Prologue
153 ABY (Galactic Standard Calendar), System of Earth, Third Planet from the Sun, on continent 'Africa'
Bill Weasely stared at the sight in front of him. Not four meters away from him a boy, maybe 16 or 17 years old was apparently reading the symbols that no one else had a clue meant. The teenager was dressed in a black trouser with a belt wrapped around his waist, and a shirt decorated with a strange symbol. There was also a long cylinder hanging from the belt with a red button in the middle. From what Bill could tell, the kid had long black hair tied in a simple ponytail and had very pale skin, as if it had seen very little light in a longer time.
The boy shook his head as he brushed his hand on the symbol. "Very clever Ra, a shielded location to hide your treasure, how like you horde it for yourself. I think I will thank the Yuuzhan Vong for killing you before you could destroy the True Empire's defense Network."
Bill fingered his wand, just to be safe. He knew nothing about this guy and he had just read an entire wall of symbols that his team of 12 crack wizards couldn't even decipher or read. But he couldn't prevent himself when the researcher inside of him blurted out "Excuse, but can you read that? How, what spell did you use?"
The guy turned and Bill saw a silver mask covering his face, two upside down semi-circle for eye holes that glowed red. His mouth was covered with a cowl, and none of this had been there a moment ago. Bill couldn't help but recognize the similarities of this guys mask to the one the Death Eater's wore. "Of course, Lord Sidious preferred to teach the language of the Massassi in his Holocron."
Bill's hands tensed around his want, reflex action. "Um, no offense, but who are you? And again, what spell did you use?" The boy's eye holes flashed a darker red as he spoke. "Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I insulted you, I just, ah, I just wanted to-"
The figure's right hand twitched and Bill felt his mouth slowly closed and he felt his mind go hazy. He couldn't tell if he was doing it by his own or if the other guy was doing it. In reality, the other man has closed him. "You will not remember my face and nor will you remember this place. You will forget those two facts and you will go to another site." Bill nodded almost dumbly. "Now, I release you."
Bill shook his head and groaned. "Uh, what just happened?" He blinked once and twice again. Then he remembered, excluding what had been erased from his mind by the man. "Uh, who are you?"
"I," he drawled, voice distorted, "I am Lord Darth Aion, Son of the Emperor of the True Empire." His voice also seemed magnified. "I have answered your question, now answer your own."
Bill gulped. He had a feeling he didn't want to make this guy mad. He didn't know why but it was a feeling, a strong feeling. "Oh right. I'm Billy Weasely. I'm a curse breaker and archeologist working for Gingotts." He didn't feel the need to explain what a curse breaker was and what Gingotts was. He knew, like he knew not to make him angry, he was a wizard. How he didn't know, but really he didn't actually care for it. "Ah, you said that Ra was dead, killed – you mean the Egyptian Sun God Ra, right?"
Aion laughed cruelly. "You may call him the 'Sun God' yet Ra are no God, nor more than I am. He is a man like us yet he does not have my power. I am close to a God as you can get. His death occurred two years ago in your time, one year in galactic standard. Renegade Yuuzhan Vong killed him and his followers before Krayt or Fel could destroy him. The True Empire of Fel is currently assimilating the eons of data and artifacts he had acquired during stasis." He waved his hand over the wall and, to his shock, it began to open.
The wall rose to the ceiling, dust shaking off it as Aion and he watched, Aion calm and the Weasely dumbfounded. Further shocked he was the variety of cylinders like Aion's and strange body armor. He also saw rounded square like pads in clear boxes and a square machine, the size of his palm. "So Ra decided to put his most trinkets and discovery here," he said as he stepped forward.
He raised his hand and everything began to float in midair like the levitation spell, floating out of the room. "Ra may have been an excellent commander, but to leave his discoveries is a fool's choice. It is my mission to make sure these do not fall to the wrong hands, they will essential if my Master is to regain control of his Empire again."
Then he snapped his fingers and the artifacts vanished. Bill was awestruck but the scientist in him was outraged. "What did you do?" He asked furiously, "You just stole priceless magical artifacts! This is a crime against the Ministry of Magic, I can have you arrested!"
Aion laughed and Bill saw his hand finger the metal cylinder. Now that he thought about, it looked like a big wand of some sort. He prepared for a battle. Then before Bill realized, Aion had vanished. He shook his head and pulled out his wand. "Dumbledore will want to know about this."
Two years later
Darth Aion placed his silver mask over his head, opening his eyes as he felt the familiar coldness sweep over his face. A cowl lowered from the inner part of the mask and wrapped itself around his face, covering what skin was bare. The Sith Lord paced on the bridge.
He knew the journey would take long but he didn't know how long it would have taken. On his flagship The Core, it only took 5 days to get to the planet, a million light years per days. However, with his fleet, it was taking much longer. He had left the planet of Bastion two weeks ago, and he was still traveling In Hyperspace. Of course they could have left earlier but the Emperor had been adamant to letting the entire Fleet join him.
He had argued of course. He still remembered that argument; it was not even a month ago.
"But why must we send the entire Fleet Lord Emperor Fel?" Aion asked, his hand crossed over his chest as the Emperor of the True Empire sat on his simple throne. "The Imperial Fleet has only 3000 vessels within its heart and only 1000 in reserves. I have told you again, the natives of the planet and the surrounding systems do not have the technology to deal with Imperial weapons. A mere 20 ships, Devastator or even Executer will strike fear into their hearts."
The Emperor shook his head. He rose and tapped the holographic table between them and a model of the entire True Navy appeared miniaturized of course. "Aion, I have trained you since I found years ago. You have made great strides for us since you discovered the caches of the Time Lord Ra, but this is a war we do not you're your help on."
The words stabbed the Sith Lord in his heart. Emperor Fel had raised him as a child and as an Imperial Knight. When he became Sith he accepted it and helped him in his studies. He had always allowed him to help in the war against the Galactic Alliance and the Sith Empire, but to deny him aide was murder. Did the Emperor, a man he secretly considered to be Father, no longer want him? He put his shock in words.
"That is not the case," Fel said gently, "You know the state of the galactic affairs, what you have done. You killed most of the Sith Lords and only power hungry Sith rule the old Imperial systems. They would rather waste ships and men on each other than fight us. Those EG-Class Hyperdrive you discovered provide us the means of expanding the True Empire.
"The Star Forge, that ancient Shipyard you control, had provided the ships we need to win. You have also given us another advantage over the Sith – Battle Droids and Armor. With your recapture of Kamino in the Outer Rim we have a supply of cloned Stormtroopers to supply the legions. In all but name, the True Empire has already regained control."
Still, he wouldn't give up. He was about to speak when Fel's gaze turned as hard as Mandalorian Iron. "The discussion is over Lord," he said, "Return to your ship, prepare the EG- Hyperdrive. The beginning of the second colonization effort is now beginning."
He was still unsure about having the entire fleet with him. But perhaps it would be worth it when he arrived with the entire Dark Core Fleet arrived, a 1070 fleet of the most advanced Star Destroyers in the galaxy orbiting the planet. The looks and cries of fear would be amusing.
"How much longer?" Aion snapped at an officer. The midlevel officer showed no fear at his temper. This Aion knew. Many had believed him to be a Sith Lord like Vader or the Emperor. On the contrary he was not as harsh, only in the face of a mistake that should never have happened.
"No more than a few hours Lord Aion," The officer snapped, "The Fleet is beginning to slow down for Real Space Access. Shall I prepare the TIE Hunters for their scout missions once we exit Hyperspace?"
Aion waved his hand. "There is no need. The planet we are visiting has barely left its own system. They are no technological threat, they never will be. However, your idea has its merits. Make a scan of the target planet and if they are at Tier 5 of the technological scale launch the Hunters."
The officer saluted and returned to his station. Aion was pleased, a switch from the attitude he bore since the first seven days passed. True the planet didn't have a threat that could challenge The Core in terms of technological scale, they only the population of a planet in the Outer Rim. But the other races that occupied the systems in the galaxy, now that was the issue….
He had encountered only one of their ships, no bigger than 500 meters in length that he mistook it as a scout ship. He later found out, when he had mapped out the size of the average sized galaxy, that it was the race's main attack vessel. He had his doubts they would be able to withstand even a hundred year old Victory II class Star Destroyer.
However they had at least 5 years to advance. Perhaps they had increased their power. He had also encountered another race that was far superior. Although he had not met them in battle, he had hacked into their databanks. The technology he had discovered was amazing. Most of the technology they had recovered from the caches of Ra outmatched the Sith Empire but this race of aliens had outmatched the Lord's weapons. Pulse lasers and powerful shields, technology capable of healing a man from death and beams of light that could send a squad worth of Stormtroopers to any area!
It had taken a year for the entire Imperial Navy to be upgraded but once they did an Imperial Star Destroyer matched the power of a Super Star Destroyer. And a Super Star Destroyer had the power of a Death Star! Of course Krayt's Navy could win a battle by sheer number. But that was when he had been still alive. He had killed the Sith Lord in the battle for Wayland.
Still, he felt no worries. If the highly advanced aliens were hostile he had a fleet of weapons equal to their own. His mind secured with that knowledge, not that he really needed it, and he retreated to his quarters and meditated. He took deep breaths and sat still for the hours that went passed.
He felt the minds of the soldiers and engineers and officers onboard the massive 25 kilometer long ship operate or lounge around. His subconscious spread as he tapped into every mind and read the thoughts before he pulled out in disgust as his actions. He may be a Sith Lord but he had his limits on where he was allowed to use his power.
Finally the few hours remaining flew past.
"Exit Hyperspace, return to normal space," Captain Tschel ordered. The man did not notice the Sith Lord approaching from behind. "Prepare to scan the planet and contact SSD Imperator. Have his group take defensive positions in case of a possible attack."
"That will not be necessary Captain," Aion said silkily, "There is no force capable of stopping us. Focus on the scan though I doubt we will encounter Tier-"
A Lieutenant from the lower right portside crew walked up to two. He looked a bit hesitant. "Uh Sir, we may have a problem." Aion glared at the man and his masks eye's flared blood red for the interruption. "The scan just came back. We've found a Class 7 Wormhole generator on one of the mainland's known as 'America' as well as various Force Users scattered across the globe, most concentrated in nations known as 'China' and 'India' and 'America.'"
Aion was furious. Not that the planet had advanced, but his intelligence was so out dated. Other than his skills with a lightsaber and tactical brilliance, he prided himself on keeping his intelligence report up-to-date. A faulty report always resulted in death and defeat. He had learned that when he led a fleet into battle against Krayt, early in his training. He had used data four months old and had lost 5 of his 8 Peallon class Star Destroyers and both his Imperial Star Destroyers.
"Launch a wing of TIE Hunter's." he ordered, "Engage cloaking shields and raise full shields at maximum power." His eyes flared brightly. "Order the Fleet to formation box Captain. We will be on the defensive until the fighters return."
Then he turned to the Captain. "Repeat the orders and approach me in my room once we have a COMPLETE and PRACTICAL report. I do not want and errors or anything left out. If they have ships then I want to know everything about them – If they have blasters I want to see how strong. If they have even an Interstellar Empire then I want to know – everything."
And with that, he returned back to his quarters.
Two hours passed before the Hunters returned with their data and, to his relief, he had been mistaken. The planet wasn't as advanced as the Class 7 Wormhole generator on America had been. Most were at advanced industrial stage, at the dawn of blaster technology. They also detected an unconfirmed building under a small bunker in what was called 'New Mexico' that Captain Tschel had proposed to be a land based Shipyard.
"Which, if they have any ships," he muttered to himself as reviewed one of the data pads, "would be well hidden and hard to find – Impressive I have to admit, beyond any Imperial mind to think of it. Let us see if they will make any communication, our sensors did detect primitive satellites and early class shuttles."
There was no need for the entire fleet to remain over the system, Aion thought to himself. The Force sensitive's that populated the planet would be useful once, and if, the people of the planet accepted alien life. Perhaps it would be better if he showed them he was human. Yes, common practice always showed that other human races accepted alien races with another human race.
Suddenly he felt a disturbance, a fairly weak presence of dark side on an island to the north of the planet. It was pathetic to his power even when he did not use it to full use, but to the Force Users on the planet it would be as if it was a Sith Lord fighting a Jedi Padawan. "There is also a sense of failed immortality, one that has detached them from the Unified Force," he muttered, "This presence may be able to use the Force, but cannot join it when death beckons."
Then, out of nothing, alarms blared across the ship, dulled by the thick doors of his quarters. The Captain raced out of the room towards the bridge, back to where he belonged. Instead of running, he keyed the bridge. "Lord Aion to the bridge, what is the status of the Fleet? What is going on?"
Captain Tschel's voice replied back. "Sensors indicate a small vessel, 300 meters in length approaching us at 1100 miles. It appears to be a scout ship, threat level is very low." He paused and continued as he read a message. "Lord Aion, the ship is hailing us. Shall I put them on a separate channel?"
Aion didn't hesitate. "Put them through, I wish to hear them." They weren't the ships he had encountered before, they were smaller with a basic design and made out of a different metal. The design, he noticed, was compact and seemed to waste no space. It was unlike his Star Destroyers that were thousand meters long and had only half of the weapons its size could use.
"This is Captain Lionel Pendergast of the USAF Prometheus Battle Cruiser," a gruff voice spoke, "Pull your ships back and tell me your intentions or prepare to be fired on."
The authoritative voice reminded him of Fel. But Aion narrowed his eyes, a dimming of the red glow, and replied back. "This is Lord Aion of the Devastator class Super Star Destroyer Devastator. My ship is 22 kilometers long and bears superior technology to your own. But the presence of my fleet is not a threat to you. No, we have come a long way here and I wish to speak to the leader of your planet – reply."
There was a pause and the 'Captain Pendergast's' voice came back. "No hostile intentions? That sounds too good to be true. Pull back now or be fired upon – this is a warning."
"I repeat," Aion said in a darker voice, "I have come on peaceful -"
"My Lord, they have launched missiles!"
Aion quickly raised the shields, spreading his mind out to control the minds of those operating the shields generators as 6 missiles struck the shields where the bridge was. A wave of gold splashed in front of him, the missiles exploding on them with no harm. "Return fire," he snarled, "lower power, forward Pulse Lasers, and do not pierce their shields – only overload it."
Aion smirked as the forward pulse beam radiated a deep blue color and then fired, turning dull as its power was drained. The beam impacted the golden color that his ships had and then evaporated. One more lance was fired and then the shields failed, the beam nearly gutting the ship as it was deactivated. "Do you see our real power," he said, "we come with peaceful intentions – respond."
The man's voice came, softer than before. "Oh my god… Alright you can come – but leave your oversized ships out of our system and meet us in the White House – I'm sending you the coordinates right now."
A quick check confirmed this. It was impossible to miss the big White Building in such a large city. "Contact Grand Admiral Herro and have him prep a Transport with a selection of the 501st Legion. You are to command the ship for the moment Captain while I meet their leaders."
The Captain gave a salute to him and snapped his legs. "You honor me with such a position," he declared, "I will not fail you."
Aion fingered his saber. "Of course you won't."
Little Hangington, Magical Britain
What was once Tom Riddle held his head as a sudden burst of pain ripped apart his mind. It was painful, a Crucio a hundred times stronger that he had not felt such pain in a while. His followers, the members of his Inner Circle stared at him in fear and confusion.
His most prestigious Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy raised his head. "My Lord," he said in a feeble voice, "are you at best?"
Voldemort glared at the man with his burning red eyes. "Crucio!" He smiled as the man cringed and howled in pain. After 10 seconds of a decades worth of pain he let go. "Contact our allies," he hissed, "Harry Potter has returned with an army loyal to himself."
Scotland, Hogwarts School, Magical Britain
An old man with a long snowy beard and small wire frame glasses was sitting at a large desk in the headmaster's officer of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. The office was dotted with various devices that suddenly whirred or spun and in the corner stood a metal stand atop which sat a stunning red and gold phoenix, the firebird shivered, much like a human when exposed to a Dementor.
Albus Dumbledore looked up in concern he to having sensed the disturbance, Albus Dumbledore was an old man even for a wizard and he was feeling all 167 of his years. 'That didn't feel like Tom and it was much too powerful. That's the last thing I need. If only I had dealt with Tom sooner, now the only person who can defeat once and for all is Harry Potter has been missing for the last twenty-six years.'
Turning once again to the latest reports on the Death Eater raids, he began to read. It was very fortunate; the war had been locked into something of a stalemate.
Neither side had made any significant headway in over the last six years. Voldemort was not often seen on his raids, but when he was the battle quickly ended in favor of the Death Eaters. When he was not present, the battle went against the Death Eaters more often than not.
He was pulled away from the latest report when a small mirror that was resting on the right side of his desk started to pulse emitting a soft glow of light and pulsed almost like a heart beat.
Albus just stared at the gilded mirror for a moment in wonder before he realized the implications. Harry Potter had returned Albus quickly activated his pendant to summon the Order of the Phoenix. The boy had to be found before he could vanish again like ten years ago.