Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and any other characters, terminology and ideas are the property of their respective copyright holders.
Babylon 5, Crusade and any other ideas, characters and terminology is also the copyright of their respective copyright holders.
Inter Planetary eXpeditations, Harry's Journey
By Tangerine Alert
Chapter 5 – New Beginnings and Old Fights
After arriving back at one of IPX's home bases, Harry had a lot of paper work to catch up on, reports and cataloguing from various planets, people who'd been hurt, artefacts which needed reports…
It all took time and before he knew it 6 months had passed, Harry hadn't even noticed the time passing. He sometimes went out on patrols for IPX, in a small fighter around planets occupied by IPX, routine checks…
Before he knew it he had been station bound for a year.
The guys in charge saw fit to put him out on a planet, a large old and quite dead planet with Max and his team, the wanted a mix, they had a pilot…someone called Trace, Harry had worked with him a few times before. Max was going along as well as an 8 person team, plus Harry who was going along as another expert and as a qualified Thunderbolt and shuttle pilot, not that they were going to leave him with a Thunderbolt.
"So what's this planet called?" Harry had asked when Max had dropped round.
"Ceti 4. It has everything you want, a supposedly hidden city buried below the sands, great tall plinths of solid stone…all untouched for…"
"And what makes this one so special?"
"Harry?"
"Well there are more than a few dead worlds…"
"Trade Harry…doesn't Professor James remember anything…"
"Yeah well telling me planet's name doesn't really place it in space…"
"It was a planet along a major trade route…"
"Before jumpgates…"
"Yes…and no…there is also evidence near Ceti 4's moon of remnants of a jump gate, an old one which must have fallen apart sometime ago…"
"Sounds interesting..."
And so 4 months later after much planning they were sorting out everything on Ceti 4…the atmosphere being rather dense would mean they were cut off from the rest of the universe, they could contact their ship when it came back into orbit…but other wise…But they were well off the trade routes…which is what made the planet so ripe for exploration.
Harry had insisted with IPX officials to take with them ample weapons…however Harry was the only one with enough experience to handle them, well Max as well as he was the team leader…plus some others 'unofficially'.
"You can never be too careful…" Harry had muttered when Max had questioned him.
They had been on the planet for a month and a half, Harry and Max were sitting on opposite swings which dangled down on rock faces of large stone figurines…
Harry turned as he saw something burning and crash landing through the atmosphere.
"Harry you see that?"
"Yeah…"
"Never a dull moment…"
A few hours later they and the rest of the team were sitting around looking at the notes that Max and Harry had deciphered…
"So they're an alien race…who've been fighting with us?" One of the younger people said.
"About sums it up…" Max said looking around.
"I think we should get to cover." Another of the people said.
Harry just nodded.
"I think I should take the shuttle up…see if I can get a signal out…" Trace said.
"Why do you get to take the shuttle?" one of the archaeologists asked.
"Well, it only holds four…and only has enough oxygen for 12 hours…"
"And there are no jumpgates in the area so you're not deserting us." Harry said smiling.
"So Trace will take the shuttle, everyone take what you can…we'll go to those caves that we discovered…they should afford protection…" Max said looking around his team.
Harry nodded to him.
"Max, I'll stick behind, I'll set up some things and follow on after…"
Max nodded and left to organise the others…
Barely 15 minutes later Harry watched as Trace lifted off then the Ceti 4 team trudged off carrying their various possessions. Harry stuffed his backpack on and looked at a large contained and muttered a levitation charm, it floated harmlessly into the air.
He spent the next hour laying explosive charges, he left just enough room on the opposite side for Trace to land, before he walked back through the explosive laden area, checking everything. Harry watched Trace land.
"Need any help Harry?" His com pen twittered.
"No…in fact I'd stand back…it's a veritable minefield… go into the caves, I'll follow…" Harry looked in the box, there were 5 PPG rifles, grabbing them Harry took off for the caves.
It had taken Max barely an hour to get the lights on and everything working they could hold up in here for a long amount of time. They were sitting chatting when Max's comm.unit blipped.
"This is Captain Matthew Giddeon of the EAS Excalibur to IPX team…"
"Who are you…in fact I don't care who you are…"
"We followed your modified beacon however we can't locate you…"
"We're inside a set of caves east of our main camp."
"We see you IPX, stand by you have several hostiles on approach…"
"Max…I can deal with the major of them…" Harry held up a box which had a run arm button.
"Stand by Excalibur…one of my team may deal with the forces." Max sighed.
"IPX repeat…"
Harry grinned and hit the button. Several loud sequential explosions went off, taking out ¾ of the Drakh advance guard…
Gideon looked on wide eyed as he saw some heavy duty explosive rip through the advancing guard and ordered the thunderbolts to take out the remaining.
As he wandered into the city he found two people muttering over piece of paper.
"Max Eillerson, my associate Harry James…I assume you're Captain Gideon?"
"Yes…who was it that laid those explosives?" The Captain looked around for some sign of a military force.
"That would be me Captain."
"You're an archaeologist…who can set explosive…?"
"Among many things Captain…but that wouldn't be the biggest of our worries…"
"The aliens, have signalled their ship, there are reinforcements on their way…" Max started.
"They will be here in about 8 hours, and we're not talking baby ships here…"
"How did you…?"
"Harry and I are rather gifted with languages…and in between blowing up things Harry was…"
"I was able to hack into their computer ID systems and locate the call signs for their ships…"
"Now if we could just get off this planet…up to your nice protected ship…" Max started.
"Just a second, I need you…both of you to come with me to the ship…to talk to whoever, whatever is there…and to get through it's computer systems…
So after another hike across the plains they were creeping through the Drakh ship, after a minor ambush they had located the surviving Drakh…
Harry got an odd vibe when they were in the ship, he wasn't sure whether it was the woman Dureena…she moved like a hunter…a warrior…but there was something else. As he was leaving he caught sight of someone saving the Captain's back…with energy, he thought he saw a dark cloak…
Back on the ship he and Max were in with the captive, the captain walked in.
"Well?" He asked the two, who seemed more unlike than the other.
Max sighed. "Basically he considers himself a prisoner of war, he won't do anything to betray his people nor say anything, he won't reveal anything…"
Harry held up his hand, he had been leaning against the opposite wall, listening and watching the creature while Max worked.
"Mr James?"
"He can understand us, he knows that we won't kill him…"
"How…?"
"Body language, facial flinches…"
The captain looked at the Drakh. "Well you can, can you…no we won't kill you…what we will is send you back to Earth there are a lot of people down there that want to talk to you…then you'll have the same amount of life as every person on Earth…"
"And when your world is like the ashes dusting space, your race dead…"
Harry sat in the mess hall, reading through the reports and watching the battle again.
"It's crap isn't it?" Max sat down opposite him.
"Earth being…this…" Harry jabbed the screen. Max nodded.
"Yeah…"
The sat in silence, whiles a battle raged on outside the ship…they heard every so often a clang and shudder as the ship adjusted to it's attackers.
Many hours later as the Drakh had been transferred, he and Max were called into a meeting with the Captain and one of the high up IPX big wigs…they were being asked to assist the mission of mercy, plus any discoveries not related to the plague went to IPX…
Harry said yes right away, Max thought about it for a moment before nodding.
They were in orbit of Io taking on final supplies, Harry had brought up several things he had collected up to his quarters on the ship, they were a nice size too, considering he wasn't an officer…
Harry was flipping through one of his books when the door chimed. There was an IPX guy standing outside with a package.
"Professor Harry James P…"
"Yes." Harry cut him off swiping his card. "What's this?"
"Package has been waiting for you just after you left for Ceti…there's an extra response on the system for you as well, emergency priority from Felsecar."
Harry thanked him and put the package down and walked over to the terminal.
There was a recent message only a day or two old from Mione.
Harry…
You've heard what's happened to Earth…
We're all in overdrive here…
We each are allowed to send something to the ones we care for…I found out you're on the Excalibur, a fitting name…
You should have the package I sent you…some friends to watch over you on your journey…
Write back if you can…and don't get yourself killed!
(Dr) Mione Granger.
Harry chuckled before opening the package. Inside were two carefully drawn and painted pictures, one was of a man in grey and dark blue robes, with a flag rippling in the background of a wolf.
The other was a man in long black robes also standing on a field of green grass in front of a flag with a large black dog…a grim, both were simply framed. Harry smiled, a tear rolling down his face as he placed the two paintings in his living area…
"And let the adventure begin…"
Professor Harry James's journey will continue soon in Inter Planetary expeditations, Harry's Adventure