Chapter 26: Melting Pot or New Deal and Embarrassment

Star Wars + Harry Potter Crossover

A/N: This Chapter is late in part due to my beta and in part due to the fact that I seriously damaged my foot. For a man with only one good leg this was and remains a proble,. Still...sorry.

Chapter 26: Melting Pot or New Deal and Embarrassment

100 BBY

Spero

Harry sat in his unadorned chair and thought back on the last five years of his life.

The Silver Commonwealth had grown far faster than anyone had predicted. There were now over one hundred worlds, mostly those that had been terraformed and colonised, that fell under its banner. There were also a few neglected Outer Rim worlds that, having seen the prosperity of their nearest neighbours, had negotiated to join.

He was also happy with how willing each race and individual group that had joined the Commonwealth were to get along. In all fairness it most likely had less to do with any actual willingness to get along but rather that it was a cast iron requirement to join and if there was large descent to the idea they were refused outright.

In his defense it had been a legitimate concern (and was still even to this day) as almost all of the major space faring races were fairly well represented. Aside from humans and Magi there were now Baragwin, Devaronians (with the males making up the majority of the armies scouts and pioneers), Duros (though no Neimoidians), Gran, Verpine, Khil and Zabraks to name just a few.

Aside from the Magi and the ever increasing Goblin population there were now other beings from the Magical World. They now counted small, but growing, contingents of Merfolk and Veela among their citizens. That of course didn't count the many magical species such as Elves, Phoenixes, Unicorns and Dragons that, to one degree or another, called the Commonwealth their home.

Though it would take time, centuries at least, for magic to fully saturate those worlds (especially without a Geo Forge on them), Harry became beloved by many during this time as he organised many of the main construction efforts.

He not only did that but, using his gifts, he also physically spearheaded the construction and more often than not the average citizen often saw their leader side by side with them literally creating their future in front of their eyes.

He was never more thankful, in those days, for his ability to use meditation or occasionally the Force (though not too often as it was dangerous to push his body so) rather than sleep so that he could have time enough to do all of these things as well as his other duties.

It also helped reduce any remaining tensions between the groups by fostering the idea that they were all in this together. This was especially true because neither former Republic citizens and or the Magi were ever part of societies where the leaders did the same work as 'normal' people and to find one that did was refreshing to say the least.

Not that allowances were not made for each species special requirements and to help maintain a harmonious existence. Young Veela were not able to maintain perfect control of their allure and so were instead, at the onset of their version of puberty, given a runic bracelet that helped them control or negate that problem until they could do that on their own.

The few Merfolk who wanted to leave their new aquatic home (permanently or not) in the seas of planets like Spero, whether they did so for new work opportunities or simply exercising wanderlust, were issued with a similar runic belt that maintained a permanent transfiguration which turned their tails into legs and enabled them to breathe air (or at least convert oxygen to water in their systems).

Though there were few Scottish Merfolk there were many more Greek ones and though Harry hadn't noticed it himself that much some others were very appreciative of these very attractive people walking around wide eyed and enjoying learning something new. Neville was even happily dating one from around the isle of Rhodes.

People did manage to maintain their culture in this melting pot of new ideas as instead of loosing their own or holding it above others they happily explored the new while treasuring the old.

The majority of the former Republic citizens held high ranking teaching jobs or were engineers in the Commonwealth. The Goblins tended to either be building something or ended up joining the growing Royal Army on a more permanent basis. The 'muggles' learned as much as they could and fit in almost anywhere and the magi still learned and pushed the boundaries of their magic.

The resulting blend of ideas could easily be seen from where Harry now sat. He was not sitting in the Parliament but rather the other legislative body of the Commonwealth known as the Royal Council. Around the many seats Harry could see a true mesh of all the different societies even if he was currently in the room alone.

The table itself, shaped from one piece of wood by the Magi, was round and was an obvious reference to both equality and long lost Camelot. The non magical population had hand carved the inscription around the rim of the table.

Be true, be just, and be kind circled around the table endlessly repeating until it joined with its own beginning.

There were also runes hand etched on the underside of the table for calm, understanding and patience thanks to Harry and to a lesser extent Luna. From the most technical minded of the former Republic had come the installation of holo emitters in each of the chairs so that if one or more Lords of the Council (the Lord of Colonisation for example) was away they could still be able to interact in a meeting if needed.

Of course the Elves were not to be left out and, in conjunction with the Goblins, they had managed to create (aside from the individual carving on the chairs) each piece of furniture and added to the table itself while the Veela and Merfolk had decorated the room with their somewhat eclectic tastes.

The symbol that the Elves had added on the table (and it's only true form of decoration) was a carved symbol of a phoenix in flight with mother of pearl veneer that was donated by the Merfolk, installed by the Goblins and runically strengthened by the Magi.

The only other things, in terms of his budding society, that Harry worried about had either been solved by others or worked themselves out over time.

The Police Forces were no longer primarily droids (with the recent droid uprisings inside the Republic refugees were understandably nervous) but now counted members of all races and cultures in its ranks and the two years mandatory military service was still in place and widely accepted by this point.

One of the things that he was proudest of, on a personal level, was the fact that he had managed to finish Luna's training and she was now a full fledged Silver Knight of New Atlantis. She had even taken two padawans of her own Aldour Draar and Jenos Keppler.

Harry himself had taken no formal apprentice since Luna as he claimed that he did not have the time with all of his other duties. That being said he did often train the Elves in Force Healing techniques and some minor usages of telekinesis.

As a whole, with Dobby being a notable exception, they had no desire to become part of the nascent Knights of New Atlantis (often abbreviated as the Knights of Atlantis or Silver Knights due to their Silver cuirass). Given their former nature they were happy to serve but they didn't want to, generally speaking, do so in combat.

Becoming Force Healer's was a happy middle ground between their old life and all that they might one day become. Best of all, for Harry's own peace of mind, they were in no way bound or compelled to be anything so it was completely their choice.

They also managed to master the tricks of faster learning that the Jedi and Sith employed and, though occlumency was normally a magical art, they managed a bastardized version that used the Force instead. When they had done so, less than a year after they landed, Harry had decided that every student of the Force would learn both as soon as possible as it enhanced their training speed dramatically.

Given that and the fact that their instinctual gift with magic naturally transferred to a similar understanding of the Force (at least to a very limited degree) they had easily adapted to using that, as well as the advanced technology that they had been introduced to and become the best Healers in the Commonwealth.

Harry had no idea when or if they would become known to the Republic but, if they did, they would soon far outstrip even the best Healers that Coruscant had to offer. At this time however, aside from those choosing to work in the new hospitals, they simply wondered the new Commonwealth as Healers that asked for no money only food and a place to sleep as well as turning no one away.

The last five years had been fairly idyllic for the Commonwealth as their economy was booming with new hospitals and schools being built regularly and many new cities were being constructed in a similar design to the capital of New Atlantis all across their space.

Their only real problem was that, aside from those that wished to enter the Healing Arts, there were far too many Force Sensitives for the few teachers available though that would change eventually one way or the other.

Harry sighed loudly as he knew that, within a month or two, this idyllic time for his home would soon be at an end. Having discussed it with the Royal Council and having their full support his people would now reintroduce themselves to the Republic.

They would not be selling droids this time though as the Republic had proven that they couldn't be trusted. They would also not ever allow any N.A.S. to be traded (not that anyone would be able to reproduce it easily anyway) or researched in anyway and they had several safeguards in place to stop that happening and cause serious injury or death to anyone who tried.

Instead they would trade in rare metals and gems as well as foodstuffs and other low risk (at least to the Commonwealth) items that would help expand the economy. To that end there were even several droid maintained biodomes for growing foodstuffs and several mining operations including those that mined gas giants for the compressed gas that was often weaponised as an essential part of blaster manufacturing (though they would only sell the gas it was still a very lucrative business).

All of their business upper echelons would have biological managers and or figureheads however to help keep the false impression that they were not producing droids and ships for anything other than planetary defence though this was not their newest company.

Technically Harry, though it was mostly Nic's pet project, the Commonwealth were rapidly expanding their business dealings with Almania though their already strong ties within Potter's Triumph. They had capitalized on that and created a sister company called Silver Star that specialised in one of a kind unique ship designs for the most discerning customers.

Harry was personally somewhat uncertain about their reintroduction to the Greater Galaxy despite the Force strongly suggesting they do so in it's oh so cryptic way of a very strong feeling especially as this new company would be in direct competition with the mysterious Rugess Nome.

That was exactly what Nicolas had planned however. He had been stymied by every inquiry into the man and, aside from the usual corruption that surround many of the Republic's most successful, there appeared to be nothing of note about the Bith beyond his exceptional skill.

Suffice it to say that not only was this new company designed to impact the Bith's vast fortune but it was also a form of revenge for the Royal Spymaster for causing him to be so frustrated for so long.

Harry's introspection was broken by his Force Senses telling him of a comforting presence approaching and, without conscious thought, a true smile graced his face as he looked up to the beautiful features of the now twenty four year old Luna Lovegood.

"Worrying again?" She asked him while smiling back and taking a moment to simply enjoy the happiness she saw reflected on his face. Of all the things that they had worried about over the years she had always felt wanted and needed by Harry. She could tell that, in part, every single time that he looked at her with a face like that.

"Hello my love" he replied. In the last five years their relationship had grown by leaps and bounds even as the Commonwealth had done the same. As of last month (currently the happiest day of both their lives) they were now engaged to be married and soon she would become Princess Luna Potter.

Spending everyday with each other had not only finally restored but significantly deepened the relationship that they had shared before he had left through the Veil of Death. Each was a pillar to the other and, though they argued, their shared history, the Force itself and their time together meant that even if they disagreed they could at least always understand where the other was coming from.

Luna moved forward with a quiet grace and then, in her typical fashion, ruined that image by unceremoniously sitting in his lap. She kissed him softly and sweetly as they both took a moment to enjoy the quiet closeness with each other that, no matter the stage of their relationship, both had always craved.

"You always seem to be able to read me so easily even without reaching into the Force" said Harry a little ruefully. In truth if she had it would have done her little good as both kept their presences hidden (more out of practice these days then anything else) more often than not.

"And don't you forget it" she replied in a mock stern tone "You should also remember my terrible wrath if you try and hide things from me" she finished in a teasing tone of voice. Harry laughed feeling some of his worry slip away which, he was smart enough to know, was the point. "So what has you so worried that you forgot that we had a nice relaxing walk planned?"

It had been a tradition between the two of them from the day they had landed to carve out little niches of time to relax in each other's company. It was normally for just under an hour each day as they were both very busy but it had eventually evolved into walks that took them to all areas surrounding the Silver Palace where they would sometimes talk about everything, sometimes simply simple things and often nothing at all.

Sometimes they did other things like flying together, either in ships or using Harry's animagus form (he went slowly and as Luna's form was a red squirrel she easily fit on his back), go swimming together or simply sit quietly and watch their people go about their daily lives.

This endeavour was helped by their both largely eschewed royal pomp and finery with only their distinctive faces and Harry's silver Circlet (Luna's was being made and had been the cause of a very heated discussion by Fide's Mastercrafters over who would get to make it) truly setting them apart.

Of course the Knights of the Silver were still a relatively uncommon sight (given the very limited number of them) and the Jedi style robes that they all wore, as well as the quality of the fabric that made them, did mean they were recognised.

The average citizen of New Atlantis humored their rulers however as, more often than not, Luna did as much to help them as Harry did and while Harry's robes were often seen with gashes and tears in them from construction work Luna's were often frayed or bloodied by the amount of time she spent either healing the sick or helping with growing anything from forests to food.

Though the average member of the Commonwealth didn't say it, as doing so might burst the pairs willful delusion that they were not noticed, many had taken them both into their hearts almost as if they were affectionate and lovely cousins. They then let the pair have this time as they relaxed most often strolling the streets of New Atlantis arm in arm.

It also helped that whenever the children of the city approached them, or one of the many adults for that matter, they always had a kind word or smile for them (more importantly to the very young children Luna always had sweets in her pocket). The simple fact that they willingly moved among the populous happily laughing and joking as they went did something that neither the Senators or the Jedi had ever been able to achieve.

It not only endeared them to the people but it humanised them too. In short they were fast becoming beloved by many.

"Our isolation has kept us safe for so long" Harry replied at length, his face frowning and pensive, even as he wrapped his arms tenderly around Luna's slim waist. "Opening or rather reopening the door to two way communication and commerce between us and the Republic will end that. I'm not a bloody God dear...there is no way that I can see, let alone handle, all the threats that might bring to our home".

"But you cannot deal with the threats to come without opening our borders can you?" She asked shrewdly.

"Not really no. It would be like failing around in the dark…. We need more information and Nic and his spies can only do so much. The Force is silent on the nature of the threat or threats when I reach out to it".

"Because it's too far in the future or because our enemy is Force Sensitive?"

"Who knows" Harry shrugged "At this point I don't think the why of it really matters all that much".

"You committed to fighting the darkness in one form or another years ago….why are you so worried now?" Luna asked clearly seeking to get to the root of his concern.

"Because none of us expected the Commonwealth to grow so quickly and it's growth is still speeding up exponentially. Though the droids still make up a majority of our armed forces including those for planetary defence we cannot stop making them. In fact, if we can, we need to increase production".

"I'll talk to the Council…. We can have several orbital factories created in the Denari asteroid belt within a month" stated Luna

"At least three but eight would be better" responded Harry and Luna then nodded.

"Eight should be easy enough...if we spend their first month making parts for more we should be able to max the conversion of the mineral rich asteroids by making fifteen. The belt will never support more though and you. my love, are avoiding the question".

"Before there was only my own life to worry about and it was not like I wanted to die but, if I had, it would have only been one life. Now I have you and the growing amount of people in the Commonwealth that rely on me to worry about and the responsibility weighs on me" stated Harry unhappily and clearly tired both from his duties and his half hidden worry.

"Harry" Luna began softly "do you remember why, aside from dealing with the 'broad strokes' as it were the Council was created?"

"To balance the Parliament itself I suppose and to provide the Commonwealth with its highest and final court of judgement".

"It was also to help you" Luna pointed out and, at Harry's confused face, she almost laughed. "We all have our own gifts Harry and I have watched you, we all have, trying to be involved and help with everything you can".

"I'm just trying to do my best.." Harry interrupted.

"We all know that dear one but as I said we all have our own gifts and you are not, nor have you ever been, a bureaucrat. Even I'm better at handling paperwork than you are" Luna finished what she needed to say with a smile.

"Well with one of my two votes on the Council being yours the day we marry I'm afraid politics and bureaucracy are always going to be in your future" Harry answered somewhat cheekily.

"I know that Harry but I think you are worth the sacrifice" she joked. "What I'm trying to say is that you are spreading yourself much too thin. You really need to let the Council do its job and give up on the paperwork as well as a few other things…"

"And do what?" Harry snapped tiredly "fight imagined enemies?"

"Don't snap at me" she said softly but with steel in her voice and Harry's face turned to regret as he truly hadn't meant to do so. "Of course I don't mean that but please think about it for a second. You are a trained warrior, archivist and sometime commander but that does not make you a bureaucrat. How much training with your saber or your powers have you done lately? If a problem comes we must all play to our strengths and that does include you. We can't afford you to be rusty and before you even think it you are not just a weapon to the Commonwealth or to me. If you've forgotten you are a fair teacher".

"Like to Dobby you mean?" Asked Harry catching on.

"He won't be trained by anyone else and you know it" she replied.

"How is the Ossus project going?" Harry asked trying change the subject.

"Well. The infiltration droids have managed their infiltration and have copied around a third of the remnants of the Great Library for all of our archivists to study including you. They have excavated a tunnel miles away from the ruins to enable them to copy the remaining amount from right under the Ysanna. The estimate that only forty percent of the library is recoverable after all of this time though it is much more than the three percent that the Jedi were able to take when they left. We could one day offer them training but we are short on teachers".

Harry didn't miss the pointed reference to teaching at the end of her statement.

"I get your point. Dobby will be my new Padawan" Harry conceded.

"One of them" Luna challenged.

"Who else?" Harry asked with exasperation.

"Leo Dalon. A descendant of your old friend" Luna replied and even as she said it he remembered his friends passing from a heart attack with a small pang of grief.

"Really? Small world".

"Small Galaxy" she corrected. "Now...can we take that walk?" she asked and Harry grinned widely.

"Why don't we just go and do that". Harry rose and the pair of them walked out of the room and into the city that they both loved.

Soon Harry would begin training his new padawans just as Luna was already doing and, among the Knights, this double system would continue until they had enough to institute one on one training.

Coruscant

Jandray Organa was a well respected man.

Though still healthy and more than able he was in his late sixties and he had spent his life being a negotiator and diplomat for the Republic both inside its borders and out. He was widely respected for it and was seen as a rare voice of calm wherever he went though this was hardly surprising as, having spent his life in service to the ideals of peace and prosperity, he had become one of the most respected (perhaps even the best) diplomat that the Republic could offer.

Though he was not the leader of his people or their representative on the Senate (as his brother was both a family man and more interested in politics) he had managed to be a leader in his field while raising four children and, as an individual, firmly believed in the Republic's ideals.

So when, early one morning, he was contacted by a few influential Senators requesting his assistance there was no shock in either his face or his voice. However the fact that they called him about a world that had been banned from both from exploration or investigation, by the Jedi Order no less, did.

So, before accepting the request, he had done what research that he could on the possible players that he could meet. He thought of them as players as, to him, diplomatic relations were an intricate game with peace and security as the goal and like any game to the victor went the spoils.

Everyone liked spoils.

What he found disturbed him greatly mainly because the massive gaps in the information not only spiked his curiosity but meant that he would be going into any situation somewhat blind.

It all seemed to revolve around the polarising figure of William Potter and, to a lesser extent, his father and brother. Known in his time as the last Jedi Lord he was the last of a dying breed of Jedi and was as much loved by the common populous as he was distrusted by the now modern Jedi especially after he refused to conform.

Now he was often called the Master That Never Was or simply the Never Master by Jedi Historians and, despite what he assumed were attempts to whitewash history, he was now considered a sympathetic and heroic figure by the Jedi that studied him. After all, though they had a checkered relationship with him, he had done much good for them as well as bad.

He had, along with with his brother, eventually called the mysterious world of Cadi home. He and his family had also managed to cut all ties with the Republic for centuries. The reason that his family was so controversial was that they were somehow deeply involved with the last Great Economic Collapse.

Even that he had to dredge from his own families personal records and as his world had weathered the storm quite effectively (though they were only one of a few that did) details beyond that were few at best.

There was not only no information on that system since that date but almost every other piece of information that he would expect to receive to do his job well was either missing or redacted.

He did know that historically Cadi had supplied almost all of the droids that served the Republic at that time and at a far far lower cost than their successors as well as the fact that it had required over fifty companies to fill the void that they had left when they ceased trading.

Though some would consider Potter Industries the spiritual progenitor of organisations such as the Trade Federation he wouldn't even though the laws that had allowed Potter Industries creation had been exploited by later companies to do the same.

The Trade Federation worked to exploit the people and change laws for their benefit. For all of it's faults, including using then loopholes in the laws of the time, at least Potter Industries were always fair with their deals. They were even ethical in their own way and Jandray doubted the Trade Federation understood what the word ethical meant.

There was only one remaining arm of the once great trading empire that Potter Industries once was and that was the speeder company Potter's Triumph. The once war torn world that it was located on now was one of the most prosperous planets in the entire Republic to rival the Core worlds themselves.

How exactly they had been involved with the Great Collapse or the exact reason that the entire system had been banned was curiously missing from the official Senate public record and even with his position he could learn no more about it as even his family records, altered no doubt by an ancestor, were lacking.

All he could find was a single notation at the bottom of a single record stating that one Jedi Master Durvan had been sentenced to a maximum security penal colony for his part in the 'recent troubles' and had died there less than a year later.

As a man Jandray hated mysteries as they were most often puzzles purposely without all the pieces and he enjoyed solving said puzzles most often gaining an insight that others lacked that he could use to further his missions.

As a child of diplomats and politicians however he knew that sometimes, no matter how distasteful, pragmatism dictated that secrets remain hidden and were often necessary for the greater peace and well being of the Republic. Whatever had actually happened back in those times was obviously something that fell into that category and should be left well enough alone.

Still he hated mysteries and, needless to say, he accepted the request for his services.

He therefore quickly began to collect the few belongings that he would need to travel with (as he was not one of those types to travel with an overabundance or many hangers on) from his tasteful and expensive apartment at 500 Republica.

Spero

A few weeks later Jandray was rereading the far too thin file that the Republic Security had allowed him to have only half way through the journey as they cited operational security. He was trying to refresh his mind on the few bits of information that it contained but, given the small amount of information that it contained, the very idea of operational security was a joke in his opinion.

While he did this his transport, appropriately named the Peacemaker, was being escorted by a squadron of Z-95's and one Centurion class battlecruiser. It all felt far too warlike for the quiet man.

Add to the the insistence of including his 'aide' had him already regretting the mission before he started as well as complicating his already difficult job. He didn't even know who she actually worked for but could only assume that Hivril was a spy.

Spies, for the Republic or not, had always made him uncomfortable as he saw them as people who undermined the very principles of peace and cooperation that he sought to spread.

Though as a man he would freely admit (if only to himself) that the woman was a very beautiful example of the Togruta species. She would be more beautiful, he thought, if her features were not so distant as they appeared to be made out of ice.

His thoughts were then broken by the voice of the ship's pilot saying over the comm that the final stages of landing were now completed and they could disembark.

He took a moment to collect himself as, uncomfortable or not, he did have a job to do and if the Potters had only maintained what they once had on new worlds (which he personally very much doubted) then the Republic could use this deal.

Though they had recovered from the Economic Collapse what was not often spoke aloud was the fact that many facets of Republic life and trade still hadn't reached the levels of old and the few that had were rife with corruption meaning that in reality only the rich benefitted as they once did.

There was also the fact that during their recovery they had let their claims on both the Outer Rim and Wild Space (as well as to a less extent the Mid Rim) wither and, even at the height of their prosperity that grip had been tenuous at best. The Republic was more and more looking like a civilization looking back rather than looking forward though few, like himself, realised it.

All diplomats by necessity must be students of history after all.

When coupling these facts with the sheer volume and diversity of goods that Cadi once supplied (even excluding droids) then the Senate was more than eager, they were salivating, to make a deal that could see trade return.

As the ramp opened with a mechanical hiss he and his 'aide' fell into step with each other as they moved down the ramp to be met by a small group of people waiting for them he was determined to make that happen.

Unbeknownst to him Hivril was not a Republic spy or any kind of spy for that matter but rather a member of a secret reformed Jedi sect called the Covenant. The Jedi Master that had replaced Durvan, a Jedi Master Kierga, had created the lost secret order after the threat of rogue Jedi was proven in the actions of William Potter.

It did not matter to them if his actions were justifiable or even legal. One Jedi had forsaken the wisdom of the Council and had, on top of that, stripped another of his connection to the Force and due to petty politics (at least in their minds) and the High Council had been powerless to stop it.

They were formed then to stop the Sith returning, contain or destroy any rogues and if possible keep the tightest watch on Cadi in case any action was ever needed. This new agreement had led to her new assignment and, in her mind, she would stop at nothing to sanitize any taint she found.

If a threat was found, she vowed silently, she would destroy it. It was after all the will of the Force that she do so.

Luna of course knew that she was there and, as she came out of her light mediation, she could easily guess her purpose as the Jedi was practically screaming her thoughts to her. In her defence she had not ever had Banite Sith training to hide herself and so her attempts were clumsy and amateurish to her. After all she may have been practicing against other Jedi for a long while, as her teachers must have as well, but the Order of the Sith Lords had been doing so since their conception after the fall of the Brotherhood of Darkness.

She had no doubt that, with his much stronger senses and years of practice, that Harry could sense it as well and she (like any good politician) was weighing up her options in her head before acting particularly as she did not wish to hurt anyone if she could avoid it.

"Well?" Harry questioned. A test then, she thought, even as they both relaxed in the Council room around the rounded table. He would often do this when he was teaching her and him doing it now, far from making her feel patronised, reminded her of simpler times and strengthened her for what was ahead.

Unlike her they had very effectively clouded their own presences in the Force but they had done nothing to hide the lightsabers at their belts as they knew the exotic weapons would be discovered eventually.

It was more, she thought distractedly while thinking over his question, to keep anyone who could sense them from planning ahead and keep them off balance rather than as an effective form of secrecy.

"Our actions will depend on her answer to a very simple question" she answered even as Harry nodded. He clearly understood, without being told, what she meant.

She noticed the delegation for the first time then, at least in the flesh, as they entered the private side of the Silver Palace and was amused at each persons reaction to the strange and wondrous (at least to them) place that Spero had become. The very air that they breathed, unknown to them, affected them deeply.

To her trained eye it was written over their faces as clearly as if they had shouted it to the skies and the majority of the Royal Council, being very astute individuals, noticed as well. Most of them were actually here in the flesh though a few were here only by holo given the seriousness of the negotiations that they were about to have.

Diplomat Organa for example had a sense of wonder and vitality about him that his calm professional mask was struggling dismally to contain. He also looked at everything with a wide eyed wonder akin to a child discovering for the first time that the world didn't end with the nearest hill that they could see.

He looks healthier than he should, thought Luna, but then with the amount of magic in the air it's hardly surprising. Add to that the ethereal, almost timeless quality, that this place has which is only enhanced by its architecture and he must feel like he is stepping back into some distant golden past. If I was him and didn't know any better I'd probably be doing the same thing.

The false aide slash Jedi Covenant Shadow's face was much more calculating and clearly resisting such delicate beauty. The way her hand twitched she clearly wanted to call for the concealed shoto that she had hidden in her just slightly too wide boot though whether it was for the comfort of something that she knew or to attack was anyone's guess. At this distance she had tightened her mental defences considerably and it was difficult for Luna to get a clear read on her.

It surely didn't help the woman that she and Harry were both dressed in embroidered tomuon wool robes that were cut in the Jedi style. It also didn't help that their vambraces gleamed on their wrists or that lightsabers hung from their belts (Harry had 'retired' his green blade preferring to use his spare hand to cast magic and she had even used the casing for her own blade).

The only difference that was truly noticeable between their weapons, aside from their colour schemes, was that her blade was purple being powered by her own found crystal. Harry also wore his silver circlet on his brow denoting his rank that she, until they actually married, would not have.

Luna wordlessly gestured to the Republic delegation even as most of their attention seemed taken up either examining the room or Harry and soon they were seated on the chairs that had been provided for them.

"Are you not going to introduce yourselves?" Organa asked at length "Or is that not the way that things are done on Cadi at the moment?"

"This place has not been called Cadi in several centuries" chided Harry gently. "It hasn't been since my father left the Jedi Order in fact". Harry's voice was warm, friendly and projected honesty even as he lied about his parentage through his teeth. "For your information we are on the planet Spero and in the capital city of New Atlantis to be exact. This is the center of the Silver Commonwealth and that is a body that has around one hundred member worlds at the moment and is growing rapidly".

"I'm sorry for the error" said Organa graciously and in some confusion even as Hivril, wary at the circlet on his head and lightsaber at his waist, watched him like a hawk ready to pounce. "But did you say that your father left the Jedi Order? Surely you didn't mean William Potter?"

It was clear from the way that Organa spoke that he not only had some small idea of who William Potter was but that he was also somewhat disbelieving of Harry's claim to be his son no matter the honesty that was projected at him. Though even so he was inclined to believe it in some way as the Potter features were famous and clear for anyone to see.

"I did and I do. I am sure that you are aware of the story of Grandmaster Coven and her much extended life span. After all how long does her spices normally live? Sixty years seventy? A similar thing happened to both myself and my betrothed" Harry responded lying once again.

"That would make you…" Organa fished looking for an exact age.

"Several hundred years old depending on how you measure time" evaded Harry and then, after a pause, got back on topic. "To my left is Lord Flamel who is our Chief Archivist and Researcher and to my right..well this is Luna Lovegood my future wife and I am Harry Potter often called Prince Harry or the Silver Prince as I am the constitutional monarch of the Commonwealth".

"Any yet you are a Jedi?" asked Hivril clearly judging him (and finding him wanting) as she pointedly looked at the lightsaber at his belt though she of course already knew the answer to her question. Neither Harry nor Luna were fooled by her overtly innocent tone when asking the question either.

The pair shared an almost imperceptible look and as soon as they did Luna understood that Harry had received the unspoken message that was in her eyes. If she had any doubts of that his next sentence put paid to them.

"Do you always allow your aides to speak for you and so out of turn to a Head of State in his own home?" Harry demanded coldly even as some members of his Council either stared at the woman in shock or utter reproach and, in some cases, loathing.

"No" responded a now embarrassed and lightly blushing Organa coldly "I do not". He was also clearly trying to salvage something from this diplomatic incident and bring the conversation back on track.

"Then perhaps" stated Luna while rising to her feet " I can show your aide around so as to avoid any more unpleasantness?"

She caught a look, just the slightest flicker of movement, between Organa and Hivril before the former agreed even as his 'subordinate' was already rising to her feet.

The two women left the rather tense room moving swiftly into a corridor even as the door slowly and softly closed behind them. Luna knew that Harry was already beginning to negotiate for the Commonwealth's best interest and though what the Republic wanted in return was considerable it also happened to be less than a quarter of their current resources.

Though the Geo Forge could handle what they wanted easily enough they currently needed it for other things and Luna didn't need the Force to know that to meet the demand without any future strain all the money that they gained from this (at least for a few years) would go into creating more structures and businesses to meet the Republic's need.

She also knew that Organa had begun the negotiations on the backfoot thanks to his 'aide' and that Harry's attention (aside from a very small piece that was always monitoring the thin magical thread connecting them both) was focused completely on keeping that up so he could wring as many concessions from Organa as possible.

More than that it meant that he trusted her fully to deal with the possible threat that was currently walking beside her and that filled Luna with a warm glow. All of my life, she thought, I have been thought of as looney but here, with Harry, that is not only not the case but I am trusted with some of the most important things to do.

The feeling of belonging that this thought inspired almost overwhelmed her but, remembering her training, she focused wholly on the now knowing that the next few minutes would be critical.

As she walked the marble halls, warmed by hidden runes that were storing and converting low amounts of sunlight to work, she studied this Jedi interloper as covertly as she could manage.

She sensed a deep resolve wrapped around a deep and simmering anger not so much in balance but buried and chained. She was taken aback by how strong that anger was as well as the fact that the Jedi had never touched it.

She slowly and quietly gathered the Force as they walked, not wanting to give anything away, while summoning the magic to her ring (Harry had ordered one produced and it doubled as her engagement ring).

They talked about inconsequential things as they moved towards the Palace speeder pad but, before they reached it, Luna drew them both to a slow stop and turned to her companion smiling both brightly and falsely.

"So tell me" said Luna getting a sense of what her reaction would most likely be but hoping that she was wrong. "What kind of Jedi are you?"

As expected her companion, who just realised that she was not as good at hiding her presence as she thought she was, was shocked and for a split second the Togruta's eyes widened before she tried to summon her hidden lightsaber to her hand with all the speed that she could muster from drawing on her connection to the Force.

Luna however also had her own connection to the Force and was more than prepared.

Even as Hivril's shoto flew from her boot Luna's ownpurple blade hummed angrily as it cut the smaller weapon in two. She then, in the split second it took for Hivril to adjust to losing her weapon, paralysed her with an unspoken thought and an almost colourless bolt of magic from her ring.

Only then (and after patting the Jedi down for any other surprises) did she gently lift the frozen Jedi with magic towards the speeder pad and, when she arrived grim faced, she passed the frozen woman to the two armoured goblins that were currently guarding the pad.

"Get the truth out of her" she commanded " use the room, veritasium and even blood runes if you have to. If she resists in any significant way call for Lord Flamel's assistance do you understand?"

"Yes Lady Lovegood" stated one of the guards even as his partner picked up and bound the newly acquired prisoner and moved to one of the speeders waiting on the pad.

Luna, for her part, opened her mind and relayed what had happened to Harry while calling the twin pieces of the destroyed shoto to her palm.

Back in the Council chambers, up until the moment that Luna had contacted him, Harry had been faintly amused by the Republic Diplomat across the table from him.

The man before him had obviously been at least partially briefed on the history of Potter Industries as he not only combed over every single perspective treaty with a critical eye but was trying every single trick in the book to stop Spero from owning majority stakes in the Republic end of all of their businesses.

The cheeky buggers, Harry thought, they even want to make me retroactively sell the majority of their stake in Potter's Triumph to the Senate for a fraction of their true price.

Needless to say, no matter how delicately put or hidden in the text of the contract, Harry always refused and sometimes he even laughed at their proposals.

The chagrined Ogana had eventually come to the compromise that, in return for tight control on the Commonwealth border, the Republic would be allowed to have first refusal to buy up to ten percent of any new Potter Industries company (though only the branches that were in Republic space) as long as it was owned only by the Senate as a body and the majority of the profits allocated for public works.

The reason he gave for this was the fact that, in his opinion, neither the Republic nor the Jedi Order were doing enough for the common people. Given Organa's face when Harry had given his reasons he didn't like being reminded that his vaunted Republic could do more.

It was also clear that the man and his family were still close to the Jedi given his guarded look when they were mentioned. Even the most experienced diplomat had trouble controlling microexpressions.

However the true point of contention between the two men, above every other thing except a controlling stake in Potter Industries, was the idea of unlimited movement between the two powers. Harry was actually fine with that with the proviso that each would undergo the same tattoo (read blood rune) process as everyone else in his domain.

That was for everyone except the Jedi Order. Simply put the Commonwealth and Harry did not trust them and the idea that the vaunted protectors of the Republic were anything other than paragons of sainthood upset Organa deeply as he viewed his principles as theirs.

To Organa if you insulted one you insulted the other and it took almost every ounce of his hard earned calm not to react explosively.

It was unsurprising then when Organa pushed back and was adamant that movement (whether for trade, cultural exchange or even simply for a holiday) be unrestricted without security measures and allow the Jedi Order the same access as everyone else.

The argument between the two men went back and forth and grew more heated, with the occasional soothing interjection by Nicolas Flamel, and Organa became more and more unbalanced at Harry's decisive refusal and Lord Flamel's calm presence working in concert.

That was until Harry held his hand up to pause the conversation and looked into the middle distance. It was at that moment that Organa realised that he had only ever seen Harry slightly annoyed before and now he saw the face of his true righteous fury. Harry's face was a picture of controlled anger as he stared at Organa coldly and he was radiating disapproval.

"You ask why we cannot trust a Jedi? Why did you bring a Jedi spy with you?" Harry said quietly even as Organa's face began to redden realising that it was a foregone conclusion that his 'aide' had been discovered.

"I don't have any idea what you mean" the diplomat blustered.

At that moment a grim faced Luna walked in, still beautiful to Harry despite the anger and contempt that were twisting her features, followed by a mix of the many races that lived in Spero. All of them were wearing uniforms and all of them were armed.

Luna slapped the two halves of the shoto lightsaber down on the table with an echoing thud and Organa felt all arguments, all reason, leave his mind as he was confronted with the broken weapon.

"The spy" said Harry icily "will soon tell us all that we want to know. Her knowledge at this moment does not concern me but what does Organa is how much you knew. Let me be perfectly clear, if you are not completely honest with me you will die right here and now".

"You would threaten a member of the Republic? You would declare war on the Republic itself?"

"It seems the Republic would go to war with me!" Harry almost screeched in anger filled with the desire to protect his home.

"I can't speak" began Organa soothingly " as to who sent Hivril but I believe, I have to, that it was not the Republic that I love". The honesty in his voice made many pause but neither Harry nor anyone else here was willing to back down just yet.

"Then let us hope" came the calm and measured tones of Lord Flamel "that your Republic is worth the love that you feel for it".

"He's not lying my love and, as for the Republic, we will know soon enough anyway" said Luna. Though Harry was normally very calm and rational when it came to his home under threat he often defaulted to a fierce and protective stance. Luna knew that this probably had something to do with his upbringing with the Dursley's and the resulting lack of home that Harry felt in his formative years.

It was one of many things that she cursed them for..the fact that they had left such scars on the man she loved and most, if not all were healed now. Still the occasional flare up under stress was not unexpected as nobody human was perfect.

She used her bond with him to help him see that (and he was getting better at controlling that reflex as time went on) but it had been a long time since an enemy stood on the grounds of his home and that, combined with the tense negotiations and, to both hers and the Council's views, the unreasonable demands of the Republic had frayed his control over time.

As he calmed slightly she saw her opening and continued "Let him live for now. Soon we will find out how culpable he is in this threat to our home and that will decide his fate". She reached out and stroked his cheek ."Do not let this insult disrupt your balance or all that we have built...it is not our way".

"Fine" said Harry drawing strength from her as they always did from each other. "Let's head to Coruscant and sort this out. Lord Flamel let me know when the prisoner has something to tell us. Harry then turned to another member of his Council " I want the Patience stocked and ready to go within ten minutes. Someone find my padawan's and ask them to get on board and please escort Diplomat Organa there too"

Four men behind Luna moved to obey their prince. They gently but firmly frog marched the man in the direction of Spero's main Skyport despite the man's many protests.

As soon as he had left with his new guards Harry turned to Luna and continued " I want you to command both the Radiance and the Endurance. If they become insistent on making me stay on Coruscant then two battlecruisers appearing out of hyperspace might just change their minds".

Seeing that Harry was now calm Luna nodded happily and moved off barking her own orders as she did so. The Council members who had watched this exchange were far from alarmed as they were instead pleased with their rulers quick response.

Which was all to the good because, if enough of them disagreed, they could have collectively countermanded his orders.

"With respect Sire" interjected Flamel "I think that it would be best if we wait for information from the interrogation. That way, once we have pumped her of all useful data, we can take both her and Organa home and we won't have to return to Coruscant again under intense circumstances".

"They attacked our home Nic...and during diplomatic negotiations to boot" said Harry softly.

"I know Harry...just give me some time please" answered Nic looking at his friend and sometime unofficial apprentice beseechingly.

"Fine" said Harry looking into the eyes of one of the few living men that he truly respected "you have three hours...use them well".

Nic, like Luna, nodded and moved off in haste while Harry himself left to go to his private quarters to meditate and seek balance. It would not do for him to be anything other than calm and collected when dealing with the Senate or the Jedi as he bearded the lion in its den.

He also had to pack for his trip.

Jedi Knight Thame Cerulian shifted nervously. Not only was he unsure as to why he and his companion had been called to a closed session of the Senate Trade Committee of all things but he was also in the company of the most legendary living Jedi in recent history in the form of Grandmaster Yoda.

Yoda himself was silent and pensive as they both walked towards the meeting room and whatever surprise awaited them there.

Though Thame was unsettled he was confronted by the steady tapping of Yoda's walking stick hitting the ground and, even though they did not speak, Yoda's presence in the Force was a comfortingly bright glow to his senses that his unsettled mind drank in to calm himself and feel less like an overwhelmed padawan and more like the Jedi Knight that he actually was.

When the door opened they entered what would have been a normal room (as much as Senate meeting rooms were ever normal) but for the fact that there appeared to be five very angry government representatives, including Jandray Organa, and what he assumed were three Jedi.

Then he took in the expensive nature of the 'Jedi's' robes as well as their cold faces and he began to realise how wrong he was to assume that these people were from the Temple. His stomach dropped as he focused on the piercing look in the green eyes on the young looking male almost Jedi's face.

Then he came to a startling realisation. As a Jedi Historian the past, particularly that of the Jedi and the Sith, the historical figures of the Jedi Order were of great interest to him and as the two orders were often in conflict he knew (roughly speaking) who this man was. The face of the man was almost as controversial to the modern Order as the ancient prodigal Knight Revan.

The face of the William Potter, the famous Never Master, was well known to him. Of course he knew that it couldn't be him as William potter by any measure should be long dead. Added to that, though it was not common knowledge even among the Jedi anymore, he was aware of how the Potter family tended to reproduce as were other historians even today.

He felt Yoda's shock and then the small green Jedi Master tense beside him in something close to shock at seeing the face of his former ideological foe.

"We here, why are?" Yoda said softly and who's voice, Thame noted, was far colder than he had ever heard it before. Yoda was also staring at the Potter descendant with an almost hostile interest.

"To clean up your house" came the arctic response from the green eyed man even as Thame could feel the tensions rise in the air as if the two men were some great and powerful beasts preparing to do battle.

"Excuse me" Thame interrupted clearly hoping to diffuse the tension in the room "But who exactly are you?"

"This" stated Organa who was, quite shockingly to the Jedi, just as cold to them "is Harry Potter, son of William Potter, Prince of the Silver Commonwealth and his two Padawans".

"Disturbing, this news is" stated Yoda.

"Why? Because it violates the Jedi's new code even though I haven't claimed to be one nor do I fall under your jurisdiction? Or is it because I'm very long lived? Have you already forgotten what happened to your predecessor as Grandmaster and how long lived, especially for her spieces, she was? If you are concerned about my Padawans let me remind you that learning about the Force is not, nor has it ever been, the province solely of the Jedi or the Sith".

"We mean no offense" Thame interjected though it was clear from the set to Harry's face that he didn't agree. "We do however have some experience teaching the mysteries of the Force throughout our history". Judging from Harry's next words and the sharpness of his response that was entirely the wrong thing to say however.

"I am well aware of the Jedi Order and how they have weakened their instruction in the Force. I am also aware of what they, especially you Master Yoda have done to my family. We do after all keep very detailed records".

"But surely" Thame pressed not wanting a rogue sect of Force Users unchecked and, on a more personal level, wanting to hear stories of the Never Master and what he was actually like. "We could help fill in any gaps in your training?"

He was shocked when the man laughed. It was half dismissive and half bitter and he understood the dismissal even as the man waved him away.

In all fairness he was not to know that (at the time he made his offer) he was speaking to not only a fully trained Jedi but also someone who was in the process of recovering roughly half of the Great Jedi Library.

The fact that, when the Jedi had to abandon Ossus, they had managed to take with them less than five percent of what was in the Library meant that to Harry the offer was kind but about as useful as a goldfish without a tail. Not to mention all the restrictions that would go along with current Jedi training.

"Gentlemen" interrupted Organa sharply "I believe that we are getting off topic. Knight Thame, as a historian, what can you tell me about the Jedi Covenant?"

"A disbanded and misguided cabal" he replied shortly "that is all I can tell anyone outside the Order I am afraid". Yoda looked at him and nodded for him to continue "They haven't existed for centuries thankfully".

The loud sound of something hitting the table on which the man was sitting was the first inkling that this idea may not be true as the metal was nothing other than two halves of a shoto lightsaber.

"Well they are back and they are more fanatical than ever". Harry, after seeing the looks of thinly veiled disbelief on the two Jedi's faces, turned to a guard at the door and commanded "Bring her".

In shuffled a shackled and drugged Hivril and no one was more shocked than Yoda as, as far as he knew, she had died in a tragic training accident as a padawan.

"This group" Harry continued "has many differences from the old one of history. The chief of which is that it works in cells making it difficult to get them all. That being said we were able to, though our own techniques, to…"

"Tortured a Jedi you did" accused Yoda.

"I did not!" Harry bit back "We would never torture nor was their a need"

"If you could tell us what you did it might clear up some misunderstandings?" Thame asked.

"Unfounded accusations you mean? No Knight Thame we will not do so. Frankly the Order has done nothing to endear itself to the Commonwealth even before being accused of torture and besides the method may need to be used again one day".

On other Jedi was the unspoken thought around the room but no one said it out loud.

"Still" continued Harry placing a datapad of names on the table "as I was saying we have managed to confirm over thirty names and they should, eventually, lead you to the rest. Let me be crystal clear here Gentleman...and Jedi…. No Jedi or anyone representing the Order is allowed in the borders of the Commonwealth. If found to be not only will the Republic be sanctioned but I will personally see to it that the Force is utterly ripped from their being. You, Master Yoda, caused my grandfather's death by not trusting him, my fathers exile and I will not allow you to toy with my citizens as you have my family".

"So much hatred hmmm" chided Yoda even as a charge came over the room emanating from Harry almost as if a hidden door had been opened.

"Do I seem full of hate to you?" the Force Users in the room all had to admit that, when Prince Harry released his own aura for inspection (and most likely warning) there was no darkness to him. At worst all Thame could think was that his aura was a light silvery grey that was somehow deeper as if it was more deeply connected to the Force than any Jedi Thame had met.

Thame couldn't help but compare Potter and the Grandmaster and it was like comparing a strong and wide rushing stream to a large and very deep lake. One was shallow and powerful while the other seemed calm but had hidden depths that could rouse to great power.

He also realised that the human before him was at least as powerful as Master Yoda but, beyond that, his comparatively limited senses failed him. That caused a feeling of fear in him that he swiftly controlled as the person before him clearly had no love for the Jedi.

He found himself unconsciously muttering the Jedi Code under his breath at the implications of that.

"We are done here" and with those biting words the Silver Prince and his padawan's left the room leaving both the Jedi with the Seething Republic officials.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" bellowed Organa his notorious calm, for the moment, shattered.

"Nothing, we have done" said Yoda sternly.

"Exactly." spat Organa "we wanted trade with them and we got it. What we didn't get was anything else we wanted including a piece of their new businesses to guard against another Collapse. We had to give in to their demands to stop them from broadcasting the fact that the future princess was very nearly assassinated by a Jedi of all things".

Organa visibly composed himself before continuing " If you are thinking that they would not be believed you are right, for the most part, when it comes to the Core but in the Outer Rim? The Jedi would be hunted as killers and assassins. Do not underestimate the goodwill that they have secured there. I for one agree with the Prince's sentiments, though I can hardly believe it myself, figure out what is going on in your own damned Order and clean house right now".

"Excuse me?!" said Thame incredulous at the idea that the Grandmaster wouldn't know what was going on but, with a gesture to the bound and gagged captive, he continued.

"No I will not excuse you. Though I doubt that they would succeed in the end the fact is that this Covenant was growing right under your noses and the legendary wisdom of the Jedi missed it. Now, before you react, let me make the Republic's position perfectly clear to you. Any Jedi that enters the Commonwealth is fair game to them and any Jedi that returns from their little illegal holiday will be held accountable as a spy. The only contacts that the Commonwealth will allow are those that they invite in and high ranking military personnel or non Force Sensitive diplomats. You are not welcome their gentlemen I suggest that you get used to it and I can only hope there is not another Collapse in the next century or so while we work to change their minds because, and I cannot emphasize this enough, the Republic will blame you".

The two Jedi were left without a chance to respond as the men rose and left them without another word and before they could think of a response. All they were left with was the list of names on the table, one bound prisoner and their own thoughts.

Yoda couldn't help but think that, no matter whatever else he did in his life and no matter who he trained, the Potter bloodline would always be surprising and failing to keep them on the Jedi path would always be one of his greatest failures.

Thame, for his part, was reflecting on a bitter lesson that most historians eventually learn. He realised that no matter how much you research, no matter how many datapads you read or how much you think you know about the past there was always more left unsaid or unwritten.

In the next few months the Covenant was brought low with some being re-educated, some expelled from the Order and others punished or sent far away for their cabals actions. The only good thing for the Jedi Order during all of this was that they somehow managed to keep this quiet.

The night that Harry had returned home he lay in his bed next to Luna trying to catch his breath. As the cool evening air gently blew in through their open balcony doors he felt her arms snaked around him and basked in both his love for her and the afterglow of their lovemaking.

"So" asked Luna "what do we do now?"

As Harry gazed down on her naked body, glistening with sweat and illuminated by the gentle moonlight, he wanted to say something smart or soothing but another thought popped out of his mouth instead.

"Get ready for round two?" She laughed gently and musically at his response and then moved closer to cuddle his body.

"You know what I mean" she said.

"I do. Keep training, keep teaching, and build both the Knights and the Magi into fully functioning forces while trying to learn as much from Ossus as we can".

"Is that all?" Luna joked and though Harry's reply was serious he did smile.

"No" he replied "Nicolas and his team are working hard to find new things and improve the old. On top of everything else ships are being built as well as more than enough droids to man them if needed".

"But you are still worried"

"Aren't you my love?" Harry asked.

"Of course. However I can always take a moment and remember that I have you and that, one way or another, this doesn't all land on my or your shoulders anymore".

She then kissed him softly and sweetly.

Did I ever tell you the hardest lesson for a Knight of New Atlantis to learn?" He asked seemingly changing the subject.

"Tell me" she replied quietly.

"The hardest part is to truly balance the light and the dark and it is such a personal thing that finding that balance is different for everyone. Of course you can, and I did, attain a rough balance without truly knowing yourself but it's a shallow thing and always needs attention, always shoring up and watching".

"Sounds very difficult" she joked.

"It is. Far better in my opinion to find a personal reason to backup the code you live by and help guard you against the effects of both extremes.

"So the Codes don't work?" she asked playing along.

"For some they do..especially when coupled with a strong belief. I think it was harder for me anyway because the Sith taught me first and, of the two extremes, the Dark Side tends to act on you more quickly. No for me it was you and to a lesser extent Chime, especially now, that anchor me and stop me losing myself in the highest reaches or lowest depths of the light and the dark. Thank you for that".

"No" said Luna with her small delicate hand moving down his body " thank you Harry Potter".

"What fo...where is your hand going?" he asked his eyes sparkling even as she laughed.

"Round two" she replied impishly and capturing his lips with hers.

There was no more talking after that for quite some time or at least they only talked about each other and how good they felt.

Later they slept exhausted but sated.