As ever, standard disclaimers apply.
Serat's stance and expression were the studied aloofness instinctive to all professional translators as he relayed his captain's words. "If your civilization were a spacefaring one already, you would merely be fined for trespassing even if you could prove that your presence was due to circumstances beyond your control. As it is, your world is classified as harboring only pre-stellar life and therefore there is much concern regarding your presence on another world. The security people want to interview you."
"And this means what, then?" Shacklebolt demanded wearily aware that this non-answer was hardly different from had been said before.
"That you be escorted to the nearest governmental facility for an interview."
"An interview?" The Auror stressed intentionally.
"Well, however many it takes to figure out what happened."
Snape gave a snort of disdain, and with exhausted gracelessness slumped back on the peculiar bed. "Someone left an artifact under a barrow in Wiltshire and it Apparated us here without our permission causing me the great discomfort of a crushed ankle."
"It isn't that simple."
"It never is."
The Healer chose that moment to interrupt with stern sounding words that were not translated. The Captain replied curtly then signaled Serat to explain. "Malla says you need to rest," he said to Snape, then turned to Shacklebolt, "the Captain will try to explain further over dinner."
The two wizards shared an exasperated look. It was obvious to them both that Snape was unwell. "Very well. But please don't try to give my companion any more shots." with that parting instruction, Shacklebolt let himself be led off to dine with the captain and a couple officers. It was an affair, as he expected that gave him neither answers nor confidence that this adventure was going to be anything but trouble. He nodded and acquiesced at all the right places, behaving exactly like the cooperative guest he wished to convince the aliens he could be. In due time he was escorted back to his guest quarters. He wasn't surprised to find the door warded - locked rather, though the thing did not have a normal handle or keyhole - against his leaving. Without bothering to undress, the Auror settled himself on the overlarge bed, folded his arms up under head, and let his keyed up thoughts careen about his skull as they would.
-
The skull-splitting wail of a banshee shoved the slumbering Auror from deepest slumber. Eyes snapped open and he'd rolled off the bed and to his feet before his mind caught on to the fact that the screech was not a banshee but a screaming Muggle alarm. Kingsley grabbed his wand and just as he took a step toward the door the room was plunged into complete darkness. "Lumos," he muttered and a soft illumination sprang to the tip of his wand. He crossed the room and pointed his wand at the door. "Alohomora."There was no sound of any lock disengaging, but he confidently moved forward.
The self-satisfied smirk died as the door slid quietly open just as a small contingent of armed aliens ran past. Startled, he stepped backward and readied a hex. But there was no need. Not a one of them even glanced his way. He listened to their pounding footsteps recede into the wail of the Muggle banshee.
What are you doing? He asked himself. The answer returned quickly. I'm an Auror. I'm doing my job. He wasn't really a guest, but a prisoner. He did not owe anything to these beings who answered questions with subterfuge. He gripped his wand tightly and moved cautiously into the corridor and back the way the runners had come.
The alarm cut off then leaving a thick cottony silence. The lighting remained eerily dim so he was fairly certain the emergency was not over. Whatever the emergency was, it probably was not one he wanted to spend separated from the only other wizard on board. Merlin could only guess what reaction the ill-tempered potions brewer was giving.
He hesitated at the lift but only briefly. It's indicator lights were all blank so he couldn't tell if it was functioning or stuck - and come to that, might there not already be people using it? There had to be another way. He grinned at the unobtrusive alcove just to the right of the lift. Emergency access had to be through the round portal embedded in the wall.
Unlike the rest of the doors in this space-faring vessel, this was a mechanical contraption and it was not very hard to get it open, slip inside and close it behind him. Darkness enveloped him. He could feel it loom like some enormous beast. He had only the faint light emanating from his wand tip to warn him that there was nothing but the ledge he was standing on keeping him from a long drop. The air was still and slightly musty. The faint wandlight glinted off broad rungs embedded in the wall on either side of the ledge. Apparently the designers envisioned the possibility of more than one repairman being needed at any one time.
Snape was several levels above, assuming he'd counted the blinking indicators in the lift correctly. And that assumed those indicators actually indicated floors. Heaving a great sigh, he began to climb.
It was shortly after his arms had finally begun to ache in earnest protest that he came upon the obstruction. It looked as if part of the wall had buckled inward. Crumpled metal steamed and hissed and cracked as it cooled. He stared at the mess for a moment. Transfigure it into something else? Say, cloth? And have whatever was on the other side fall on him? No... Levitation wasn't an option either. The metal was not separated from the wall of the ship. It was merely crumpled inward.
Too much thinking. Kingsley shook his head. Snape was, by his estimation, only two levels up. He'd already wasted enough time. He backed down one level and opened the portal there.
Immediately his nostrils were assaulted by the stinging reek of burnt plastic and singed metal. A fierce battle had taken place here. But the dearth of shouts and shots told him that it was long over. There were not even moans of wounded fighters. No bodies either. At least not near by. But he did hear voices. A voice. Speaking English.
-
Severus thought he should be used to rude awakenings by now, they happened so frequently. The only reason he was not instinctively overwhelmed by panic was no doubt due to the many Muggle potions forced into his blood. He was certain of it. What other reason could there be for him to be aware of all the shouting and thunder and screaming and...
Severus woke again. to the same cacophony of sound. His eyelids refused to open though, what with the weights holding them down. The explosion close to his right ear solved that problem and his eyes did then snap open. His body jerked as he tried to roll off the bed but was instead caught by some binding holding him fast.
There was almost no light but for strange flashes out at the periphery of his blurry vision. He felt, he heard things flying about - not his doing! Again he struggled with the almost magical bindings. Except they weren't magic and he couldn't fight them either physically or magically.
Something struck his legs solidly then bounced and clattered to the floor. Then a large silhouette loomed over him and the Healer's formed leaned over to shield him with her own broad body. They stayed that way for who knew how long; with the screaming and shouting and explosions carrying on who knew how close by. He struggled but she laid a hand flat against his chest and muttered softly words both of them knew he couldn't understand.
Only a moment later, she jerked and then collapsed on top of him, her limp body a crushing weight on his chest.
The shouting waned. The explosions became fewer. He felt the warmth of blood in his ear and on his neck. The Healer didn't move. She was unconscious or worse. Protecting him. He grit his teeth in shamed agony at this realization.
At last there was silence. Then slow footsteps. Then whispery voices.
At last the heavy limp weight was pulled off him and he looked up into alien faces that wore grim looks of triumph and curiosity. There came some more sounds that he was only barely aware of an totally unfamiliar with. Abruptly he was lifted up and placed, rather unexpectedly with care, over someone's shoulder. As he was carried out of the room he saw one of the aliens take his wand as well.
Curious.
-
"I'd be more than happy to send back the remains if there were any but there weren't." The words were in English, the voice belonged to the commander of this ship. Not to his translator but to the captain himself. They were clear words, spoken with the precise accent of a BBC journalist in tones clearly meant to placate his audience. "Indeed you should count yourself fortunate that my people were able to rescue your people before that world's native wildlife made a meal of them. Whoever it was that infiltrated the chamber has provided that meal. We will not waste time and energy on a futile search."
"Do not think to play me for a fool," a voice replied. "Do not think that because you travel from world to world encased in your Muggle ship that you are more powerful than I. You have seen my power and I know that at least your superiors are wise enough to respect it. Be glad that I have no desire for anything more than supremacy of my own world."
The Auror stifled a shocked gasp. Voldemort! That was Voldemort the captain was speaking with! The captain's voice returned. "Now, regarding your proposal, I belive we are in accord regarding the deposition of the survivors..." But Kingsley wasn't really listening any more. It had just become imperative that he get Snape and get off this ship. Ship! It had to have the space-going equivalent of lifeboats somewhere! He turned to skulk away with those thoughts foremost in mind. A niggling sense of imminent danger that was not merely panic raised by this latest revelation bade him bring his wand up in readiness for a fight.
The half dozen or so aliens that rounded the bend froze at the sight of the wizard. No one moved for a moment as they assessed one another. These men and women were not in any uniform. They did not look at all like anyone who belonged on the ship. These were the intruders that had made the alarms go off and they were still free!
The grey-haired female in the lead slowly raised her hand and brought it to her lips, tapping them gently with her long fingers. She cast her gaze toward the faint sound of the still ongoing conversation between alien Muggle and Terran Wizard. She then angled her head back the way she and her companions had just come and made a sweeping gesture that invited the smaller human to join them.
Kingsley grimaced. He didn't want to leave without Snape, but how to tell them that. Or did they know about the other wizard already? This exposed position in the battle-scarred hall was surely not the best place for a deep conversation, however. So he merely took a step forward and joined their ranks.