AN: So as result of my latest hard-drive crashing I have lost the notes I made for all of my stories and as such will be going back to the drawing board. This story came about as I was looking at YouTube. I was wondering what if history had gone a different route and what if the Nietzscheans had pushed the High Guard to the point.
Somewhere in Wales, United Kingdom, Terra
CY 9784 (4864 CE)
It was dark when he felt the ward lines being crossed by several people. He felt anger flood his mind as he heard the whine of the fighter pass overhead. He had been meditating for the had taken years since he had been released to find his home had changed. Standing up, he walked to the foyer of his ancestral home and opened the door to find a female Vedran with her hand raised to knock.
"Can I help you, Vedran," the man asked as he looked at her.
The Vedran looked at the human that was standing across from her and she had to admit that he was a handsome man for his species. He stood about five feet and nine inches and looked to be on the slim but muscular side. However, it was his eyes that just seem to draw you, and with the bright green, they seem to pierce your soul. She also noticed that while his hair was jet black, there was some gray on edge.
"Greeting, Mister Potter," the Vedran said as she looked at him, "I'm Princess Yoweri, may I enter."
"You may enter, Your Highness," Potter said as he looked at the Commonwealth Princess for a moment before his closed his eyes and took in information from his ward, "As well as two of your bodyguards, but the rest will remain outside."
Princess Yoweri nodded as he looked at her, before turning and enter the ancestral house belong to the House of Potter. As she crossed the threshold of the door, she felt like she was being examined by the house and it chilled her to feel that weight before it left her. She followed the owner of the house to his living room and wait for him to take a seat. She remained standing while her bodyguards took up a position by the doors, she wanted to shake her head as she heard the slamming of the force lances on the floor.
"I will get right to the point, Mister Potter," Yoweri said as she looked at him and ignored everything else in the room, "Since finding you, the Commonwealth has left you alone because it did not know how to deal with you, however that is no longer something I can do."
Harry held his hand up and looked at her, "Your Highness, you and your people have left me alone for the simple fact that you have no idea how to use me. I had lived a long and happy life with my family, and when I died two thousand years ago, I was at peace. If I had known that Fate was a bitch, I would have never done what I did. Your people see me as some savior, and I am done with that role."
"I wish it were that simple, Commodore Potter," the Princess replied as she addresses him by his former rank, "You were a member of the United Kingdom Royal Navy when you 'died,' correct?"
Harry looked at her for a moment and worry began to fill his mind, "That's right, it was something that stayed that way after talking to the King when I was allowed to meet with him."
As soon as he said the King, Harry now knew what her game was and he was pissed with himself for forgetting the vow he made that day. It seems that Fate was not done with and neither was Death. Anger was something that always seemed to be with him today, and it flooded his mind before he took a dead breath.
"Mister Potter, are you aware of what going on?"
"Someone in the government messed up so bad that your Commonwealth is at war with itself," Harry said as he stood up and walked over to his liquor cabinet. He reached over and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured it into a cup. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"With the death of my mother, I have become the Empress of the System Commonwealth," Yoweri could see the back of the man she was looking at become stiff and just decided to get this over with, "and frankly it is not something I want to see destroyed. I have heard rumors that you have been holding class at the Academy teaching the next generation how to fight. This is not something that I do lightly, and I'm sorry to have to do this, but We need your experiences. Mister Harry Potter, you are at this moment drafted into the High Guard and ordered to take charge of Terra's defenses."
"I bet Admiral Jenkins was just so happy to sign that," Harry snarled as he took a large drink from his glass.
"He is dead as is most of the leadership for Terra Home Guard," the Princess replied, "at this moment the highest ranking officer for Terra is a Lieutenant who was sick the day Terra Command was bombed, and the High Guard is scattered across the galaxies."
Setting his glass down on the table, Harry looked up to the paintings that contained his mother and father before their deaths. He took a huge breath as he looked at the family motto 'Custodi eos qui possent'.
This can't even be legal, Harry thought as he looked at those words, "You are going to have to give me the teeth needed to do this."
"What do you mean?"
"If you are placing me in the Home Guard, then you need to understand that I will do what need to be done to bring this war to an end," Harry replied, "I'm going to use the High Guard teeth to bring your children to a heel."
Yoweri looked at him in shock before nodding her head, Maybe if the Conclave had gotten off their asses, we would not be in this situation.
"When I am the Empress, you shall have the order to use the Nova Bombs as you see fit," Yoweri stated in sadness.
Harry turned around and looked at her, "What about the conclave?"
"With Tarn-Vedra no longer accessible, power reverts back to the Empress or her representatives," Yoweri said, "Admiral, you have your orders."
"Yes, Your Highness," Harry replied as he looked at her, "If you will pardon me, it seems that I must prepare for a war that was just something on paper."
Giving the man a stuffed nod, the Princess turned and left the room followed by her bodyguards. After he had felt them leave his grounds, he looked at the fireplace, "Is this your idea of a game?"
"Why if I didn't know any better I think you were anger at me, Master."
As soon as those words were spoken, he saw the woman just fade into existence. He knew that the entity had no sex and just chose the form of his mother when it came to speaking with him. Harry just felt that it was wrong on so many levels.
"Is my entire family suppose to be the personal playthings for you, Death," Harry asked.
"Yes," Death said as she looked at the man that had united her gifts, "It was just a game until you united everything those so many years ago. You got to live your life and see your children and grandchildren go up, but when you died, you became a part of this great game."
This time the anger was too great for him as he turned around and with an arm disabled, swept everything off the table. He turned back around and looked at Death, "And for that, I am the last magical being on my world. There may be some among the stars, but I was at peace for one in my life and you or someone among your group led the Commonwealth to my GRAVE!"
Death gave a smirk as she looked at the man in front of her, "You are needed once more and now you can no longer hide. Someone is playing a game and is needless killing millions. You are the counters, Master and its time to stop hiding. Oh, the blood that will be spilled."
The entity known as Death gave a bitter laugh as she faded from view and Harry felt her leave his house. He was left to his thoughts as he looked at the painting once more and gave his parents a sad smile before heading for his door. It seems that he had a war to fight.
High Guard Station GS-20987
Synchronous orbit above London, England
CY 9784 (4864 CE)
It had taken a few weeks, but everything that was able to had been able to make its way to Terra. Harry was looking at deployment map as he stood at attention as he stood in the center of the Command Center of the High Guard Station GS20987 otherwise known as Camelot by the Terrans. As it stood, she and the rest of the Home Guard units and those High Guard units remaining in the area were all that remained to defend humanity home. He knew other assets were supporting other systems, but Terra was the birthplace of mankind, and it was a big prize for the Nietzschean Alliance.
Merlin, I could use some help here, the man thought as he looked at the screen in front of him. He was watching Luna as it moved around Terrasidesand frankly he hoped his plan work, because this battle would either give the Commonwealth a chance to save itself or it would all be for nothing. It was also giving those on Terra a chance to get to safe zones.
"Admiral, all ships report that they are ready," the station's AI stated as she appeared on the screen.
"Any more ships coming," he asked as he walked toward a weapon station.
"No, sir," Camelot replied as she looked at the man.
"Slipstream event near Luna," the Weapon Officer yelled from her station.
"So it begins," the Admiral said as he moved to the center of the room, "Cam, who do we have?"
"Drago-Kazov Pride."
Anger flooded the man's face as he looked at the screen and saw the enemy fleet. They were outnumbered three to one and frankly that worried him. However, the people in the Home Guard called Terra their home, and they were a cornered animal.
"Open a channel on all channel throughout the Known Worlds. I want this recorded and broadcast for history," he ordered and wait for a few seconds before a male Nietzschean appeared.
The Nietzschean looked at the Terran and gave a smirk, "I must say that this is quite a welcome you have here. I take it that you will be surrendering Terra to me."
Harry shook his head as he looked at the man before he reached into his jacket and removed a Flexi. This was the chance to end this war before it got any bloodier and he would drop his hands in blood if it meant protecting those that were unable to defend themselves.
"Who am I speaking with," Harry asked as he looked at the screen.
"Fleet Marshall Theo Hutu."
"I am Admiral Harry Potter," Harry stated as he looked down at the Flexi, "I have in my hands an order that was given to be read, 'By order of Empress Yoweri XXX, the Nietzschean Alliance will have this once chance to stand down and they will be pardon for this actions and the murder of Our mother. This will be Our only pardon any measures taken against Our Commonwealth will be considered a rejection as an as such the release of Nova bombs is authorized against the Pride Home-worlds.'"
Throughout the Known Worlds, in bars and homes, there was silence as the worlds of the newest Empress of the Commonwealth words were digested. This was something that no one had thought possible, and it was something that scared a lot of people. This was a huge step for the Commonwealth since start of the war the Triumvirates were dead and the Conclave was in disarray. Then there was more chaos when one of the prides attacked the Royal Barge of Empress Sucharitkul XII and killed her. Then rumors began to spread that the Princess had arrived on Terra protected by what remained of her protection force. Harry had allowed those rumors to spread so that he would push the Alliance's hand and it needed that push. As it stood, the Empress was now safe on Terra protected by what remained of the Argosy's Special Forces, Special Operations and several units of the Lancer Corps.
"The Empress has no power to give that order!"
"In the absence of the Conclave, power has reverted back to the Empress," the Harry said as he looked back at the screen, "As the ranking military order remaining in the Milky Way, I will give you this one chance and if you reject this opportunity Fleet Marshall then I shall order the destruction of what you hold dear."
Shock was on the face of the Nietzschean Fleet Marshall as he looked at the human. This was something that they hadn't expect to have happened. The nova bomb was a weapon of last resort and Alliance commanders thought that the High Guard had been weak since they wouldn't use something that could have ended the war. Now it seem that they had finally broken that last resolve.
This complicated matters since both send were not at full strength, but the Alliance didn't have the Commonwealth's Nova bombs. The Battle of Witchhead was a disaster for the Alliance and the only ships that remained were what he had brought with him to try and get the home-world of humanity.
"You are outnumbered, Admiral."
"That may be true, but I will transmit this order to all remaining High Guards in the galaxy, and they will launch the bomb," the Admiral replied as anger filled his voice, "You may get Terra, but by Merlin I will make you pay blood to get to my world and your children will remember that your rebellion was nothing but a pipe dream. You have betrayed your oaths as members of the Commonwealth, and if I had my way, your damn heads would all be on a damn spike."
Fleet Marshall Theo Hutu was in a corner, and he knew it, before the Civil War, he had been a Colonel in the High Guard Lancer Corp. They had made the Commonwealth, and its' High Guard a cornered animal and the proverb about a cornered animal was coming true. This was not something he had expect, and he was trying to see if there was any information on this Admiral Potter because he had never heard of him before and nothing was coming up. The Alliance would have just left Terra alone, but after Witchhead, they need labor to rebuild and he had his orders. He needed time since everything had now changed.
"I will need a chance to speak with the Alliance," Hutu said as he looked at the man.
Harry gave the man a smirk, "You have ten minutes, Fleet Marshall and after that, the gloves come off."
Closing the channel, Harry looked at the screen for a moment before turning to look around the bridge. He could see the conflict on the faces of those that looked at him, but this was the only course of action that was left. The High Guard man the mistake of believing that they could fight the Alliance and it was kicking their ass. The Battle of Witchhead was supposed to have been on the Alliance side, but there were rumors that a High Guard ship had appeared and took out two-thirds of the enemy and still the High Guard was reeling from it.
"Cam, transmit the order of release to all High Guard units near Nietzschean worlds are to be placed in their tubes," Harry said, "Also transmit the Empress orders to those Captains."
Harry was watching the screen when Nietzschean fighters began to pour out of their carriers. He shook his head as he looked at the screen, They had just signed their death warrants.
Walking to his station, Harry tapped a few button a brought up a map of the galaxy. He began to do a search on those Nietzschean Prides trying to find one that didn't have any Loyalist remaining in the High Guard. It took a few seconds before he came across the Al-Sharif Pride that was located on New Jordan.
"Cam transmits orders to the Rising Hope that they are to launch their Nova bomb on the sun of New Jordan."
Cam didn't even hesitate as she transmitted the orders to the Glorious Heritage Class Rising Hope. Harry was watching the tactical screen a slip-fighters began to pour out of the base on Luna and the rest of the fleet and began to engage the Nietzscheans. His attention was changed as a live feed from the Rising Hope appeared, a split screen appeared and showed the command deck as each other gave the order for release.
Harry watched as the missile was launched and traveled to the sun. It only took a few second before the sun was transformed into a white hole and expanded outward. The Rising Hope left the system before before it was hit by the shock wave. The kid gloves were now off in this war.
Harry opened a channel to the Nietzschean fleet, "That is one pride down, there are twenty-two prides left. This is your only chance before I make you an endangered species."
Hutu appeared on the screen with anger and fear showing on his face, "You would become known as the Butcher."
"War does not determine who is right, it only who is left," Harry replied as he looked at the man, "You betrayed the Commonwealth and I just see myself as the man putting down a rebellion. I don't have the patience to deal with children. So this is your last chance, stand down before I will ruin down your remaining prides."
"I will see Terra BURN!"
"Very Well," Harry replied, "Cam, transmit the order to the remaining ship. All twenty-two prides have refused the offer of surrender and as such are consider enemies of the state. Under the authority of the Empress of the Commonwealth due to a state of war..."
"Sabra Pride is standing down."
"Three Rivers Pride also surrenders to the Empress."
Harry looked on as pride after pride began to transmit that they were standing down. It went on like this for a few more minutes before only the Drago-Kazov Pride, and the Jaguar Pride remained. He could see the leader of the Drago-Kazov Pride face as he debated what he should do. However the choice was taken out of his hand when elements of his fleet began to send message of standing down.
Harry was looking at the man as he was dragged off the command deck of his ship before the ship's first officer said the rest of the fleet was standing down.
"Cam, hack them and disable their weapons systems," Harry ordered as he looked at the Nietzschean fleet that was parked just beyond Luna's orbit, "In form, the Empress that the Civil War has ended. I wll be in my stateroom."
"Aye, sir," Came replied as he spread herself among the Nietzschean fleet and began to take over their systems after they let her in. She took a few seconds to ensure everything was on the up and up before she disable their weapons and began to lock them out of systems.