A/N 1: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I own Star Wars.
A/N 2: Only a couple of more chapters to go.
Spells or Force Powers
------- Perspective change
Chapter 24: Planning for the Future
November 21st, 2007
Potter Manor, Godric's Hollow UK
James was barely into the manor when Lily called out "James, I'm in the library."
He sighed heavily. This conversation was not something he was looking forward to at the moment. His own thoughts had not even settled yet from his meeting with Revan and now he was going to have to review everything ad nauseum with Lily. Sometimes, his wife drove him up the wall.
James found her sitting near the fireplace with a book propped open on her lap. Her face was red and there were drying tear tracks on her face. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, it wasn't that he was happy, proud, or supportive of Revan's actions but he didn't understand why she had to cry over everything. Add to that the bitterness that had crept into her of late and James was not a happy man.
"So did he try and justify his actions?" She asked and then muttered under breath "Like there could be any justification for what he's done."
"No he didn't try and justify them. Look, I don't want to argue about this. I'll put my memories of our conversation in the pensieve and you can watch them."
Lily watched while he placed his wand against his temple and removed a silvery strand. She was silent as he placed it in the pensieve and left the room. It wasn't fair to take her disappointment out on him. James hadn't had any part in raising their son; he wasn't to blame for any of his actions. Even though, she didn't want to, she found herself approaching the pensieve.
The library rushed back into focus as she pulled her head out of the memories. After listening to Revan and James she was more confused now but less angry. At the very least, it was apparent to Lily that Revan understood what he had done and was not trying to rationalize his actions. The question only she could answer now was whether this was something she could ignore or overlook?
Her finger was tapping softly on the rim of the pensieve as she thought about the last part of the conversation. Revan would protect this world, she didn't doubt that. Her concern was in the measures he would take in order to see it safe. James would be a good balance against any draconian measures her son may want to implement. She knew though that by supporting James she was accepting Revan in her life despite his past. Shaking her head, she did a little of rationalizing herself. If Dumbledore could preach endlessly about redeeming dark wizards than her son deserved the same chance that they did.
November 22nd, 2007
Decimator, High Earth Orbit
Commander Halcyon was standing on the bridge getting the latest update on the status of the fleet. He was scheduled to check in with Revan later that afternoon. His report would be very positive; the repairs to fleet were complete. The perimeter defenses they had established were as strong as they were going to get for the time being which would help when the Sith arrived.
The best news came in this morning from General Kalia. By pushing the hyper drive engines beyond their safety limits, she had shaved a full three days off of her trip. Revan's guess had been correct, Malak had not changed the access codes and the General was now transmitting from within the Star Forge. Not wanting someone else to get the same idea, she had changed the access codes herself. Already the ancient platform was creating ships that could be used to bolster their forces but it would be some time before they arrived. Hopefully, Malak would commit his own forces to the defense of this planet because Halcyon was fairly certain that they would be overwhelmed otherwise.
The communications officer called out to him "Commander, we have an incoming transmission from the planet."
"Is it Lord Revan or one of the search teams?"
"No sir, it is from the government of the United States. We would not have noticed it but we have been actively tracking communication transmissions to determine if our forces had been detected."
Halcyon gave him a frosty glare "Apparently you missed something because we must have been detected if they are attempting to communicate with us."
The officer grimaced and mumbled "Yes sir."
"Patch it through to the speakers."
"Alien vessels in orbit above our planet. We demand to know your intentions regarding our planet. Respond or we will act accordingly to defend our planet." The message ended only to repeat in another language.
"Sir that message appears to be automated and is repeating in multiple languages."
Halcyon was surprised to receive a message but he was even more surprised by the tone of the message. Did these primitives really expect them to fall for their bluff? Any race advanced enough to travel in space would have done some surveillance on the planet to determine the threat level before parking in orbit. There was nothing that any of the nations of the world could do to damage any of the fleet.
"Get me Lord Revan."
Potter Manor, Godric's Hollow UK
Revan had decided not to return to the ship and instead spent the night in the shuttle. His room was still available to him in the manor but he felt that he should give James and Lily some time alone to think about his request.
His communicator chirped. "Go ahead." He said simply after clicking the device on.
Halcyon's voice was immediately recognizable as it came through the small speaker. "Sir, we have received a transmission from the planet." He paused for a moment in an attempt to restrain his humor but it still came through even if it was muted somewhat "They are demanding to know our intentions or they will take action."
Revan couldn't help it. He laughed taking his normally unflappable commander by surprise. "They demanded…" Revan couldn't finish as he laughed again. Struggling for a moment, he took a deep breath and continued "They demanded to know out intentions? Are they asking us out on a date?"
Even the normally stoic Halcyon couldn't contain his snort of laughter. It was so rare to see Revan in a jovial mood and the message was so patently ludicrous that he had to laugh. "I don't know sir, but please tell me I don't need to explain to you what two people do when they are in love."
Revan almost dropped the communicator he was laughing so hard. "Have you responded yet?"
Still breathing hard Halcyon replied "No, I thought you might want to reply personally. We have modified our systems to transmit on a frequency they can receive."
"Do we know what government is responsible for the transmission?" Revan asked while he was formulating a response.
"The signal originated from the capital of the United States."
"Ok, patch me through."
A moment later Halcyon's voice came back "We are ready to transmit my Lord."
Revan waited until he heard a soft click and he knew that his signal was now being transmitted to the source of the transmission in the United States. "This is Lord Revan, commander of the fleet orbiting your planet. Respond!" He ordered quietly.
The minutes passed slowly. Revan did not grow upset. The original transmission had been recorded; the leaders were probably scrambling to find someone with the authority to respond. Close to ten minutes passed before a response finally came through. "Lord Revan, I am General Martin of the United States Air Force. Respectfully, why have your ships entered into orbit above our planet?"
Revan decided to begin laying the groundwork for his occupation. If he could make the government of the most powerful nation on this planet understand the need for help, the rest would fall into his hands. "You planet is at risk from an outside threat and my forces are your only hope of survival."
"Do you expect us to take your word for that? Why would you help us? What do you have to gain?"
Revan rolled his eyes. "General I would prefer to do this face to face. And, I prefer to meet with someone with sufficient authority to make decisions on behalf of your government. If you are not that person, I request that you make sure that someone is present who can."
"What assurances do I have that you won't attack us or take our people hostage?"
"General you have no assurances of anything. If I wanted to, what could you do to stop me from leveling you cities from space?"
There was a short pause as the General adjusted more to the reality of the situation and responded "Would you be willing to allow us to choose the site for the meeting?"
Revan was unconcerned. There was little they could do to threaten him so he had little problem agreeing. "Yes, I am willing to meet at a location of your choice."
"Let me discuss this with our leaders. We will notify you of our decision within the next 24 hours."
"Very well." Revan replied, finishing the conversation.
Decimator, High Earth Orbit
Revan returned to the ship following the conversation. Undoubtedly the Americans would choose a strongly fortified location. While Revan was confident that there was little they could do to actually threaten him, he intended to bring enough men with him to make an impression. He was also eager to talk with Bastila; she had a decision to make.
Before going to Bastila's quarters, Revan made his way to the bridge in order to find Halcyon. After finding the man, Revan shared the conversation he had had and the two proceeded to make plans for the detachment of troops that would join Revan during the meeting with the US government representatives. It was also decided that the assault shuttle would be escorted by three fighters as a further show of strength.
Following his conversation with Halcyon, Revan walked to Bastila's quarters. Like the last time he was there, Bastila refused to answer the door so he was forced to overwrite the door lock with his command code. The door slid open and he was greeted by the haggard looking form of Bastila. She was sitting on the floor in her typical position for meditation. Her skin was pale and there were the beginning of bags under her eyes. It was clear that she had not slept and probably had not eaten since their last conversation.
Revan resumed his previous position, leaning against the wall near the door with his arms crossed over his chest. The room was silent save for the sound of their breathing. Seeing that Bastila was not going to make the first move, Revan took the opportunity to study her. She was an excellent Jedi, strong and a capable fighter. The force flowed strongly through her but he could see in the set of her shoulders that she had made her decision. Whether or not she had accepted that decision or not was another matter.
After a few minutes, Revan grew bored with the game. "So are you going to tell me your decision or just make me wait here all night?"
Bastila opened her eyes slowly and uncurled her legs before standing up to face him."I'm leaving." She said simply.
"I'll have a shuttle prepped for you." Revan replied and turned to open the door.
Bastila wouldn't let him leave it like that though. She grabbed his arm and stopped him before he could step through the door. "That's it; you're just giving me a shuttle without another word." Her voice rising at the end.
Revan spun so he was facing her. "What did you expect? I told you before, it's your choice. You've become more of a hindrance than a help and frankly, the girl I met all those years ago is not the one standing in front of me."
"After all I've done, you're just willing to toss me aside?" She asked unbelievingly.
"All you've done for me?" Revan laughed scornfully "Oh you've done so much for me. You turned away from me when we left to fight the war. You turned your back on me again and came with the other Jedi to kill me. Of course, you did help me face my past and for that I'm grateful, but that one act can only carry you so far."
Bastila's shoulders slumped and she looked defeated. "I can't do it; I can't be what you want me to be."
"I never forced you to do anything. I am not forcing you to do anything now. When you leave, it is your choice nothing more."
"It's just…I don't trust myself around you." Bastila tried to explain further "I won't become like you, it would be a betrayal of everything I've ever been taught. You used to feel the same way."
Revan shook his head. "I thought you understood, after all it was a path you helped me to start down."
Bastila moved away from Revan and began to gather her things in preparation. "Why are you really letting me leave?"
Revan was silent for a moment as he considered his answer. There were many things he could say. He could say it was because of what she once meant to him. He could say it was to pass a message onto the Jedi. In the end he just said "I owe you that much."
"Thank you."
"Don't test my generosity. I'm willing to let you go this time, but if we meet again as adversaries, I won't hold back."
Bastila heard the truth in his words. It would hurt him and her as well, but he would not let her stand in his way. "I understand. Can you have the shuttle prepped and ready to leave in an hour? That will give me enough time to gather my things."
Revan just nodded his head and left Bastila to her packing.
White House, Washington DC
General Martin had just finished briefing the President on his discussion with Revan. Both men were disturbed at the speed with which Revan agreed to a face-to-face meeting. And, they couldn't ignore his not too subtle threat either which again they both knew there was currently no defense against. So, it wasn't a question of whether they should agree to a meeting, it was a matter of determining who should be there and where it should be held.
The President mumbled "I will have to be there."
General Martin and the Chief of Staff started at this. "Mr. President, are you sure that is wise? We don't know what they intend to do, they could hold you as a hostage." General Martin argued.
"He's right sir, the risk is too great." The Chief of Staff agreed.
"Does it really matter? If they wanted to, they could probably destroy the White House from orbit before we ever had any warning. Anyway, we are taking about one of the most pivotal moments in human history, I can't send someone else in my place, it has to be me."
General Martin tried to come up with an argument but he knew the President was right. There really was no place that was safe, unless you were willing to live in a bunker or Cheyenne Mountain full time. That was not likely to happen anytime soon. "Who will you take with you Mr. President?"
The President was silent and he held his cup of coffee in his hands staring into the black steaming liquid. "General you will join me; you have the most experience, limited though it may be in this field. I think you should stay here." He continued while looking at the Chief of Staff. "The Secretary of State would probably be the other logical choice. Now the question is where should we have the meeting?"
The Chief of Staff mused "It will have to be somewhere that we can establish security but remote. Your ranch won't work, it's too open. We would never be able to hide it from the press."
"Cheyenne Mountain may work." General Martin suggested. "It's secure and there wouldn't be any problem with adding in additional forces if necessary."
The President shook his head at that one. "I don't think we want to bring strangers into the heart of our Strategic Air Command. We could use Camp David. It is secure; we can add additional Secret Service agents to the security detail and tell the press that I am taking a short vacation."
The Chief of Staff stood and left the office for a moment before coming back in with the Special Agent in charge of the President's security detail. Once everyone was seated again, they began to discuss the additional measures that would be taken to provide security for the meeting. It was decided that an additional security perimeter outside the limits of Camp David would be necessary to ensure that no press would be able to get photos. A detachment of marines would be on hand as well since it was unknown what kinds of weapons the aliens would have with them. In order to have enough time to get everything in place, they were going plan for the meeting to take place on the 26th.
"General, please transmit the details of the meeting. We will meet again tomorrow to begin planning our response." The President stood and returned to his chair behind his desk, dismissing both men.
November 23rd, 2007
Decimator, High Earth Orbit
Revan was on the bridge the following morning when he received word that Malak wanted to speak with him. Revan smiled in anticipation, he was sure of Malak's answer though it had taken him longer to reach it than Revan expected.
Malak was sitting calmly in his cell waiting for Revan to arrive. He had decided to commit his forces almost immediately after his last meeting with Revan. The man had been correct when he said that Malak would do anything to survive. Still, he hadn't wanted to give Revan the satisfaction of answering too quickly. He wanted to draw it out, at least to make him doubt the outcome somewhat.
His head turned slowly at the sound of the door sliding open. No emotions showed on his face, to the casual observer, Malak appeared to be perfectly calm, at peace with himself despite his current circumstances.
Revan was not in the mood for banter after the previous day's events. "You wanted to speak with me?"
"Yes, I have your answer for you." Malak said, deliberately drawing it out to annoy his brother.
Revan glared at the man. "And?"
"I have some conditions before I commit my forces to your endeavor." Malak said simply.
"I would expect nothing less. So what are they?" Revan asked almost dreading the answer.
"First, I want out of this cell and the force suppressor removed." Malak began "Second, I want to be part of the planning. I'm not committing my forces without having some say in how they are deployed."
Revan nodded his head thoughtfully. There was nothing too burdensome in the demands. In fact, Revan had been expecting to release Malak and he wanted to make use of the man during the battle. The only thing he had not given much thought to was the removal of the force suppressor. Additional precautions would have to be taken if the suppressor were removed.
"I have no problem with either of those conditions but I will not remove the suppressor until after the battle. And, you won't get your light saber back until I decide to give it to you." Revan countered.
Malak acquiesced. "I have one final condition. I want to know why you would trust me after everything that has happened."
A cold laugh echoed off the walls of the brig. Malak stared at Revan in confusion. "I don't trust you. You will have to earn my trust back and it won't be easy."
The two men talked for another couple of minutes before Revan lowered the security field and led Malak to the bridge. On the bridge, Revan introduced Malak to Halcyon and told the two that they would be working together to plan the defense for the upcoming battle against the Sith fleet. Revan left the two to their planning after listening to Malak as he sent the signal for his forces to converge on the system.
Before Revan left, Malak said "They should be here within 3 days times."
All Revan said as he left the bridge was "I hope they're enough."