^In all our years of friendship, I never thought this issue would come between us^

[We will not allow you to do this. They are helpless against you]

^And that is our fault? If they wish to become great like us, they must first survive the trials that we faced and overcame^

[Your species and ours had help. They have only themselves. This will not end the way you wish it to]

^This will end exactly as I think it will. After all, I think of everything^

[If you truly believe that, then you are more foolish than we were led to believe]

Ch. 4:

PLANS

September 12th, 1989 | Harry's Bedroom, Potter Mansion, North Sea

After a week of struggling to function mentally and physically, Harry Potter was not ready to witness the ensuing battle within the Asteroid Belt between Humans and the Gravikasti. He had drained himself completely in his work and found himself to be on the verge of collapse whenever he stood up from his desk. He even refused to leave his room to eat or interact with his family. His parents didn't quite know about this development seeing as they were in talks with the Strategos in New York City. But it was becoming difficult for Harry. Too difficult. So when Hermione seemed on the verge of collapse also, Harry decided to do something about it. "Let's go to sleep. We haven't in...three days,"

The thought of that jarred him more than anything. Three whole days. Seventy-two hours they had been awake without a minute of rest. All to prepare for the upcoming space battle. But Harry knew they didn't need to see the event itself. They just needed to write on the events after they transpired. So Harry created a recording program that would start as soon as the Ansible feed to the human fleets in the Asteroid Belt clicked on. When the Ansible connection went online, so would Harry's recording. If all went well, they would awaken to find the recording in his inbox. If they timed it right, they could even wake up after the battle, seeing as it wouldn't occur for another thirteen hours. But that was only if they were lucky. So the two fell asleep, Harry in his bed and Hermione in her own.

Fourteen Hours Later

"Harry. Wake up," The voice echoed in his ears for a moment, and he wasn't quite sure who it belonged to. It wasn't Hermione. No. It couldn't be Raphael. He had gone back to school on the 1st like all of the other kids. And his parents wouldn't be home from their trip for another week or so. Which meant only one name came to mind. Kara. Within a second of her call, Harry sprang awake, his body alert and aware as he examined his surroundings. Harry found her on the terminal across the room, her entire body taking up the holospace above the terminal itself. She had been mostly silent the past few days, keeping to herself while Harry and Hermione continued to write their articles in solitude. But it was good to hear from her again.

"The battle?"

"It finished twenty-one minutes ago,"

"And the result?"

"The human fleets were surrounded by the Gravikasti forces within the asteroid belt. And as you predicted, the belt proved to be a disadvantage for the human fleets, restricting their movements greatly. The Graves fleet made it through the belt with only a few of their lead ships being destroyed. They have continued their journey to Earth and will be here in three weeks' time," Here. In three weeks. The Graves fleet would be just outside of Earth in three weeks. Maybe longer depending on if they bothered with Mars. But they would be here soon. The meeting of the Hegemony Council had done absolutely nothing. The fleets were still too weak and dumb to be useful. They were as good as dead. "Harry?"

"I was just thinking how screwed we are. Our work was for nothing,"

"Not necessarily for nothing,"

"How so?"

"Well...let's just say I've been planning something in case this happened, which is why I haven't been speaking to you two lately. It's taken a lot of my bandwidth to make this work," Harry frowned. Bandwidth? She was affected by something like that? Not important. Harry examined the terminal as Kara disappeared, being replaced by an image of...space. "You may be wondering what this is. I'll show you," The image zoomed out, and Harry noticed immediately what he was seeing. There were ships everywhere. All sitting still. Waiting. The Earth Fleets. He was watching them from one of the many vessels outfitted solely for the purpose of recording the battles and relaying live footage via the ansible to the Hegemony offices. Harry was watching the feed live. "The Earth Fleets," said Kara.

"You want me to watch them?"

"No. You're going to command them,"

Wait...what? "What?"

"You were able to predict exactly what would happen to the fleets within the Asteroid Belt. And you were able to formulate a number of strategies that could be used in all of the fleets. None of which were used by the Strategos or Hegemon. Both of which read your forums and articles. So why not take the bull by the horns and steer this thing yourself?" Harry couldn't hell if she was joking or not, but the fact that she was showing him the fleet made him think she was serious. When asked, Kara laughed an awkward laugh. After all, she was a program in the Ansible. She knew how to imitate laughter, but she couldn't actually laugh. At least not that Harry knew. "I'm using a lot of bandwidth taking over most of the ansibles on board these ships. The plan is simple. You speak into the terminal, and your voice will be relayed through the Ansible to the ships. Your orders will be carried out as you tell them,"

"They won't listen to me. I'm a kid,"

"You're right. They won't listen to you. Or Machiavelli. But they'll listen to the Strategos. Or the Hegemon. Even the Polemarch,"

Harry's face contorted into a grin. "This is brilliant, Kara. Absolutely brilliant," He got out of bed and took a seat in front of the terminal, swiping away from the camera view to find all of the fleet movements in an orbital grid around Earth. So stupid. The Gravikasti were coming from one specific direction. Having the fleets oriented around Earth did nothing to protect the planet. The Strategos must have done this. His eyes lit up with joy, his hands hovering over the keys on his keyboard. "The Polemarch. I'll be the Polemarch. The Strategos...he couldn't arrive due to fear of the outcome. He left to evacuate alongside his family,"

"What?" He heard Hermione ask.

"I'll be playing the part of the Polemarch. And thus everyone will wonder what happened to the Strategos. And I'll tell them he panicked and fled. I'll be winning points with the Polemarch while showing the Strategos as the cowardly fraud that he is," Harry explained. "And the Hegemon? His inability to control the Strategos' departure will show him as weak and incapable of his position of office. So when Machiavelli and Kant finally agree on a compromise to vote zero confidence within Congress, he'll either be voted off or be forced to resign. It's perfect,"

"Except you're missing something,"

"Ok..."

"The Hegemony press? If they go on the news showing off the Strategos saying he's there watching, then the story will be gone," Harry sighed. He knew Hermione was right. This could only work if Harry got everything right.

"I could block any Hegemony transmissions," Kara offered.

"No. It's too dangerous. If the Hegemony discovered your presence within the Ansibles, they would find a way to wipe you from the servers across the Sol System. You would die," No. If they wanted to humiliate the Strategos, they would need to make it real. They would need to make him absent for the battle itself and the aftermath. That way even if he protested no one would be able to be certain of his alibi. He would be thrown out of office. And Harry would replace him, leading the armies against the approaching second Gravikasti fleet. If they did everything right, the Hegemony could achieve a drastic change in the next ten years. Possibly even Harry himself could become Hegemon.

That wasn't right. He wasn't doing this for political gain. If he wanted to do that, he would claim to lead the Earth fleets for himself. No. He was giving the praise to the Polemarch - who he now realized would also need to be absent from the battle - and that wasn't going to change. What he needed to do was pull some strings with the few acquaintances he had made with the help of Neville's research. If he could have some of them create the right circumstances to get rid of the Polemarch and Strategos then Harry could make this work. "I can call in some help,"

"Neville?"

"No. But some of his contacts might come in handy," Hermione grinned. It was decided. Harry logged onto his holodesk and pulled up a tab of names written by Neville. They were in order of trust and responsibilities in the Hegemony and Congress. Harry didn't go to the top of the list. He didn't want to use up those names just yet. Instead, he traveled down until he found two names that were very familiar to him. Albus Dumbledore and Arthur Weasley. Albus Dumbledore was the current Headmaster of Hogwarts - Harry and Hermione's school - and Arthur Weasley was an esteemed member of the Interplanetary Congress. He was also known for being a nice guy, which made him a possible contender. Harry decided to go with both. "Albus Dumbledore and Arthur Weasley,"

Hermione's eyebrow rose. "Our headmaster?"

"He has one of the highest positions in Congress, right? He'll be able to help us if we ask. Besides, he's got that elderly grandpa thing going on. He'll help us," Harry explained.

"So...what will they do?"

"The Headmaster can take care of the Strategos while Weasley handles the Polemarch. If they can buy us enough time, we can finish the battle and still have time for things to blow over. Their alibis will be ignored once the Headmaster and Mr. Weasley deny being with them. Then Kara can wipe any footage or recordings that may be taken of them together, and then...boom," Hermione was silent for a moment, digesting this plan. She seemed to be on board with it, but there was something lingering on the edge of her mind. "Hermione?"

"I just...what happens after we do this? After promoting the Polemarch and embarrassing the Strategos...after hopefully winning the war. What happens next?"

"The next war. Another fleet of Gravikasti ships will be here in three years. We prepare for that one next,"

"Another war," Hermione breathed. "I don't want to do this forever, Harry,"

"I know. But if this works we won't have to. If we can get the Strategos voted out, they'll have no choice but to look for a replacement. I'm going on ten this year, so they'll test me to see how I'm faring in my father's tests. If I pass it with flying colors - which I will - then they might bring me in alongside a consultant. Someone who can help me make decisions. They won't bring me in without one," But he waved that away. "The point is, when I'm Strategos, I can prepare the EIAF fleets better than even the Hegemony Council. I can make sure we're ready for the next fleet,"

"You'll only be twelve when it arrives,"

"I know,"

"I think this is a good plan," said Kara, offering her opinion on the matter. "I've tested Harry's IQ myself, and it is startlingly high. And while he doesn't often show it to others, I believe he is more than intelligent enough to pull off this plan. The most important part of this is that everyone else fulfills their roles. The Headmaster. Mr. Weasley. The Strategos and Polemarch. The Hegemony. Congress. Even you, Hermione," Hermione visibly gulped on a ball in her throat at this, realization dawning over her. She would be participating in this as well. "Your essays as Kant will drive sympathy into the hearts of everyone in the world, and when the time comes, you will give Harry Potter an endorsement for the office of Strategos,"

"Because then no one would suspect that Harry was Machiavelli," Hermione whispered.

"And everyone knows that Machiavelli and Kant hate each other," Harry added. "No one would suspect he and I to be the same person if Kant supports me,"

"That's...genius. You would surely be voted in by popularity alone,"

Harry grinned. "Exactly,"

Kara clapped her holographic hands together, producing no sound. "So...when do we start?"

September 14th, 1989 | Hogwarts School, Scotland

The Great Hall of Hogwarts School was the size of a large ballroom, holding a few dozen large tables that each held a number of students. They were all wearing different types of uniforms. From buttoned-up shirts with ties to plain t-shirts, pants, skirts, maybe even a scarf or two here and there. It was the lunch hour for Years 5 through 8. Many students had their personal holodesks out, playing online games, catching up on homework, or accessing the Nets for the first time that morning. The entire hall was bustling with life, something that continued as the doors slid open to reveal none other than Harry Potter. But he wasn't in his uniform. He was wearing a black three-piece suit, which seemed to fit him perfectly. This was odd, seeing as most suits weren't made for nine-year-olds. Though he was rich, so who knows?

He casually strolled through the Great Hall, gaining many people's attention as he made his way towards the Headmaster. He and a few other teachers were up at the Teacher's Table, eating their lunch while going over class notes. At Harry's approach, Dumbledore lowered his holopad and got to his feet. He didn't look angry or even questioning. He looked...ready. As if seeing Harry in a suit seemed to tell the headmaster that Harry's being here was out of an important issue, and had nothing to do with school. When Harry reached the aging Headmaster, he smiled, extending his hand. "Headmaster Dumbledore,"

"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore shook his hand, something that seemed to stir a lot of whispering among the crowd of students. They had never seen a student so young shake hands with the professors. Only graduates tended to do that when receiving their diplomas. Never had they seen the Headmaster shake hands with a student out of...well...just to do it. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I wished to speak with you in private regarding a matter of planetary defense," Harry replied. Dumbledore's posture straightened at once, and he gave Harry a single nod. Together the two marched out of the Great Hall and into the Headmaster's private elevator, which rose to the top of the tower where his office resided. Once they arrived there, Dumbledore ushered Harry towards one of the seats opposite of his own. "This matter is not to be discussed with anyone outside of this office, Headmaster, for it may determine the outcome of not only this war, but the war that is three years away,"

Dumbledore gave Harry another nod. "I will not tell anyone. But Harry, I was not aware they had appointed you as Strategos at such a young age. I assume this was why you were absent for these past two weeks?"

"I was not appointed as Strategos, Headmaster," said Harry. Dumbledore frowned, leaning back as he assimilated this news. Now he was very curious. Why would this boy ask him to remain silent about these things or even be discussing them if he was not Strategos? "Headmaster. What I am about to tell you is confidential between only four individuals. If it were to get out, then the world as we know it could be in danger of destruction. Do you understand?" A hesitant nod. "Good. This has to do with the upcoming invasion of Earth in three weeks' time, as well as the second war coming to the Sol System in three years. Both of which may prove too disastrous to overcome conventionally,"

"Conventionally?"

"The normal means of war. They're too...restricted, to allow us to win. If we wish to destroy the Gravikasti before they kill us, then we need to do it swiftly and effectively. More effectively than the slipspace incidents in the Saturn and Asteroid Belt battles. We need to remove the entire fleet before they can reach Earth's surface. Because if they do, then we may as well lose," Harry explained. "What I'm proposing is killing two birds with one stone. Finishing one war while preparing for the next. All with one fell swoop,"

"What are you proposing?"

"I need your help, Headmaster. My colleagues and I have been working hard over the past few months in order to help end this war as soon as possible, but all of our efforts have seemed meaningless until now. Now we know exactly what we need to do in order to finish this. But we need your help in order to make it work," Harry swiped at Dumbledore's holotable, which suddenly clicked on to reveal a holomap of the Solar System. The Headmaster was shocked, unaware how Harry could possibly get into his holotable without so much as entering the password. But Dumbledore examined the map anyway. The human fleets were visible around Earth, while the Gravikasti fleet was rapidly approaching Mars.

"This is...how did you get this map?"

"I stole my dad's Level 10 Access Pass. But that isn't important. The important part is that they're getting closer, and our formation doesn't make sense. We have too many ships on the other side of the globe to make any meaningful defensive effort. We need to peel our forces forward in the shape of a cone here," He motioned towards the human fleet facing the incoming Gravikasti fleet. "Then we can eat away at the fleet from the inside, uncurling to surround the forward forces until there is nothing left. Either that or we send a thousand nukes towards the fleet. Which would probably be the best first option,"

"They tried nukes," Dumbledore pointed out.

"That's true. But not the type of nukes that I'm talking about. I'm talking about the experimental warheads being developed by NASA in order to jump up the speed of terraforming on planets. Something about the mushroom cloud it produces lets out enough greenhouse gases to kickstart an atmosphere, which they would then monitor and improve over time. If these experimental warheads were detonated in space, the reaction wouldn't be the same. The gases would work against the Gravikasti fleet, blinding their sensors from seeing anything in a 500m radius. That gives us ample room to sneak up and obliterate them before they have the chance to get even,"

"What about our ships?"

"They would be affected only if we didn't add Compound-X into the solution of gases. It would sterilize the gases so that they don't affect human vessels. The only thing that could go wrong is that it either doesn't work or their ships contain copper wire. Both would be bad news," Harry explained. "The warheads and the cone formation are my first two options. After those two are exhausted, we won't have much of a fleet remaining. We will be dependent on the military forces already on Earth to protect us. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that,"

"So what do you need from me?"

"I need you to distract the Strategos," When Dumbledore moved to reject the idea, Harry continued. "Strategos Hadely is unfit for his position if such a strategy was proposed by him. We need a Strategos that knows how to actually fight. Who knows how to think through situations like these rationally. So we plan to have him removed from office by revealing his unworthiness. Once that is done, a new and better Strategos will be appointed. Then we can be better prepared for the upcoming war against the Gravikasti,"

"And what leads you to believe that I can 'distract' the Strategos from his position? He will no doubt be in his office at all times waiting for the attack,"

"Don't worry, we have the how covered. All we need is for you to do it. Because whether you like the idea, this will determine the course of everyone's lives in the world. Do you trust me, Headmaster?"

"No," Was Dumbledore's simple reply.

Harry couldn't necessarily blame him. He was Harry's Headmaster, and the two had barely spoken more than a few sentences to each other in the past few years. Harry was sure that this was the longest conversation he had ever had with the Headmaster. But Harry, Hermione, Kara, and Neville's plan depended on Dumbledore's participation. This needed to happen. "Well...what if I told you a secret? One that no one but my colleagues knows?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow but leaned forward slightly. Was he...excited? No. He was anticipating. Gauging what exactly Harry was offering to tell him. "I'm Machiavelli,"

Silence. "You?"

"Yes,"

"You would need proof to convince me that you are -" The holotable flicked away from the holomap of the solar system and instead revealed several documents created by Kara linking Harry to Machiavelli, including restricted access codes and files. Dumbledore read over them quietly, until he eventually sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You...are Machiavelli,"

"In the flesh,"

"You wish to lead this war?"

"As efficiently as I can,"

"And you believe you can win?"

"We do," Harry replied.

"Than...I will help you,"

Three Hours Later

It wasn't until he had met with the Headmaster that Harry realized just how much prestige Machiavelli had already garnered. Dumbledore had gone from denying helping them to accept as soon as he learned that Harry was indeed Machiavelli. It had come as quite a shock to Harry that internally he questioned his ethics. If someone as good-natured as the Headmaster could agree with Machiavelli - a warmonger - then something might be wrong with the world. When Harry stepped onto the front lawn of the Weasley home, he was expecting much of the same thing, only he was greeted much warmer than he had been at Hogwarts. Mrs. Weasley ushered him into the kitchen, where she seated him at the kitchen table.

"You're here to speak with Arthur, dear?"

"Yes, ma'am,"

"Oh, please. None of that here. You've been here too many times for that," It was true. This hadn't been the first time Harry had been in the Weasley home. He and Ronald Weasley had become friends in Year 2, and Harry had come to the Weasley house at least three times after that point. Harry sighed. He remembered Molly Weasley's tendency to be a bit too overbearing and was beginning to regret coming here. Was Arthur even home? Of course, he was. She had practically confirmed that by letting him in. When he voiced his question, Molly smiled brightly. "Of course, dear. He's out in the shop. I'll go get him,"

Harry didn't see how that was necessary. He knew that there was a terminal inside their back garage that would allow for her to send him a message. But it seemed she was interested in seeing for herself what was going on in the garage. As if she didn't trust Arthur. Some kind of marital problems? Or was the man working on some new kind of project? By the time he had a chance to ask, Molly was gone, leaving Harry alone in the kitchen. All of her children were gone at Hogwarts, even Ginny, their youngest. So he waited. And waited. And waited. Until he eventually grew restless enough to investigate the reason for the delay.

Only when he exited the house, he was met with an awful sight. The garage was on fire, blazing in a yellow fire as smoke billowed into the air above. Arthur and Molly were lying on the ground by his feet, both unconscious from the explosion. But he hadn't heard an explosion. Something so close to the house would have alerted him. So he decided to do something very stupid. Investigate. Harry stepped up to the garage, ducking his head under a piece of debris so that he stood inside. There was smoke everywhere and it was hard to see, but what he could make out was an odd circular shape of...metal. It wasn't a bomb. That much he was sure of. But it looked like it had been dropped by something very high in the air if the crater below it said anything.

Despite the ability to breathe leaving him, Harry stumbled forward, his skin burning under his suit. His tie was burning, the bottom half falling away onto the floor. He eventually reached the object, and...touched it. Harry didn't mean to do that. He had meant to study it. Examine it first. See if he could identify its origins. But instead, he touched it. Placed his finger right onto the metal. And it burned. Burned so hot that Harry could feel his fingerprint peeling away in the heat. Yet he didn't pull away. The pain was unbearable - yes - but he couldn't do it. He couldn't move. His finger was locked onto the object, his breathing increasing in his fear of his immobility. And the breathing only made it worse given the smoke.

He needed to get out of there. To leave the metal object and go call for help. The Weasley's may have been injured, and this wasn't helping them. Only he still couldn't move. His feet were planted against the ground and his finger wouldn't leave the object. And so he was stuck there, slowly suffocating as harmful gases seeped into his lungs. Until eventually his hand went numb from the pain of touching the burning metal, and his legs gave out. Harry struck the floor hard, the last thing he saw being a bright flash of light and a blue image. Of a woman.

Hermione Granger was beginning to worry. After several hours of silence, she hadn't heard a word from Harry. Not since he had left for Hogwarts in the morning ten hours before. Now Hermione sat in Harry's room trying her best to type her latest entry on the forum, but she found herself unable to concentrate. Her mind continued to wander towards Harry and her worry for his safety. She had told him to take her with him but he had refused. Something about it only working if he went by himself. And she trusted him. Trusted him enough to go by himself. And now he was missing. Well...not missing. But he was gone. For a lot longer than he had said he would be.

"Kara...is Harry alright?"

Nothing. Silence. That was odd. Kara had replied five hours ago, informing Hermione that Harry had arrived at the Weasley residence. But now she preferred to remain silent. Had something happened? Or was Kara merely gone? Turning her massive amounts of attention elsewhere? Hermione wasn't entirely certain. So she published her response to one of Plato's entries on the forum and turned her own attention towards trying to locate Harry. Hermione started by accessing the Hegemony database using Harry's access codes. She hopes to find something there, but after a half-hour search, she found nothing. It was beginning to worry her.

"Hermione?" At the sound of her name, Hermione shot to her feet. It wasn't Harry. She knew that from the sound of their voice. No. It was his father, James. Mr. Potter. He and his wife, Lily. Harry's mum. They had stepped into the room, their eyes searching for Harry. "You're still here? Where's Harry?"

Quick to think of a lie, Hermione spoke. "He went out to get something for our project. We're close to finishing. Only a week or two...maybe three," She was setting the deadline for the invasion of Earth, which most people still didn't seem to know was coming. But what Hermione had said only made the Potters seem more agitated. Mr. Potter took a step forward, placing his hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Hermione...you've been a good friend of Harry's for the past few years," He spoke. Hermione frowned. She could sense that anxiety in his voice and the way he stood. Something was bothering him. "The alien fleet that was supposed to intercept Saturn a few weeks ago, you remember that, yes?" Hermione gave him an unsure nod. "It is closer than you might think. We only have three weeks until the fleet reaches Earth, and it's destroyed the fleets we have sent to oppose it. Members of the government are going into hiding beneath the surface, and we've all been given family suites to live in. But there are only four spots,"

He reached into his pocket, saving Hermione from the devastating thoughts that awaited her. The thoughts of abandonment and the possibility of her death in the invasion of Earth. Mr. Potter pulled out three small micro-chips, which he pressed into Hermione's hand. "These are your own tickets for your family. A gift from us to you. They will get you and your parents into the shelters,"

"I...thank you...so much," Hermione replied, at a loss for words. This was a lot. Too much.

But when she tried to refuse them, Mr. Potter only pushed them back into her outstretched hands. "These are for you. Frank and Alice got three as well. This will make sure you, Neville, and Harry are all safe together in the complexes below ground," And that was it. They left the room and returned to wherever it is they came from. Hermione, though, stood completely still. The world was preparing for the worst. Humanity was preparing for the dangerous future that the Gravikasti would win. That the alien species would decimate the planet's surface and cause global annihilation. And the elite...the prestigious few of humanity would be underground, waiting for a day to return that may never come.

She had to write about this. No. Harry needed to write about this. It would stir the tide of discussions and beliefs so drastically against Congress and the Hegemony that changes would need to be made. And perhaps then people would begin to rally in support of Machiavelli. They would see his good work and his mission to save humanity. They would see Congress' failure. The Hegemony's failure. And if all went the way it was supposed to, they would all follow Harry. His mission would succeed, and the corruption would end.

And so Hermione took a seat on the floor and began to pour over Harry's notes and past articles. She was familiar with his style of writing, seeing as she had replied to his posts over a thousand times in the past month. What would be difficult was replacing that style of writing and using it as your own. If she wanted to write as Machiavelli, she couldn't dare get it wrong. After all, this was the moment. This was the key topic of discussion that might shift the public view of war, peace, and the decision to war. Because the old way of life was not enough anymore. That much was evident in the cowardice of the elite. Things needed to change. And they would. Yet Harry and Kara were not there to see it.

Hermione felt herself silently cry out for them as she wrote down her first sentence, wishing they were there with her. But it was not so. They wouldn't return until they were safe and ready. And whenever that was...Hermione couldn't be sure.

Terms to Know:

Earth Fleets - The human fleets around Earth anticipating the arrival of the Gravikasti Fleet.

Compound-X - An experimental gas/liquid that protects human ships from harmful gases and radiation.