan and their peers. The new code and celibacy ended that. Techniques were lost. Many Jedi fell to the dark. Techniques were poscribed. Then came the shroud. For two hundred years it has grown. Knowledge we might have lost or controlled too closely but purposefully not." He looked up and saw another person standing beside the Butler. "To rest you should go. Meditate I must. Master Secura, a moment for me you have."

The others rose and walked away. Harry gave Aayla a glance and she smiled and nodded toward the door. She had made her decision. Now the Order needed to make theirs. Yoda looked at her for a moment then nodded "Blame you I do not. Denied you and Master Fisto the Order did. Deny you again we will not. Controversial this will be."

Aayla smiled "Wait until you see what Harry can really do. He and I will go where the Force leads us." Yoda smiled and shooed her away. She rose "Master be careful. That chair is conjured. If he didn't intend it to be permanent it will disappear after a while."

"Sad is this. Best chair I have had in years this is. Thank you for your warning I do. Not so spry am I."

Aayla walked away contemplating whether they had made another convert. She turned a corner and found Harry waiting with a padd in his hand. She hugged him, and when he looked down she rose on her toes and kissed him. While he was stunned she giggled and took the padd and his hand and drug him away. She took him to his room pushed him in the bed and crawled in on top of him. He finally managed "Aayla?"

She grinned and snuggled down "Yoda won't protest. Now it's up to us. Sleep. Breha is very smart, Bail is her equal." She turned her head and lay it on his chest and felt him rise under her. She smiled "That's not sleeping."

"Grrrr."

SSDV

Harry entered the room in his robes without the armor and Aayla had donned a loose brown, cowled, robe over her normal pants and crop top. Maris and Shaak were there in Jedi robes. Harry bowed and Breha smiled "We thought here in a private dining room rather than a state dinner."

They all got seated and plates were served then the servants withdrew. They discussed many things during dinner and then afterward Breha led them to another room, a nice sitting room with a fire place that had a fire burning on the grate. Harry chuckled "Stories by the fireside Ma'am?"

Breha shrugged slightly. "It is traditional I think. Please feel free to speak freely here. This room is swept carefully."

Harry waved "And now is proof against Force enabled eavesdropping. I have a device that I think would make this easier. It can project the actual memory of an event." He reached in one of his seemingly bottomless pockets, got out a projecting pensieve, and put it on the low table in the midst of the seating group after ending the shrinking charm. "Where do you want to start?"

Breha nodded "Perhaps at the beginning. With your world and how you got to Felucia."

Harry nodded, thought a moment, and pulled a memory strand with his finger. He dropped it in the stone bowl, pressed several of the runes around the edge, and a memory of a view of Earth from space showed "This is Earth, my home planet."

Bail whistled "Beautiful, nearly a water world."

The memory faded and then changed to Hogwarts seen from the boats at night. "My school." The scene faded and shifted to a view of the inside of the school and in Harry's dorm room. It swiftly progressed through a day there and shifted to night or early morning. "This is the last fight I had with the first dark lord I defeated."

The others watched amazed and Harry watched sadly. They recoiled when Riddle appeared and Aayla hissed "Sith!"

Harry blinked "Really? They look like that too?"

Shaak nodded "It is thought to be the corruption of the dark side."

Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully as the memory played on. They were amazed at the display of the Force and all of the variations of it, he won that fight, then the memory showed scenes of him as an Auror. Aayla looked at him "You were a Jedi there. A Sentinel." Aayla had been thinking about it watching all his memories as they traveled. "A Shadow even."

Harry smiled "Sort of, an Auror. There were regular police, Law Enforcement Squads, then a kind of cross between police and the military, Hit Wizards and then Aurors. We chased down the darkest creatures, witches and wizards. Normally in pairs or small teams. The Hit Wizards were arranged in bigger units, up to forty. The Law Enforcement Squads were in teams of ten, then platoons of forty or so, companies of up to a hundred twenty, and then Constabularies of however many companies a area required. They patrolled and did day to day law enforcement. The Aurors were nominally in charge and able to act as any of the three."

Bail was watching and had been keeping a running count "Harry that is four of those Sith so far."

Harry sighed "Dark Lords and their minions. One every couple of years for a long time. About the time we got one another would appear."

Maris blinked "The rule of two?"

Harry shook his head "Usually they were rising as we were dealing with the worst. Parallel development? There was some discussion about trying to herd them together to see if they would kill each other off. Now that I have read your history here I see how bad an idea that really was. Natural selection would have made the ones that survived very tough opponents."

Bail barked a laugh "Harry those are all tough opponents. Ranged Force attacks? I'm not sure even the Jedi could deal with that."

Shaak nodded "The least of them has been Darth level. The worst make Darth's look easy. Legendary enemies. Yoda needs to see this."

Breha nodded "Especially if Palpatine can make it to this level. We have reports of him using some kind of lightning attack already."

Harry winced "This next one favored that. The Dark Lady Cleopatra."

They all recoiled from the next image. A beautiful woman apparently ravaged by disease. Maris half rose as Cleopatra, in the pensieve image, loosed fiendfyre on a section of Cairo. She eased back down as Harry's team plus some Egyptian Aurors controlled it then Harry engaged the Dark Lady. She did favor Lightning. In the image Harry didn't seem to appreciate it. He beat her to a bloody pulp. "Was that fire alive?"

Harry nodded then shook his head "Sentient, but not alive as we understand it. It consumes the Force in people or objects." The Jedi hissed. Harry warned "The first Demon I fought is coming, then it will be the fight with the last one and how I got here."

Despite the warning Bail and Breha leapt to their feet at the appearance of the tier two demon, then sat slowly and much closer together. The scene shifted to a blasted, devastated world and the last fight in the crater. All those from this plane leaned back wide eyed at the ferocity of the fight and the amount of power applied. They relaxed as Harry killed the Dark Lord then tensed when the fiendfyre appeared and Harry leapt in the hole.

Aayla laughed as Harry shot from the ground and tumbled through the air. He scowled at her and the others raised brows. Aayla smirked "I will show you a memory next." They watched as Harry followed Aayla in the memory and Breha grinned.

The grinning stopped when the clone's radio conversations happened wherein they heard order sixty six be issued and Aayla was attacked. They followed through Harry healing her the trip back in time, all their activities at the base and after. The memory ended and Harry took out a wand and retrieved it.

Bail nodded "That was Palpatine's voice. He gave the order himself."

Harry nodded "Could it be voice tied mental conditioning? Some of the worst governments on Earth experimented with that."

Bail looked thoughtful and got up "Drinks?" Everyone took something. Bail picked for Harry. A generous amount of an excellent Alderainian whiskey. Like a bourbon Harry decided. Not as sweet. The ladies got a nice white wine. Bail sat again "So you were the commander of the Earths armies and a Master in your Order?"

Harry laughed "Aurors aren't an order. A calling maybe. I was the Chief Auror of Britain and was going to be the Chief Auror of the International Confederation of Wizards. Then the Demons appeared and I was left in charge of most of the forces of Earth. Force using and non-Force using."

Shaak nodded "The Grand Master of the Jedi and the Commander of the Republic Navy and Army."

Breha waved Harrys sputtering off "It is the equivalent Master Potter. Nearly identical missions minus the diplomacy of the Consular Jedi."

Harry sighed "Well that was there. Here I am just trying to help."

Breha let him off the hook and looked at Aayla "And you Master Secura?"

Harry talked her through putting the memories together, using his wand to extract them, then made them play and she narrated. Harry blushed as they all chuckled at his first force jump, or rather the scream as he fell.

Shaak was next and they got to see the mad scramble at the temple to try to stop it all. That caused a lot of discussion. Harry had to pause the memory and back up several times. Finally, they got through that and got to Maris being picked up, then finally meeting up with Harry and Aayla. Shaak concluded "We left Felucia and after a bit of debate came straight here. The main lanes are closed, so it took a few extra days."

Bail laughed "Yes. The lesson being don't betray Jedi. The estimates are sixty percent of the fleet destroyed and the same among clones and navy personnel killed. Confidence is high in the estimates."

Harry put away the pensieve and the conversation swirled. Breha finally offered "We have a place for you to stay. Well, a lot of the Jedi really. It is on Royal grounds but is disused. At one point it was a primary seat but them the capitol moved here. We will go there tomorrow." She looked at Harry and Aayla who were nestled together and smirked. "For now I think our young lovers need to get to bed."

Harry spluttered while Aayla smiled, Maris chuckled and Shaak grinned. The group took their leave. Breha turned to Bail who was standing by the desk "So?"

Bail nodded "It recorded. It was inside the field I guess. He was right about the listening devices and recorders at the space port. The faces were blurry and the audio was an annoying buzz."

Breha nodded "Time to talk to Yoda and get Mon and Garm on a secure holo conference."

Bail nodded "Yes, we need to talk to Mon and Garm without Yoda as well. We may be hosting the Grand Master of the new Order."

Breha chuckled "Yes, and its Mistress." Bail ruefully shook his head.

Aayla led back to their room. Shaak and Maris stood grinning. Aayla sighed and towed Harry in the room after good nights.

SSDV

Harry woke with Aayla firmly resting on him and him hard. They were both nude. He noticed he was wet. Aayla lifted her head, slid up and kissed him. He kissed back. She slid down and bumped him and jumped up "Shower!"

"Grrrrr."

"Shaak wants to exercise Harry."

"Grrrr."

"Clown."

They stepped out after dressing, nearly into Shaak and Maris. Both grinning like crazy people. Aayla laughed "The door was open Just come in." Harry face palmed.

Bail, Breha and Yoda watched them from a balcony. Bail asked "So was your meditation helpful?"

Yoda nodded "They are the way of the Order." He pointed at the four with his stick.

Breha shook her head "Some of the Masters are going to be a problem."

Yoda shrugged "Follow the new way they need not. Learn the new skills then however they cannot. Dangerous is Master Potter's use of the Force. Learn this I must."

Bail changed the subject "Are you sure about the lodge? It's in a bad state Ma'am."

Breha shrugged "It is isolated."

Yoda nodded "Few distractions. I will go as well. Some of these stones we must get. Put on the Jedi until they learn the new way."

After exercise, showers, breakfast entertaining courtiers and Jedi buy how much they ate, Harry, the three Jedi, Breha and Bail Organa with Yoda got in a convoy and took off for the lodge. Harry looked at the ship. Aayla smiled "An R2 can bring your toy later. Let's get settled." Harry nodded. The Maurader was sitting with its reactors and weapons powered up and its sensors running. The mass driver muzzle device and the other weapon systems were tracking different targets out in space. The port authorities were very disgruntled.

There was some discussion as they flew, drove, hovered? Anyway as they made their way to the Lodge. It was about an hour trip at pretty high speeds before they got there. Bail gave a window tour of the property and then they all dismounted at the lodge. Really a palace. It had extensive grounds but was smaller than Hogwarts. It was easy to see how the Government would have outgrown it. With it being very isolated in this remote valley moving the capitol made sense.

Harry looked at the buildings and smiled "So our rent is fixing up the buildings?"

Bail grinned "Well, if you feel like you have to?"

Breha cleared her throat. Bail turned to her "Yes dear?" He got a light glare.

"Masters, Padawan Brood, we have these temporary structures for your use for now." Breha indicated a spot against the wall where an in atmosphere freight platform was unloading and a crew was rapidly erecting five duraplas temporary shelters and starting a reactor and generator then hooking the shelters to it. On the other end an antenna array was being installed. "Each of them will have secure holonet connections or rather one connection shared between them."

Harry smiled "Thank you. You didn't have to go to all this trouble."

Yoda nodded "The thanks of the Order you have as well for all your help."

The Organa seneschal walked up and Bail and Breha sighed. Bail made their excuses "Duty calls I'm afraid." Goodbyes got made and Harry walked around a bit. There was a ley line near here, and this planet had a lot of the force. Not like Felucia but a good amount, more than Earth as well. That needed some thought as soon as he got time The Jedi supervised the workmen then the workers and the freight platform left.

Aayla looked up at Harry once they were alone and said "Tent in this one please." They were in the shelter in the middle. Harry smiled and put the tent up. Yoda watched amazed.

She then drug him from hut to hut and he did classes on color charms and transfiguration of furniture from garden debris. He also showed the rune to make the transfigurations stick until the rune was obliterated. Yoda took the hut on the far end. It was rather spartan, besides the chairs and bed Harry made for Yoda. The others were fitted out comfortably by all three of the women. Finally, after he made a late lunch in the tent, and they worked the rest of the afternoon around the huts in a ever widening half circle, Harry made a fire pit and some garden furniture and put up some insect and weather wards, while Aayla who knew these charms and transfigurations already collected wood. Then they sat around the fire for a while with Harry answering questions. Shaak finally asked the question the Jedi wanted the the answer to. "Master Yoda how many have we lost?"

Yoda sighed "Killed, less than a thousand. Damage to the Empire they did though. Scattered all but a hundred and nine. Retrieve them we are trying to. Master Potter your stones could we have?"

Harry tossed him a bag. "Put them around their necks. Those are the true children's versions, only one older than them that they trust would be able to take them off."

Yoda nodded. Aayla offered "Master we have a capable ship."

Yoda nodded "More important here learning this now you are. Once we have the ships, in pairs the Jedi will go out. They can get their friends and those they know and pass a supply of the stones to those who can do the same and it will grow. Ships we are being given, the Rangers are helping as well. Have them all soon we will.

Master Potter how long to learn the skills of a Force Mage to learn took you?"

Harry snorted "Finding their core and Occlumency should come first. Maris is still working on her occlumency but she is nearly there. Shaak the same but a bit closer. Aayla is qualified basically but can still work on it. Like all skills, practice makes perfect. So let's say half a year.

After they find their core and can shield themselves from detection, if these three are any guide, three years, less for these three, to what we considered qualified to be an adult, my school was seven years. Younger ones, not already so advanced will take that long, depending on their mental and physical abilities, and motivation.

Two more years for law enforcement, of course your people have a lot of that already so perhaps one for the specialist spells. Less for some.

A year after that for a Hit Wizard if selected and another year for an Auror if selected from the Hit Wizards. With work experience of a year at least for each level before selection. The top ten percent of both fields get offers to move up. The pay was better at each higher position. The risk higher as well though. Then field work with a fully qualified Auror and team selection.

Some were selected from the base school for the Aurors and that was three years of classes. Followed by a year of field work on a qualified team and then team selection and integration. The top one percent or so were recruited that way.

So four to nine years for fully qualified ready to fight Witches and Wizards."

Yoda nodded "And Masters Ti and Secura, Padawan Brood? Would you have recruited them from the first school?" Harry nodded immediately pleasing all three women. "Force Mages they will be. Enough trouble I will have over the code without reference to magic." Yoda nodded "Holo calls I must make, and then meditate I will." Yoda toddled off and Aayla snuggled into Harry.

Shaak got a glint in her eye and snuggled into his other side. Maris looked at them on the love seat and Shaak opened her mouth while Aayla grinned and Maris said "Night" and trotted to her shelter.

Harry chuckled "Girls play rough."

Aayla elbowed him and she and Shaak talked across his chest for a few minutes before Aayla drug him off to bed. Harry was glad for the safety runes he had put around the fire pit.