Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction based on the Star Wars and Harry Potter universes. All recognizable characters, plots, and settings are the exclusive property of J.K. Rowling, Lucasfilm, and their various corporate partners. I make no claim to ownership, nor do I make any profit.

Author's Note: This chapter is rated T for usage of crude language.

Acknowledgment: A very big thank you to Asmodeus Stahl, 1saaa, Nauze, and Saliient91 for their incredible work on this chapter. They're all brilliant authors as well, so please check out their stories!

Across the Stars

By Luq707

Chapter II

Harry woke up irritably to find his stomach growling. He had gone to sleep not long after he realized that he was on a different planet. Now, his course of action was to find food and a way to get off this damned place so that he could return to Earth.

Going to the bank of the lake, he noticed a small stream of smoke rising from a location probably half a mile away from him.

Well, chin up, Harry, and try not to get eaten by aliens.

That morbid thought established, Harry moved swiftly towards the smoke.

Around ten minutes later, he found a human and a… he didn't quite know how to describe it, but it was an amphibious creature that looked like… a walking frog?

But that wasn't what caught his attention. There was a human. A live human, standing feet away from him.

So, humans are established on multiple planets. Or human lookalikes, at least. He cleared his throat to announce his presence.

Walking awkwardly into the clearing, he asked in English: "Excuse me, would you happen to have any food?"

The human was of a moderate height, with black hair, blue eyes, and ungroomed stubble. He replied, shockingly, in English, that there was a town around two miles south of their location where he could acquire food, and that he couldn't miss it.

In addition, he asked, "If you don't mind me asking, where in the galaxy are you from? Your method of speaking is different from anything I've heard, and I've been to many places." The man spoke with a light accent. Almost… American, but not quite.

There must be other planets populated by humans too, then…

"I'm from a planet millions of light-years away from here, at the very least. It was a pure accident that I ended up here."

At this point, the alien jumped in and shook his hand enthusiastically. Harry shook it lightly. The alien's reddish skin felt odd in his hands. It was unmistakably amphibious, but there was no doubt that it had human characteristics.

"Hello! Mesa namen Jar Jar Binks! Mesa Gungan! Happy to see yousa!"

The human ushered Harry a few paces from the alien. "Given the expression on your face, I doubt you recognize his species. As he mentioned, he's a Gungan. Native to this planet, Naboo."

"I see."

The human looked at him appraisingly, before holding out a hand. "Biggs Rygaard. If you need anything, give me a call and I can help you—for a price of course."

Harry clasped the hand and shook it firmly. "I'll keep it in mind, thanks. Harry Potter; pleased to meet you."

"Naboo ain't a bad place, Potter. There are worse places to end up, after all."

Harry nodded in acknowledgment before turning away from the pair and beginning his journey to the town.

It took Harry half an hour to arrive at the village.

It was small, picturesque, with moderately-sized white stucco houses and red-tiled roofs. The forest had given way to a large field with long, wild grasses a mile or so into his trek. The sun beat down with intensity, and while it had felt cool in the forest, the sun's presence was much more acute now.

The houses were decently spaced apart and, in the center of the village, there was a market and plaza. There were three metal platforms in the center of the town, and as he walked through the dirt roads into the town square, he noticed a commotion in the town square.

"What's going on?" he asked someone nearby.

The person seemed to growl. "The Trade Federation has come to make a new trading deal with us. They're levying taxes on our food surpluses."

"How can they do that?" he asked.

One of the other townsfolk gave him an odd look. "They're the most powerful trading guild in the galaxy."

"Why are they so powerful?" He was drawing more odd glances. I'm going to have to find a better place to ask these questions. It'd be better to not attract undue attention.

"They have a seat in the Galactic Senate," another villager answered.

"I see," he responded. I'll have to ask about this "galactic senate" too.

Some hours later, he entered a bar; it was filled with the loud sounds of music and conversation. Lights flashed everywhere, and the counter was lit by blocks of light. The band was in the corner on a small stage, composed of multiple sentient species, or so it seemed. He seated himself at the counter and looked around for someone who would be able to resolve the pressing questions on his mind.

"So," he said to a green alien seated next to him, "what can you tell me about Naboo?"

"Wha' d'you wanna know?" His voice was slurred.

"Oh, nothing much. Just… you know, who runs the place and all that."

"R… r… runs the place?" The alien laughed heartily and sneezed. "That'd be Queen Padmé Amidala." He sneezed again.

"What can you tell me about this Queen Amidala?" asked Harry, sipping his drink.

The alien looked around for a moment, before ushering Harry closer, gripping his arm. Harry could acutely smell the stench of liquor on his breath.

"Well…" the alien slowly started, "I'd say she… she's a mighty beauty."

He let out a hearty laugh, slapping Harry on the back, who simply smiled uneasily at the words.

Then, he was brought in again. This time, the alien whispered, "Seventeen, slim, dark hair, and—" Whatever he was going to say, he was unable to finish for he was suddenly dragged away from his seat and thrown onto the floor.

"Next time you talk about the queen like that, I'll cut your tongue off, Rodian." Another one of the bar's attendees stood. It was Rygaard, the man who had assisted him hours ago.

Biggs roughly grabbed his shoulder—faster than Harry was able to react—and sat him down at another booth.

"Why are you asking questions about the queen, Potter?" asked Rygaard.

"I want to get a better sense of my surroundings, Rygaard. Has this Queen Amidala ruled her entire life?"

"Naboo has an elected sovereign, Potter. She ruled for three years out of five. Now, what's the real reason?"

That would mean that she became queen when she was… fourteen…

"How could she become queen when she was fourteen?"

Rygaard looked at him with skepticism. "Are you trying to initiate a coup? Because she's very popular, for one, and she was nominated for the position by her predecessor, who was also very popular."

Harry looked at the man carefully. "Not at all, Rygaard. I find it rather impressive."

Harry leaned forward. Rygaard looked at him cautiously and seemed to finger something below the table.

"Tell me," he said, "what's the 'galactic senate'?"

Rygaard leaned forward. They were nose-to-nose now.

"Potter, how isolated is your planet that you don't know what the damned Galactic Senate is?!"

"Very."

Rygaard looked at him for some moments longer, before deflating when Harry's expression remained stoic. "You really are clueless, aren't you?"

"I'll be less clueless if you answer my questions."

"Pay for my tab tonight and we have a deal."

"How much do you drink?" asked Harry. If I don't have enough, I'm screwed.

"I'll accept monthly payments."

"Deal."

"Alright, so the Galactic Senate is a governing body centered around the planet of Coruscant that runs the Galactic Republic, which basically runs the entire galaxy."

To maintain control over such an area…

"How do they maintain control over it?" asked Harry.

"One sec." Rygaard downed his cup and ordered another one.

"So, there's two methods. The Galactic Senate is made of representatives from not only planets, but the most powerful non-government entities as well—"

"Like the Trade Federation?" Harry interrupted.

"Exactly. That's how they're able to come and tax the planet."

"And there's no regulations to prevent them from doing so?"

"I mean, the Supreme Chancellor of the Senate could stop it, and he controls not only the legislative business of the Senate, but also the enforcement. However, for him to do so would require someone to lodge a valid complaint against it."

"Why don't they do that then?"

"They've tried and they've been unsuccessful. And in the meantime, the Trade Federation has been tightening its grip."

Harry donned a wary expression. "The Chancellor has quite a lot of power, no?"

"Aye, he does. But the Senate can also remove him if necessary."

"I see."

Harry still wasn't convinced. If something goes wrong, the Chancellor could possibly take control of the entire government.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Rygaard continued, ordering another drink, "the Galactic Republic also maintains order throughout the galaxy through the Jedi."

"The Jedi?"

"The Jedi. They're skilled warriors, healers, and diplomats who wield the Force to maintain peace. They forego worldly attachments and focus on balance."

The Force, hmm? Something to look into.

"And all this is made possible by fast transport throughout the galaxy. Spaceships are able to travel at light speed," Rygaard continued.

"Thanks, Rygaard. You really helped."

"Thank you for the drinks, Potter. I'll bring you a bill tomorrow."

Rygaard clapped him on the shoulder and walked away.

Now, how am I going to pay for these drinks?

Harry wiped sweat from his brow as he toiled in the garden. Over the past six months, he worked as a caretaker for an elderly lady in the village. The town had come to know him as a stranded merchant whose life's work was destroyed in a fiery spaceship explosion and was now trying to rebuild.

The lady paid well; it was more than enough to pay Rygaard, who he had finished paying off a month ago, and leave him with financial breathing room.

He had also taken the time to adjust his speaking style to better suit his surroundings, and the lady taught him to read and write in the language of the galaxy.

When she had asked why he didn't know before, he simply replied that the business was his father's and that he never needed to. All he needed to do was negotiate. She accepted this explanation and carried on.

Harry was also able to observe the love, kindness, compassion, sympathy, and empathy shared amongst all races. The village, while somewhat remote, was located near ruins and made for a tourist destination. Every day, hundreds of people entered to observe it, and it was truly heartening to watch others enjoy the experience.

All of this, however, did not mean that Harry was idly waiting out his days on a beautiful planet with wonderful people. Harry constantly toiled in an effort to find a way to get home. He had long since concluded that he wouldn't be able to get home through apparition, portkeys, or any other sort of medium that required his use of magic, though he had toyed with the idea of using runes.

Runes didn't necessarily have to be powered by magic; in fact, they could be activated through the conduction of electrons. In reality, magic was no more than electrons and other atomic and subatomic particles being manipulated in a method to achieve a goal. It was a genetic marker that allowed a person to interact with these particles and was also why the most common incidents of accidental magic amongst children involved fires—also known as combustion reactions.

Theoretically, if he was able to construct runes in a way that would allow him to travel back home—similar to the Veil—then he would only need to find a method to transmit energy into the runes so that he could return.

But to build this construct, he needed access to resources greater than the ones available in the town. So, he resolved to travel to Theed, Naboo's capital, so that he would have a definite chance of determining what he would need.

Then, there was the matter of the old lady to consider. He couldn't run off and leave her to fend for herself. So, a week ago, he explained his intentions to her. She smiled and wished him the best, and said that her niece would come in a week to take care of her.

The day of her niece's arrival was today. He walked inside and packed the small possessions he had acquired within the last number of months. He said his final goodbyes to the lady and other townsfolk, who all wished him well.

As he boarded the cruiser—a mode of transport similar to that of a flying bus—that would take him to Theed, he saw Rygaard in the small crowd that came to see him off. He raised a hand in farewell.

Harry nodded and boarded the cruiser. The next stage of his journey was set to begin.

Three days and nights had passed since Harry left the town. Now, Theed was in his sight. His heart pounded in anticipation.

Theed was a sprawling city. Large buildings topped with green roofs, whose exteriors were a cross between Gothic, Renaissance, and Islamic architecture. Most streets were narrow, but periodically merged into larger streets where there were shops, offices, restaurants, and other buildings. The streets were made of a tan cobblestone, a color that was matched in the buildings.

The cruiser had dropped him and the other passengers in front of the palace. The palace was made of green domes reminiscent of a mosque, with tall walls and vaulted arches. The crashing of water was prominent, and as he walked into a small, narrow street that led into a larger one, he caught sight of the architectural marvel of the Nabooian Royal Residence.

The palace was perched on a waterfall, and from one of the wide towers, water moved freely around it down a waterfall. Moving past people into another street, he saw that the water fell into a lake, surrounded by a forest.

There. That's my destination. He looked to the edge of the forest across the palace. There was a small clearing in the distance, and a sandy beach as well. It was just out of sight of the palace, yet close enough to the main city that he could easily walk to and from it.

It took him five hours to finally get to the forest. Theed was located atop a hill overlooking a placid lake. There were waterfalls everywhere, and the city seemed to curve around the lake. And outside the city on a hill were hundreds of acres of farmland. Then beyond that was the forest.

The sun was setting, and light filtered through the trees, causing the green light to shimmer. It reflected in Harry, whose eyes sparkled with refulgence.

As he emerged from the forest into the clearing, he noticed two men standing, with blasters—weapons similar to Muggle guns—at their sides. One of the palace towers, at the side of the waterfall, stood in the distance, white stone shining with the setting sun. Closer to him, there was a table set for dinner, and farther along, he could see flowerbeds, garden statues, and even a stone path.

What is this place?

He called out to the two men in the clearing, intent on asking them where he was. "Er…excuse me!" he called, waving towards them.

The men turned around, alarmed. They reached for their blasters.

"Who are you?" one of them shouted, pointing his gun towards him.

Shit. He took a step back.

The men must have taken that as a sign of aggression, or perhaps a sign of him having done something wrong. They stepped forward.

Harry took another step back.

They fired.

Harry swiftly dodged the fiery bolts and not wasting a second, he ran towards the palace. More men were alerted to his position and began shouting.

He ran faster. He ran and ran and ran until he crashed into a wall.

No, it wasn't a wall. It was a human. A girl, in fact.

She must be one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen…

Brushing those thoughts aside and getting up awkwardly, he offered a hand to the girl, who gracefully accepted it. She couldn't have been older than 18 and had a fair complexion, chocolate brown hair, and a lithe figure.

"Er… my apologies, miss. I didn't see you there," Harry said as she dusted herself off.

"It's quite alright. You seemed to be in a great rush. What seems to be the problem?" asked the girl, looking inquiringly at the stranger who perplexed her.

Harry nervously looked behind him. The guards were catching up. "N-nothing. Just in a bit of a tight situation." He smiled uneasily. "If you'll excuse me."

Running from the girl, he encountered a dozen men approaching him rapidly. Looking around, the men were everywhere. They were all dressed the same, with the same blasters and caps, so they must have been guards of some sort.

Harry sighed. There was no way out for him now.

He kneeled, putting his hands above his head. So, this is how you finally go down, Potter, he mused darkly.

"Search him," ordered one of the guards. Harry felt himself roughly manhandled as his pockets and bag were searched.

"Captain Panaka, what is the meaning of this?" The girl from earlier walked up to the guard who ordered the search. The guard, now identified as "Panaka," saluted her, as did the other men.

"Ma'am, we found him trespassing on Your Majesty's private gardens," the guard replied.

Your… your majesty? That means…

The girl looked thoughtful and gave him a searching glance. Personally addressing him, she asked, "Why are you here?"

She must be Queen Amidala.

Clearing his throat and not making eye contact, Harry answered, "I was... I did not realize that this garden was Your Majesty's private gardens." His throat and mouth were incredibly dry, and he swallowed his saliva.

"Where are you from? Everyone in Theed knows that this is Her Majesty's private gardens," asked Panaka roughly.

"A small town in the countryside, sir."

"That's quite enough, Captain Panaka. I am touched that you are so concerned with my security, but I hardly think we need to punish ignorance," the Queen scolded. Turning to him, she said, "Stand, Mr…?"

"P-Potter. Harry Potter, Your Majesty."

"And what business brings you to Theed, Mr. Potter?" she asked.

"I'm looking for a way to get home, ma'am. I was stranded on Naboo when my starship exploded at port. I'm a merchant, see, and all my merchandise was on that ship. I recovered with the help of people from a small town, and now I've finally come to Theed to reach home."

The queen's face softened in sympathy. "From which planet do you originate? I'm sure we can arrange for a transport to take you home. Isn't that right, Captain?"

"Of course, ma'am." By this time, Panaka had ordered the guards to release him and Harry was standing before the queen.

"Your Majesty is very kind, but my planet is very far away and the journey isn't easy. I also don't know of its location in relation to Naboo," Harry replied.

"That's very unfortunate, Mr. Potter, but you still haven't answered my question," said the queen.

That's very well-intentioned of her, if a bit blunt…

Harry slightly winced. "I doubt you'll have heard of it, ma'am. It's very remote and doesn't really have much interaction with the rest of the galaxy."

The queen considered this and seemed to drop the matter; she said, "Then we shall see to it that you are able to find your planet, and you may find your way back as you deem fit. Go with Panaka. He'll provide you with a map of the galaxy as well as anything else you might need to locate your planet."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I am in your debt." Harry bowed and left with Panaka.

Panaka took him to a small boat, and they sped off towards the palace. The wind whipped in Harry's hair as the sun set on the lake.

As they had gained some distance, Panaka said, "I apologize for the way you were treated earlier. I'm sure you understand that we had to ensure that you were not a threat." Panaka had to shout, for his voice was nearly lost between the wind and the sound of the motor.

Harry replied in a similar fashion. "Apology accepted. I understand completely. The queen's safety is your utmost priority, after all. We all have our jobs to do," Harry responded.

With the mutual understanding between the two men established, neither spoke a word as Panaka led Harry through the palace. The palace had vaulted ceilings, with walls of marbled red and the floor a stunning turquoise.

Entering a room with maps and quickly setting up a holomap, Panaka left Harry and assured him that if he needed anything, a guard would be right outside. Thanking him for his help, Harry turned to the map.

Right, now how does this work? I think if I press this button…"

In short time, Harry was able to successfully operate the holomap and scoured the galaxy in search of Earth. From his knowledge, Harry knew that the Solar System was at the edge of the Milky Way, which was a spiral galaxy. The closest star to it was Proxima Centauri, which was approximately 4.25 light-years away.

Harry understood that cartographers probably used different names for the stars and other celestial bodies he was familiar with. But he found a different problem with the holomap.

Zooming out, he found that Naboo was located in an elliptical galaxy. He sighed in disappointment.

Alright, let me see if I can find another map…

Stepping outside of the room, he asked the nearby guard, "Excuse me, do you have maps of other galaxies?"

"We do, sir. Would you like to access them?"

"All of them if you can manage it, please."

The guard nodded and walked inside the room. Opening a closet and entering an access code, he said, "Here are the maps of the twenty closest galaxies. I trust you know how to operate them?"

"I do. Thank you," Harry said.

The guard then left the room. Looking at the closet, Harry scanned the galaxies available, looking at which types of galaxies they were. Taking all of the spiral ones, which numbered five in total, Harry quickly opened them simultaneously. The one on his far-left turned out to be the Milky Way.

It seemed that he was located in Canis Major, which was the closest galaxy to Earth. It seemed as though only the farthest regions of the Milky Way had been discovered, Earth being one of them.

Harry was correct in saying that he was from a far-off planet, for Earth was over 90,000 light-years from Naboo. Calling in the guard, he asked, "Is there any ship capable of traversing this distance?" He gestured to the distance between Earth and Naboo.

The guard whistled before his tone turned apologetic. "Unfortunately, sir, Naboo does not possess ships with the capability to traverse that distance. Ships with that capability do exist, sir, but they are hard to come by and very expensive."

"Thank you." Harry let out a deep sigh, pondering his next move. The guard nodded and left.

90,000 light-years. That was an immense distance. His calculations would need to be precise, his methods flawless. He couldn't afford any mistakes.

He walked out of the room, thanking the guards for their help. Making his way out of the palace, he looked for a place of lodging. He had a lot of work to do to get home.

Author's Endnote:

I'm so sorry for the delay with this chapter. It took longer than expected to revise, and I was also delayed by schoolwork and the like.
I'd just like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed. The reception of this story, just after its first chapter, is truly humbling. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and continue to enjoy the story. That being said, if you enjoyed this chapter or you have feedback to offer, please favorite/follow and leave a review. It truly means the world.

A few other notes:
(1) There was consternation in the comments about Harry being named "Harrison." At this point, all I can offer is that his name is Harrison, but he commonly goes by Harry. You won't see the name Harrison too much anyway.
(2) There was some chatter about Harry not having magic. Wait and see. Things are more complicated than they appear, and you'll see so for yourselves in the next few chapters.

With that out of the way, I hope to finish the revision of the next chapter soon; it shouldn't take as long, but we'll see.

I'll see you all in the next chapter. All the best,

Luq707

EDIT - 2/24/22: There was a slight error that I missed when revising this chapter. Harry did not have a speeder in Theed. That was from a previous draft that somehow escaped my eyes and the eyes of the editing staff. It has been revised accordingly. Thank you to the commenters who pointed that out.