Chapter Two
The Star Destroyer Griffon entered orbit of the planet Coruscant, now a very different world then the one Luke remembered from just six years ago. The Yuuzhan Vong invasion had left many worlds scared beyond all recognition, but none were so scared as the Republic's Capital world.
The Yuuzhan Vong had chosen Coruscant to be their Capital world as it been for the New Republic and the Empire before, and so had begun a process of transformation that would strip the planet of all aspects of high technology which they found blasphemous. Buildings had crumbled, killings millions and even billions during the harsh years of Vong occupation.
When the Yuuzhan Vong were finally driven from Coruscant many argued that the world should be abandoned, that the Republic should allow it to remain a barren and harsh world, never to be occupied again by galactic governments. The Republic however, had decided that too much history, and tradition were wrapped up in the old galactic capital to let it lie fallow. Beside that, the argument went, leaving Coruscant in its "Vongaformed" state was a tactic admission of defeat.
Already ten, fifty kilometre diameter, safe zones had been built to handle the hundreds of millions of refugees who had survived the planet's fall. Thousands of teams searched the underground warrens for survivors and thousands were being brought in every day.
One such Safe Zone was now occupying the place were the Imperial City once stood. The Chief-of-State for the New Republic, now known as the Galactic Alliance, as well as some of the major government offices had moved back to this enclave in preparation to re-establish the Capital there. The Senate as well as the new Jedi Council were for the present still operating on the provisional Capital of Mon Calamari.
An Alliance fleet guarded the planet from possible attack from any hostile force, either Yuuzhan Vong or one of the new warlords that had emerged in the last few years, Star Destroyers and Heavy Cruisers formed a wall in high orbit of the former capital world.
The shuttle carrying Meduk and Skywalker down the planet landed at the rebuilt Palace Starport not far from the newly built Government Buildings. Once they had arrived, Luke's position allowed him to quickly gain access to the Chief-of-State.
"Chief-of-State Cal Omas," Luke began, "This is Admiral Tealera Meduk on the Galactic Alliance Defence Force. Cal, we have a problem."
A few hours later the Ruling council had been convened to here Luke and Tealera's report.
"Nearly twenty-five years ago I led an Imperial mission to a distant galaxy," Meduk reported to the Council, "These creatures, whom the native inhabitants of that galaxy called Magog, were a major threat to those worlds. They had been a major factor in the destruction of a multi-galactic Commonwealth, not dissimilar from our own Alliance."
"The Magog are an aggressive species," Luke added, "They use sentient beings as incubators for they're young. These larval Magog, eat their way out of the host body with great pain, often leaving the host entirely awake during the process. Those sentience not used as incubators, are used as food. Magog seem to prefer sentience like over all others for sustenance."
"Master Skywalker," Cal Omas started, "I appreciate the danger, and I have no desire to relive past mistakes, but the Galactic Alliance does not have the resources to fight another war."
"By now," Meduk replied, "All the people of Khomm are either dead or dying. We may still be putting things back together from the last war, but we need to act now."
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"Harper, please," Rev Bem was saying, "Your making this harder than it has to be."
Both Harper and the reformed Magog were standing in the landing bay, prepping the small Wayist vessel for launch.
"You know how it is Rev," Harper was saying, "We don't get to see you much, I mean its been a year since you were last aboard during that whole Imperial thing, and it's hard to see you go."
"Harper, you know I cannot stay," Rev told him sadly, "There is much work to be done, much to atone for."
"We've been through this before Rev," Harper replied, "You have things you need to do. Maybe I could go with you."
"Harper, your needed here," Rev replied in shock.
"Not really," Harper told him, "We've got nearly a full crew now, over four thousand strong, including engineers. While none of them are as skilled, or good looking as me, they can do the job without me.
"At least for a while."
"Harper, where I must go, you do not want to follow," Rev answered, "Though your offer mean a great deal to me, it is too much a danger for you.
"I am sorry."
At that moment the ships illumination levels dropped to battle lighting and the klaxons began to wail.
On the Command Deck, Dylan Hunt is standing at his Captain's station wearing the dress down uniform he had come to favour.
"Andromeda, report," Dylan called.
"A large Magog swarm has just come out of slipstream, the video representation of Andromeda reported, "Too many for us to handle."
"Take us into slipstream," Dylan ordered forgetting that it was Trance standing at the Pilot's station as he focused on the oncoming danger.
"Transiting into slipstream in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2..," the ship lurched and shook much more violently then it normally would as it made the shift into the alternate reality of slipstream.
Dylan looked back, surprised to that it was Trance who had made the jump, she had not piloted through slipstream since they had first encountered the Worldship almost two years ago.
Andromeda began to buck and weave as Trance began to fight the stream, banging into the superthreads that bound worlds and galaxies together.
"Trance," Dylan called, "Don't fight the stream."
"It started it," the gold skinned girl replied.
Finally with another incredible lurch Andromeda exited slipstream.
All around command crew members were picking themselves up from the deck, as Dylan himself tried to regain some of his composure.
"Trance, what have you done," Dylan asked.
"I'm not really sure, yet," she responded cryptically.
"Dylan, star positions match nothing in our records," Andromeda reported, "I have no idea where we are."
"Captian Hunt, we're detecting a large force of ships in orbit of planet in this system," the sensor station reported.
"Dylan," a stunned Andromeda said, "They're Star Destroyers, and there is one approaching."
"Battle stations," Dylan ordered.
Luke, Meduk and Cal Omas continued to discuss the Magog issue privately long after the meeting with the Ruling Council. The Chief-of-State was trying to grill every detail out of the others memories from over twenty years prior.
A comlink beeped on Cal Omas' desk and he answered the channel.
"What is it," the tired leader asked.
"Sir, an unidentified ship has entered the system. It appears to be a warship and is not answering any of our hails."
"Send us the tactical feed," Meduk ordered over the comm., and the image of a large vessel appeared on the holopad on Omas' desk.
Both Meduk and Luke became absolutely fixed on the image in front of them. Omas looked on with some surprise of his own at the completely alien design of the ship as well as the reaction of the two sitting in front of him.
"Is that Magog," he asked.
"No," Luke replied, "That's the Andromeda, the Commonwealth ship we served on."
"Which Star Destroyer is that," Meduk asked in reference to the ship going to meet the Andromeda.
"The Griffon, Ma'am," the voice returned.
"Order the Griffon to try their hails on the radio band," Meduk ordered, "Tell them to greet the Andromeda Ascendant and escort that ship into planetary orbit, compliments of Tealera Meduk and Luke Skywalker."
"Andromeda Ascendant," the message rang out from the Star Destroyer, "This is the Galactic Alliance Star Destroyer Griffon. Welcome to Coruscant.
"We are ordered to escort you into orbit and to send the compliments of Admiral Tealera Meduk and Master Luke Skywalker."
Trance turned the Pilot's station over to Beka as Dylan tried to get over his shock. It didn't make any sense after all, Meduk and Skywalker were on the other side of the universe and five thousand years in the past, by Rommie's estimate. They could not be here.
"Dylan," Rommie said as she strolled onto Command, "I think I know where we are."
Dylan nodded for her to continue.
"We still have one damaged Imperial shuttle in our landing bays, Harper has been tinkering with it for months without much luck," Rommie told them, "But the navigational computer was still on line.
"I crossed referenced the navigational data from the shuttle with current star positions. We are in orbit of the planet officially designated Imperial Centre, but also known as Coruscant, the capital of the Empire. Star position however, would indicate that more then twenty years had passed in this galaxy since the shuttle navigational data was current."
"What exactly are you saying," Tyr demanded from the tactical station.
"We have travelled over five thousand years into the past to a point approximately twenty-five years after the Imperial mission to our galaxy began. From their perspective."
"Shouldn't we maybe answer the big, powerful Star Destroyer that is bearing down us, and tell them what is going on," Beka asked.
Dylan opened the channel, "Star Destroyer Griffon, this is Captian Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant. Lead the way."
"What the hell happened down there," Dylan said as he reviewed the orbital data. The planet looked as though it had been completely covered in cityscape, now much of that lay destroyed.
"I think we're about to find out," Rev said from the communication section, "A shuttle has launched from the surface and is requesting permission to dock."
Dylan nodded his accent.
"Beka, Tyr and Harper," Dylan called, "Join me in the launch bay."
A few moments later a large, white, vaguely insectoid shuttle landed aboard the Andromeda. The access ramp opened and five figures exited the ship. The two non-humans were obviously security or perhaps body guards, one was tall will two large appendages dangling from his head and the other even taller and looked like nothing more then ancient Earth legend of the Big Foot.. The first human was a much older but wiser looking Tealera Meduk, the other two were not recognizable but both human.
It was Harper who first recognized the robbed figure along side Meduk.
"Hey, that's Luke Skywalker," Harper whispered to Dylan.
To Dylan's surprise he realized that Harper was right, this man however looked nothing like the young man, Dylan had known only a year ago- from his perspective.
As the group approached, Dylan could see the surprise on the face of Tealera as she got her first good look at the Andromeda crew.
"The years have been good to you, Captian Hunt," Meduk said with surprise.
"It's a long story Admiral," Dylan replied, "One I'll be glad to share."
"Of course," Meduk responded and than turned to introduce her party, "I imagine that you would remember Master Luke Skywalker."
"A pleasure to see you again Luke," Dylan said with a nod and the now much older man.
"And this is our Chief-of-State, Cal Omas," Meduk continued.
"I didn't realize, that we would be receiving you, your Excellency," Dylan began, "But it is a pleasure non the less."
"No need to worry Captian," Omas responded, "There has been little use for fanfare in the last few years."
"Captian Hunt," Luke spoke for the first time, "I'm afraid we must cut the pleasantries short. The Magog are invading our galaxy and we need your help."