Star Granger Season 2 - Chapter 13

Thoughts

"speech"

"Goa'uld speech"

SG SG SG SG SG SG SG

September 20th 1999 – Florean Fortescue's

I reach the place to find Harry sitting in the sun, relaxed. On the table, in front of him, are two ice creams. His, he is nibbling on, and mine, he is keeping, well – iced. Also on the table is a small gold goblet with a badger engraved upon.

"Is it done?"

Harry takes another scope of Ice cream and nods.

"How did it go?

"As expected," he answers non-committedly.

"How was it?"

"Underwhelming," he shrugs, and takes another scope.

I am ready to throttle him till I get some real answers from the pillock when,

"Mate! Mione! Fancy meeting you here today!"

Harry gives me a thin smile and I find myself counting to ten.

Let's make it fifteen…

"Hi mate, how's tricks?" Harry answers with a genuine smile.

"You wouldn't believe it, mate. Just got a delivery of five new Firebolt 2s. Five! Might even have a chance to try one, if I find a client. Hey – would you like one? It's even faster than your old Firebolt and the varnish has a three-year guarantee."

Ron left Hogwarts with Mediocre OWLs and three NEWTs – all acceptable. His application was laughed at by the Auror office and he himself was kicked off by Lavender, who found him "helping'' a maid at the Cauldron. His brothers took him in for a short while till they found him one day honking on the floor after eating some merchandise, 'cause he was hungry'. They kicked, sorry – help him find a new position at Broomstix. He seems to be comfortable there, waxing and dusting brooms all day and dreaming of his application to the Cannons being accepted.

"Ginny was transferred to the Arrows after their Seeker had that freak accident last week. She had to give up her Firebolt and pick up a Comet cause the Arrows just secured…"

And I tune him off and concentrate on my ice-cream.

"How are your parents doing?" I hear Harry asking, and listen with half an ear.

His mum's the same, but Arthur is working himself ragged, what with all the craziness going on around, with the moon acting all oddly, then stopping, and that cavern appearing out of the blue under the Glastonbury Tor.

"Did you hear about the robbery of the Department of Mysteries, last week?" Ron asks. "Some strange looking wizards Apparated inside, stunned all the Unspeakables, blocked the entrance, and took countless artefacts. Not that the Unspeakables are telling what was taken."

I'm concentrating back on my ice cream to stop myself from laughing and hide my smirk.

"They must have been dark wizards cause they broke the veil of death. Dad said they also broke all the prophecies in the hall. Well, those left whole after our visit. Minister Scimgeour sent dad to the Centaurs to ask if they knew anything, but dad said Bane only told him that Mars shines just as brightly as it usually does."

Can't stop myself at that, and a loud snort escapes me.

"What are you laughing at? Dark wizards are no laughing matter." He scolds me. "Complete mental," he tells Harry and shakes his head.


November 10th 1999 – Moon Weapon lab

"Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam" states the sign above the moon's weapon lab. Just to tell you about the kind of people working here.

As opposed to many other technologies we are being forced to decipher, mankind has never lagged behind anyone with theories regarding ways and tools that people might use to kill each other.

Directed-energy weapons, or particle beam weapons have long been theorised, planned, and demonstrated. You probably know those as particle accelerators. Extensive R&D was put into them during the 80s as part of the US Strategic Defense Initiative. It was nicknamed Star Wars, which, according to Gabriel, is the most probable reason it has never worked. Albert is more realistic and admits it was more likely the system's power needs.

Well, all of a sudden, we have enough power to throw into this technology. Doesn't mean that we have a working cannon right away, but, as Keira likes to put it – it is more an engineering issue than a scientific one.

"You're just in time!" Gab tells R, when through the door.

On the wall, obscuring the moon's view, are four large screens. Those flatscreen displays that Kazuko sourced for us through NEC are a true wonder. I don't want to think about us having bulky, heavy, regular screens hanging everywhere.

I also know what daddy's gonna get for Christmas.

One screen shows a tube of metal, connected to some wires. The one next to it shows a target. Al presses a button on the controls. On the other screen, the target and its surroundings disintegrate. R seems to be unimpressed.

"Blooming?"

Al shrugs and calls control to verify that the firing range is clear.

On screen one, the cannon repositions itself. Parts of it are moving as well. Screen 3 shows a target on a small asteroid in orbit above us. Al presses the button again, and – nothing. Screen 4 shows a graph, which rises rapidly, then comes back down as quickly.

"Blooming," Al summarises.

"We'll probably have a working model for The Brick to test in a few months' time, and by the time Centaur and Dragon are laid – it will already be part of the design." Gabriel promises.

"This model will be effective at ranges from 30-35,000 miles to a light second. Closer than that, and you'll need to use your Plasmas, or separate practical cannons. Theoretically, we can target as far out as two light seconds. Calvin is already helping us with the system work, but I can't see this design being effective at that range anytime this year." Albert explains.

"So, we're gonna have a hole in our engagement capabilities?" R enquiries.

"Like you don't have that on your precious Tornados, on most missions?"

"Anything for long range?" R accepts the inherent limitation.

"Nothing tangible, yet." Albert replies. "We are looking into FTL capable missiles. Very similar to those Photon Torpedoes. We're giving the Alcubierre drive a serious look, actually. It was always deemed impractical, for the calculated amounts of negative energy required, but here are you and your friends popping around using micro wormholes, and this issue doesn't appear as prohibitive as before."

"Right now, the main obstacle is power supply. If every missile needs to have a generator, and a full set of controls, it's just as big and expensive as a small shuttle. Those power crystals might be the perfect solution for both propulsion and destructive power release at the target. As soon as we can manufacture those, obviously," Gabriel shrugs.

"Qapla" R smiles, before we're out.


"I'm going to put Neta on the power crystals issue." I tell R on the way to the canteen. She just nods, occupying herself with the making of tea.

Always teatime!

"I would also like to sign Major Carter in and show her Apparitions."

This stops her, and she turns to look at me.

"I think it's a way to nurture cooperation," I try to explain myself. "It's also her field of expertise. She'll probably appreciate the knowledge." I add a bit lamely. "I also like her. I would like to work with her more." I give R my real reason.

I get a small smile for that. "Take Neta or Keira to this meeting. And please, don't tell her about magic, or ships, or this base?"

"Who do you think I am. A trusting small child?"

She laughs.

At me!


"Can I speak with Major Carter Please. It's Hermione, WIB." I tell whoever is on the other side of the line. It's that General Hammond.

"Nice talking with you."

He's polite.

"Wanted to thank you and your team again, for your help with the black hole," he says.

"And our Port," I tell him with amusement clear in my voice.

He chuckles softly. "And all this electricity," he adds to the list. "What can I help you with today?"

"We're working with some new technology, which relates to Dr Carter's personal field of research. Thought she might be interested to see what's possible."

"Stealing our best minds?" he chuckles.

"Not this time, though we can probably offer a much better remuneration," I answer. "Mostly, I'm looking for a way to improve cooperation between us. I also like her."

"Then, we should meet and find those ways." He tells me approvingly. "Major Carter is currently off planet," he gets back to the point of our talk. "I will tell her you were looking for her, when back. It might be for a couple of weeks, though."


December 8th 1999 – The Forbidden Forest

December rain in Scotland is much worse than the notorious November one. Even the illuminated castle in the distance, over the snow-covered fields, looks miserable today.

"Lovely weather," Neta tells us. She heard we are going to visit the Centaurs, heard something about Unicorns, and insisted on joining us. She's a bit miffed about it all right now.

"Right, for ducks!" Harry agrees, while trying to plod his way through the mud to reach the tree line.

For a second, the glade is lit by lightning, then the thunder deafens us.

"Can not even see Mars through this rain and clouds," sounds a deep voice from the tree line.

"Hi Firenze!" Harry answers.

"Come. This rain will cost me hours of brushing, for my main and tail to shine again," he tells us, a bit miffed too.

Heaven save us from vain Centaurs.

The Centaur village, and roof over our heads are very welcomed, though the sight of groups of Centaurs lying by the fires, drinking hot chocolate, and toasting marshmallows is a tad surreal. The fact that none of them is wearing a stitch of clothing is a bit distracting as well.

Neta rushes to the fire to warm. I'm about to stop her – being extremely polite and respectful to Centaurs is well ingrained in me, but Firenze just signals me to let her be. A very young foal? Child? Is rushing happily to Firenze and is introduced as Nix, his daughter. I kindly ask her for her age – 147 isn't the answer I was expecting. Both Harry and Firenze don't even try to hide their mirth.

Traitor!

Bane arrives together with a few others from the village. All complaining loudly about all the brushing forced on them. They are far more positive when Harry offers them a visit.

The four Centaurs make some impression on the moon base staff. Mars' surface makes an impression on the four Centaurs.

"And this is the reason Mars shined so brightly for a few moments, a few months back," Harry tells them, when we pass over the lasting impression Keira has made on Mars.

Everyone's impressed.

Especially after we assure them that we have secured Earth's Ports. Sorta. What with one being destroyed; one being kept by the Asgard in another galaxy, and one being in use, but with various safeties added by us.

While we're on our way back, Bane asks us if we can take him to see the forest of the south pole. It's Summer and the sky is clear, though it's night time, and a new moon just started showing. Not that the Centaurs need the light of day.

"It's been a while, and the land has changed a little," we hear the woman Centaur telling Bane as we move, low and slow, over the land.

Right, what with half a mile of Ice replacing the meadow and forest?

"Here, I think." She finally states.

Behind us the ring transporter suddenly pings a pairing. Surprisingly enough another system signals a lock as well.

Life sign?

We all enjoy the view of Earth for a last time, while flying high above it on our way back north.

"And crawling, on the planet's face, some insects, called the human race." We hear Nix intoning.

Firenze Is about to scold her, but R beats him to it.

"Aren't you a bit too young for such a film?!"

Giggle.


December 22nd 1999 – Moon complex

It's the eve of the new year. Eve of a new millennium. WIB is bustling with activity. Both HMS Seahorse and Mermaid are launched and are being tested and readied for commission. The base, HMS Hind, and the Bricks are swarmed with new crews going through testing and training for the new ships. By the next new year's we expect to have four more ships in our growing fleet, and the need for crews is pressing. Especially since almost three quarters of the potentials finds themselves back on Earth, pondering their forgotten last weeks. Either for being unsuitable, afraid of space, or, sadly, unreliable.

We discovered that young inexperienced crews are more likely to adapt and improve. This makes the officer's ranks harder to fill, till day comes when we can send our own cadets to Dartmouth. We are years away from self-training our officers.

Unsurprisingly, finding the right captains for our ships is the highest hurdle. After trial and a few errors, it was agreed that we will be looking for younger prospects. So, both Captain Penrose and Commander Floyd were sent back to the Royal Navy, to locate and recruit a few of the most promising Lt. Commanders in the fleet. They are both quite hated now for 'stealing the RN's future'. This got only marginally better with the signing in of Admiral Essenhigh to back them up.

We are getting ready for a whole upgrade of our operations. As soon as both Seahorse and Mermaid are commissioned early next year, the exploration phase will start. About mid-year, with the commission of Centaur and Dragon, explorations will step up. We are a bit ashamed to admit, but at that stage, we will be willing to conduct some aggressive patrols to test our platform's true capabilities. We know it's a risk but learning that our new and un-shiny fleet is depressingly outclassed, only when Goa'uld capital ships are in Earth's orbit, is plain daft. Already Calvin and the weapons team are updating our Goa'uld invaders training suit for capital ship training.

It was decided that Victoria will be our fleet's Flag Officer, and will personally command our most advanced ship, at any time. She will be transferring to the Mermaid as she commissioned. Peers is green with envy and admits it freely.

For now, Christmas drinks are done, bonuses distributed, and most, but a skeleton crew are back home for the holidays.

We, the original team, which is expanded by now to include Kazuko and Neta as well, are sitting together, in Neta's new lab, looking at the strange device on the wall.

"Alteran knowledge before Christmas, anyone?" I offer, over my glass of Macallan.

"Do you know how it works?" Keira asks

Harry and I reached for it already. The beast description we have is 'eager', but we got no actual information from it. We didn't look in, mind you.

"Be careful," I warn Keira, when she stands to take a look inside. Nothing happens.

"I can only see stars and space," she says, clearly disappointed.

I get up to have a look. The repository takes me by surprise. It takes all that I have to order it to stop.

"My brain hurts!" I moan, closing my eyes.

Seth is by my side in a second. Sitting me. Looking into my eyes with a flashlight. "Reflexes are all right. What happened?"

"It's like it was trying to push all the knowledge in the universe into my skull." I moan still.

"Any control?" Harry asks, and I shake my head helplessly.

"Didn't even manage to try," I answer. Neta is getting up, to try for herself, but I have a very bad feeling about it. "I wouldn't do it if I were you," I offer. "Your mind might be compatible, but you don't know how to push back. Let Harry try?"

Occlumency is a game of order, control and will. My mind was always better ordered than Harry's, and I have almost the same control, but he has a will set in stone.

"Try and push back from the start," I advise.

He's looking in for about a minute till he pulls back. "My brain hurts is quite accurate", he murmurs. "Took all my control just to keep this thing at bay. Either those Alterans had amazing control, or it has to be used in a very specific way."

"Or maybe it's designed to be used through an interface." Fleur offers.

"Or it works with an interface," Seth agrees.

"In any case, no amazing knowledge before Christmas." I bemoan.

"Cheers!" Harry offers,

"Merry Christmas!" We all agree.


January 16th 2000 – Battersea Power station

New year starts with the boredom of board meetings. Luckily for me, Francis is doing most of the work. Last year we ended up selling 14 reactor systems, which are two more than our original plans. We installed 11 of those. That includes the one extra US system. This year we are planning to double that, and start distributing our 2nd generation reactors, offering even better efficiency in power conversion.

Naquadah availability is still about five years from being an issue, but we are getting dependent on the metal. Finding a sustainable source is a priority. Sadly, our – well, the Goa'uld sensors are still incapable of tracing Naquadah from orbit, so the search is expected to be prolonged.

I'm burning the candle at both ends today and certainly am ready to head home, when…

"Get ready," R tells me over the phone. "I'm coming down, and we're taking a trip across the pond."

Smashing…


January 16th 2000 – Cheyenne Mountain Colorado

I'm standing in front of the Port reaching for it lightly. After researching it, and fighting it, the Port feels like an old friend. That Narim bloke, we were introduced to, doesn't. He's dashing, and cultured and oh so lofty – in a kind and accommodating way. Makes you want to draw a moustache on his picture.

A Sgt. Walter Harriman is standing beside me. He's a kind man, though miffed for being forced to use the Keyboard instead of his trusty computer.

"Say, old bean," I ask him. "Has anyone used the Port since that chap arrived?" He shakes his head. "Aren't you dying to know where he came from?" I add impishly.

"You can do that?" He's gobsmacked.

He's already been shown the Abort button. It is one, in a row of buttons, all marked with those little Alteran intuitive icons, which Alterans can probably all understand, and we have only guesses regarding. I show him the one that displays the Port's logs. We browse and jot down the last ten. We then take those to their navigation computer to take a gander.

About a week with the Hind, hmm.

At the conference room R is deep in discussion with the locals and Narim. I show her seven fingers.

"Listen, I don't know how it works on your planet, but Hermione and I live on the other side of ours and we're knackered. Also, we didn't pack for an extended trip. So, we are going to head back, get a few hours of sleep, pack, and notify our partners. We will be back here in about 10 to 12 hours, and ready to go with you.

"Also, if you wish for us to respect your ritual, we will need about a week on your planet. To learn about your culture, talk with both Skaara and Klorel, maybe talk with the person representing the Goa'uld Klorel, and prepare ourselves. Otherwise, we will just be forcing our own culture and beliefs on your ritual."

That's a good argument, and Narim finds himself nodding in agreement.


January 16th 2000 – Moon complex

This isn't the way we planned, but it's an opportunity to test our ship over an advanced planet, which is somewhat friendly. Test it on a long haul journey. See Just how our cloaking systems are doing, against some advanced systems – supposedly superior to the Goa'uld.

We would have preferred to send HMS Mermaid, but sadly, the new ship is yet to be ready for such an adventure. The Hind gets a full crew. A section of marine commandos with their vehicles, and a brick to carry them around. R and Harry will go with her. One of the Captains in training and His future XO too. The rest of us watch them go from control.

"Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings." I can hear Beatrix incants.

"Space, the final…" Commander Floyd recites from her command chair.

"Oh, let it go already, you crew of geeks," R cut's her off. "Do we have the destination set?" she asks.

"Aye sir!" Troy answers. Exaggerating it just a bit.

"So? Get jiggy with it – Hermione will be waiting," she orders.

"As you wish, sir. Why won't you ruin all our fun?" Victoria acknowledges.

"Engaged!" Troy calls from the helm seat, just beside her.

At control, we see HMS Hind falls slowly into the hyperspace window opened, then wink away.

Bring me that horizon.


Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam - Today is a good day to die


Well mates,

This chapter brings the end to this season of 'Star Granger'. Next season, No. 3, will start as usual on Thursday, two weeks from today. It is already written and betaed in full, so expect regular posting to go on.

For this occasion, I have went back and read seasons 1-3. I was quite surprised to find the tone of the story substantially changing from season to season. In season 1, a very young (child still?) Hermione was struggling to conform her self perceived intelligence (which is undisputed) and her need to be in control, with the fact that she was rather unqualified to handle the task she took on herself by herself. This Season 2 saw her finding people just as capable (if not more) to look up to. Also made her struggle to find her right place in this group of capable people. Next season will see her mature and grow into herself.

Story wise, 1st season was mostly held at the fringes of the magical world, with Hermione and Harry trying to understand the scope of their task and find more information. Season 2 took the story into the scientific and industrial world. There was very little silly wand waving in this season.

Season 3? - well, won't you just have to read on?

I can say that those distinct changes were not intentional, but are a pleasant surprise (for me) and show me that I have made decent choices regarding the places within the storyline, which makes the end of one season and the start of another.

I have also read through all the reviews and my messaging from readers of both seasons. I tend to answer most reviews, if only to say 'Thanks for reading'. It's quite amazing just how many kind words, important remarks and corrections, and good ideas are in those reviews and comments. Few were good but not where this story was, and is heading. Few I have used later on (totally forgot about Martin Lloyd's ship, for example). A couple sent me on a serious change to the storyline, after pointing to me important facts I have forgotten to take into consideration.

In any case, thank you, for any word or remark.

As usual - Huge shout to flyboy38, my beta, who takes the time to make sure the story is a much better read.
Also to Dalwolf For doing Brit-Picking for, well - you all, and help my British characters stay British.

Cheers, and see you next season!