As ever, standard disclaimers apply.
No one spoke; no one moved. Kingsley's mirthless laugh faded to silence.
"You are amused because you think that there is nothing you know that we could not?" The woman asked.
"You folks have a fine opinion of yourselves," Kingsley replied bluntly. He leaned forward, resting his palms on the smooth top of the table with studied disdain. "Just because we don't flit about space as you do doesn't mean we are stupid." His low baritone reverberated with cool ire.
"We rescued you." The woman's voice was much harsher than the one coming from the small box-like translation artifact. "With the result of grievous injury to some of my people."
"We weren't being harmed." The Auror replied even though after having seen the conference going on between Voldemort and the captain he realized that at some point that would have very likely changed.
"We are aware of the many conflicts on your world," the woman continued without acknowledging his statement further. "But there are none like the one between your own people. Your kind is rare; you who can manipulate the very nature of Umyre." The last word did not translate. "Wizardkind. If you thought you were guests on that ship then you were deceived."
"Fine. We weren't guests, then." Snape growled with something like his former irascibility. "But they did rescue us from a hostile jungle." His dark glare demanded a more relevant explanation.
The woman stared silently at the smaller beings. "You stand on one side of a war between two factions of wizardkind. It is not the side being backed by your former hosts." She gestured to one of her underlings. "Is the recording queued?" The box translated even though she directed her query to the man at her side. At his gesture she looked back at the pair seated before her. "Watch."
It wasn't magic, but technology that brought to life the shrunken image of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the center of the table. It was not he who spoke, though, but Kingsley recognized the voice of the captain of the spaceship they'd been on. "I am fully authorized to close this bargain, Lord Voldemort. Dominion of this planet is yours. The other worlds are enough for us."
"Do not think me fool because I've not the weapons you have. We found this abandoned cache whose secrets, with or without your help, we will learn." The Dark Lord sneered, his reptilian-like features clearly displaying his ire. "I can kill one man with a word. It would not take much more to kill many men. As you have seen."
"Indeed, sir." The captain bowed his head, his features, however, remained expressionless. "But you have asked for our assistance, so clearly you do see us as formidable--"
"Allies." Voldemort interrupted to finish. "Or else I would not bother to bargain with you." He leaned back in the overlarge chair no doubt meant to seem a throne. "An alliance would make things easier for both of us. The Muggles are not powerless and should you descend upon this collection of worlds I have no doubt you would find their defense more than a little troublesome. With them under my rule, those useless planets are yours."
"Yes, we are all agreed on that. Our Parliament has issued a formal declaration in support of your rule."
"And aid?"
"All that you have requested but with some minor exceptions..." At this point the image winked out of existence.
"What are the exceptions?" Severus immediately asked.
"Fighters and technology no one on your world could possibly understand." The woman shrugged a dismissal of any further discussion.
"What do they want with unpopulated worlds?" Kingsley asked, frowning.
"Resources. But don't be fooled. Your planet will not be left alone. Though you are only beginning to explore the environs of your star system, you have excelled in the research of destructive instrumentation. Your species is one of the most efficiently destructive ever encountered. To have this resource available is not to be dismissed. This is true for those of you who are wizardkind as well as those of you who are not. Though I rather suspect the non-wizardkind would more easily assimilate advanced technology, it is your kind that attracts the keenest interest."
"So, your side is afraid the other side will get some sort of advantage," Kingsley prodded.
"I would be lying if I said I cared particularly about your world. There are so many worlds. But I will help you and yours if you will help us." She turned a violet-eyed gaze of sincerity on the two aliens.
Severus leaned back into the firm but comfortable contours of the chair. He was a man whose mind was full of holes; a mind missing facts and memories; a mind uncertain of itself. But he felt something and a word came to the fore as if by providence. His wand had been returned to him and its presence soothed his fingers. Legilimens, he whispered so softly that even Shaklebolt did not hear him.
He was tumbling, tumbling, without control and a terrible sharp pain lanced through his being. All at once he was assaulted by the brilliant and harsh light of a blue-white sun and the ear-splitting shriek of an alien child laughing. He couldn't see any cause; he couldn't see anything. He gasped and pulled away into sudden, frightening, but familiar darkness.
He felt a touch on his hand and then heard the other wizard's voice calling his name. He snapped his eyes open. Everyone was staring at him. "What...?" He let the question trail off.
"What happened? Are you all right now?" Concern made frown lines in the older wizards face.
"Yes fine."
"You cried out suddenly and then collapsed." The woman's voice came from somewhere behind Shacklebolt but he didn't try to look for her.
"I was ill during the trip here," Severus offered in a thin voice.
"Perhaps you should rest, then."
"No. I would rather remain."
"As you wish. I was about to explain that as your type is so rare even only a few of you working with us would help our cause."
"Ah, a cause," Severus murmured as he repositioned himself, sitting straighter in the overlarge chair, ignoring Shacklebolt's unasked for assistance.
"Well, perhaps not so much a cause as a resistance. They would enslave the entire galaxy if they could."
Kingsley favored the woman with a wry grimace. "Is there really any choice?"
The woman had the decency not to pretend sympathy she did not feel. "Not really," she answered. "But if you help us you will go home again."
"I see. What kind of help exactly?"
"Show us how you manipulate the Umyre."
"Look that's the second time you've used that word--"
"Come off it, Kingsley. They want to know how we do magic." Severus turned his fathomless dark eyes to the woman. "But if you're a Muggle no amount of understanding will enable you to do what even the weakest wizard or witch can do with ease." He leaned forward and dropped his voice to a husky rasp. "Don't look for miracles where none exist."
"We have seen your kind kill with only a few phrases. Your Lord Voldemort says he can kill with a single word."
"You have weapons that kill even more efficiently, more dead with a single shot." Shacklebolt argued before Severus could.
"But you can twist the fabric of spacetime itself!"
Severus was confused. But Shacklebolt snorted. "No actually, we can't. You don't understand anything about us. Magic is an innate talent; it is part of nature not separate from it. I'm not even sure what you think that means, 'twist the fabric of spacetime?'"
Surprisingly, the woman kept her temper. "Maybe you cannot," she replied slowly, "but he can. Oh yes, I was told how the slip into and out of hyperspace made him very ill. He is especially sensitive to the Umyre."
Severus merely frowned as Shacklebolt's head swung around to follow the woman's pointed finger. The Auror, however, wasted no more time with curiosity or surprise. He quickly returned his attention to the alien woman. "You know what? I don't care. I don't care about your war, I don't care about manipulating spacetime -- whatever that means -- I don't care which side is the oppressor -- if any side is! We're tired, we're a long way from where we belong, and we aren't helping anyone with anything until we get back home." Following this outburst he folded his arms across his chest and glared.
"I won't waste time with you. If you don't co-operate I will simply have you killed." There was a finality in her tone -- both the real one and the translated one -- that made it clear she was ready to do just that.
"Kingsley..." Severus murmured softly.
The Auror released a long sigh. "All right. We'll cooperate."
----