Title: Defender's Path
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Phantom Menace for Star Wars. New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are all ignored. At least the first three or four Harry Potter Books, there will be some changes.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: Don't own em, if I did, I would be worth millions.
Summary: When an accident occurs with a potions experiment, Harry and Hermione wake up in a strange place, but that is not all that is different. Set in Seventh Year, Cross with Star Wars.
" " denotes speech, ' ' denotes thought.
AN: There is no correlation between the HP Verse Timeline and the SW Verse Timeline. Time does move faster in SW than HP but each storyline is told semi independently. The placement in the story had no significant meaning.
AN2: No, the Susan Bones that is Minister for Magic is not the one that went through Hogwarts with the gang. It is her Mother.
Harry walked into the small cabin and dumped the groceries down on the kitchen bench.
"Mione. I'm back." He called as he began to unpack the food into the fridge and cupboards.
Harry was dressed in a pair of khaki green pants, with numerous pockets, boots, a white t-shirt and a black jacket. For the last six months Harry and Hermione had been on leave from the Jedi Temple, much needed time to recuperate. They had come to this small, virtually unknown planet that was technically neither in the Republic nor a part of the Outer Rim. The almost undeveloped planet was only visited by two types. Merchants who dealt in the rare and valuable woods that were logged on the planet and the small but dedicated sports fishers of the Galaxy. Upon arrival they had given the impression that they were the latter.
The system, let alone this particular planet, had not seen a Jedi in almost ten generations, so they had been able to walk around with both their new lightsabers, which they had made back at the temple before their leave, and their wands easily accessible. Their Padawan braids also did not cause any comment. Not that they had been to either of the two settlements nearby that much.
Hermione emerged from the other room. She was dressed in what passed for jeans and a simple white blouse. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, except for her Padawan braid. The scar down the left side of Hermione's face had faded from its initial angry, infected red to a simple line, but a line that Harry could not look at without feeling shame.
"All the arrangements set?" she asked.
"Yes." He replied. "Everything's ready for next week."
They spent the next few hours on the back veranda of the cabin, watching the wildlife over the large lake and the sun sink down towards the horizon, Harry's arm over the back of the two seater bench, and Hermione's head resting on his shoulder.
This would all be over soon. Their leave was almost up.
Hermione set the small transport down on the main Jedi landing pad. Harry and Hermione grabbed their duffle bags, slinging them over one shoulder, and made their way out onto the pad, where they were met by a small party. Masters Windu, Yoda and Gallia were waiting, along with Jasmine Bores and Anakin Skywalker.
"Welcome back, Padawan." Master Windu said.
"Too see you again, pleased I am." Yoda added.
Anakin and Jasmine both approached the new arrivals, Harry and Anakin shook hands while Jasmine and Hermione hugged.
"It's good to see you, Harry. Especially now." Anakin said.
"Why now? What's happened?" Hermione asked, her scar restricting her facial muscles enough that her expression was a lot meaner than she intended.
"It's Marcus." Jasmine said. "He's dead."
"How?" Harry asked.
"He was killed during a trade negotiation in the outer rim with his Master." Master Gallia said. "They blew up the entire dock as soon as they touched down."
Harry and Hermione paused for a second.
"Jasmine, we are going to need drinks. Usual mix, but include some real alcohol, no synthahol." Hermione ordered, starting to move off with Jasmine.
"Anakin, you get the food. Just nibbles and such, I'll organise the room." Harry was saying to Anakin at the same time, heading off in another direction.
"Hold it!" Mace Windu ordered, bringing everyone to a stop. "Padawan's Granger and Potter, we already have a memorial service scheduled to commemorate Padawan Wiseman's death."
"This isn't a memorial service, Master Windu." Harry said. "It's a wake."
"Familiar with this, I am not. Wake, what is?" Master Yoda said.
"We will not be commemorating his death." Hermione replied. "We will celebrate his life."
"Birthday Party, like. Yes?" Yoda said, getting a nod from the British Padawan's. "Attend I shall. Found Padawan Wiseman I did."
"Alright. Everyone, except those with a moral objection or where it would cause severe nervous dysfunction, grab a real Alcohol drink. The others take another kind of drink." Harry said to the gathering.
The gathering was made up of Padawan's, a few Jedi Knights and a number of Masters from the Council. Harry, Hermione, Jasmine and Anakin had told a number of stories about Marcus' life. Even Yoda had told a story or two about him as a youngling.
"To Marcus." Hermione said, raising her glass.
"To Marcus." Harry responded, followed by everyone else.
The Wake began to break up after the toast. Harry and Hermione were farewelling the guests at opposite ends of the room when Master Windu approached Harry.
"Sorry to do this now but the Council has a mission for you." Mace said.
Harry glanced across to see Master Gallia talking with Hermione.
"Now?" Harry asked.
"The mission itself will not start for a few weeks, but you will need to start preparations tomorrow." Mace replied. "Padawan Granger is being given her own mission."
Harry nodded, gathering his thoughts about being away from Hermione for an extended period of time.
"Also another thing needs to happen before you leave on your mission." Master Windu added.
Harry merely looked at the black Master, hiding his frustration at both the drawn out way of his Master, and that the morning of his friend is being usurped.
"Your Trials." Mace said with a small grin.
Ron and Ginny walked into the main hall of the Hogwarts Castle. The Castle was vastly different then when they had been students. Ron was in his SAS Sergeant's uniform, his left arm bound in a sling, while Ginny was limping, her thigh having been hit by a cutting curse, but proud in her Airborne uniform. The Great Hall had been turned from a dining room into a command centre for the effort to drive the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters out of England. There were people rushing everywhere, the kind of controlled chaos that you found in well organised and run military command structures, but with uniforms of every branch of the Service mixed in with the robes of Witches and Wizards.
Ron saw Padma Patel off to one side, awaiting messages to deliver. Ron and Padma's eyes met for a second but they gave no greeting or indications of intimacy. What had happened, had happened. It may happen again but there were no expectations or attachments. Colin Creevey rushed into the room and joined a discussion around one of the side tables, rolling out a large piece of paper. No one was surprised that the little shutterbug had gotten into the photo-recognisance division.
The two Weasley's followed instructions and reported to a young army Captain who was to be their superior until they recovered enough to rejoin their units.
"Sergeant Ron Weasley, reporting as Ordered."
"Magical Specialist Ginny Weasley, reporting, Captain."
Captain Oliver Wood returned the salutes he had received, and lead the pair out of the Great Hall and up the main stairs.
"While here, you will be working under me in the intelligence division. Our job is to try and figure out what moves the enemy will be making and decipher any intercepted intelligence." Oliver explained as he led them up the stairs and down one of the corridors. "We are all Purebloods, so the theory goes that we would have a better understanding of the enemy's reasoning. A muggle and muggle born group is performing their own analysis on everything we look at too."
Oliver led them into what was once a classroom but now acted as a think-tank room. Inside were eight Witches and Wizards. Four, who Ron and Ginny did not, or vaguely, recognise were all dressed in military uniforms and had injuries. One Army, two Marines and one Air Force. Also there was Neville Longbottom, who was dressed in the uniform of the Medical Corp; Cho Chang; Daphne Greengrass and Luna Lovegood.
Ron and Ginny took seats around one of the three large tables set up and began to work through the intelligence data the group was working on.
'Things are much simpler on the ground.' Ron quickly decided.
"Sergeant Dursley." One of the offices said, entering into the mess hall.
Harry looked up at the mention of his cover name. For the last two years he had been under cover, working in the military branch of one of the major smuggling ring operations. He got up from the mess table where he had been eating with his squad and moved over to the entrance of the mess hall.
"Yes, Lieutenant?" Harry asked.
"Sergeant James Dursley, I would like you to meet Sergeant Luna Evans." The Lieutenant replied.
A female figure stepped through the doorway, her hair kept back in a mid-length ponytail, dressed in a uniform and her face bisected by a familiar scar. They were both able to keep the surprise and recognition from their faces and voices.
"A pleasure to meet you Sergeant." Harry said.
"Likewise." Hermione responded. "I'm looking forward to working with you and your squad."
"Indeed." Harry nodded.
Harry suspected that Hermione's mission was much the same as his. They had both been sent to infiltrate different criminal organisations through their military or enforcer sections. Their orders were to gather intelligence and, where possible to divert or minimise the ability of these organisations to bring trained guns to a situation that threatened civilians or government operations.
"Dursley, finish your meal and get your squad squared away while I escort Evans to the Non-Com barracks." The Lieutenant said. "Mission briefing in half an hour."
"Yes Sir." Harry said, snapping off a salute. "Sir, is it the Hutt Clans or Republic Security?"
"Neither." The Lieutenant replied. "See you at the Briefing."
TBC…