Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING

For the record, I was gone all summer for work, so this is the first time I could really get back to my personal life beyond my cell phone. When I got back, I took a look at all of the work I had left from March, and I didn't like how I had written a major portion of this chapter, as well as chapters for other stories. I decided to re-write them, so there is my excuse for why I am so late with this update. At this rate, I should probably just accept that I am horrible at a schedule for updates with how sporadic these updates have been getting. (Please don't kill me) :O

Anyway, now that that's over, it's time for why you all are REALLY here...

ON TO THE STORY!

Hermione gazed out over the shipyard, hardly able to contain her excitement. Before her, there was a near-complete mass of metal and wiring that would be their transport out of this station and onwards to the rest of the galaxy. Walking down the catwalk towards where Halyn was directing the workers from a console, she took note of the screens in front of the Elcor as well as the platform the elccor was on that was floating there. Each screen was showing a different area of the internal of the ship, as well as the workers in that section.

"Inquisitive. How are you doing Hermione?" Halyn asked, the platform she was on turning so the Elcor could face the woman.

"I am doing well, and yourself?" she replied.

"Happy. I am splendid. Work on the ship is progressing faster than anticipated, so construction should be finished by the end of the month."

"Great! Do you think you could also procure a basic data package with a map of all trade routes, borders of different territories, landmarks, and an autopiloting package for the navigational computers? If you could also find a data package with information about every discovered race that is among the rest of us in the galaxy, as well as their goverments, and basic biology? We plan to have a crew made up of several different races and the information would definetely help."

"Determined. I will do my best to procure the data packages." was the reply.

"Thank you, Halyn. You can expect a bonus for you in addition to the fee for the ship if you can get either, or both, of those." The witch replied, smiling at the Elcor.

Halyn nodded, before turning back to the consoles, direction workers to a portion of the bulkhead that still needed reinforcement. Hermione walked away, headed towards where Harry was standing above everything else on one of the higher catwalks, observing with a passive look.

-LINE BREAK-

The Marine looked around, having broken out of his cell that the thrice-damned pirates had locked him in. Ever since that raid on Mindoir, he and his unit had been tracking these guys, only for them to ambush his unit and take him and two other guys captive. They had already used the other two as 'entertainment' for the men, leaving him as the only male captive to rot in his cell.

He had just heard the sound of gunfire from somewhere else in the ship, when his cell door flew open. A pair of vorcha were there grinning savagely at him.

"YOU! Human! Follow us." one of them said.

Sighing, he got up and followed them through several hallways before they came upon what looked like the pirates engaging a group of marines. The vorcha in front of him handed him a rifle, before telling him to shoot the marines, and they would let him go once they took out the other humans. As the two Vorcha ran off, he watched them run at the humans, only to be mowed down by a man with a submachine gun.

Thanking his luck that some of these pirates were just that stupid, he started to take potshots at some of the pirates. He was doing pretty well, until he got blown through a wall by a nearby grenade. Slamming down, he felt his kinetic barriers fail, having spent themselves protecting him from the explosion. Rolling to the side, he stood up and saw a Batarian holding a bloody knife with a dead marine at his feet.

Charging forwards, he slammed the butt of his rifle against the Batarian's face, knocking him over. Lowering his gun and turning it so the barrel was pointed at the alien. Getting ready to pull the trigger, he felt something slam hard into him, sending him to the ground a few feet away. Looking up, he saw a Krogan looking down on him, levelling a shotgun at him. Closing his eyes and accepting his fate, he heard a bang and screamed out.

After hearing the bang and realizing that he wasn't dead, he opened his eyes to see the Krogan falling to the side, and another man with a shotgun standing about 3 feet behind where the Krogan had been. The man walked forwards, and blasted the Batarian, before aiming and turning the Krogan's head into a bloody pulp. After looking around and deeming the area clear, he held out his hand to the guy on the ground.

"Fifth fleet, from Captain Donnel's ship." The man said, pulling him up.

"Third Fleet, from Captain Ruth's ship. Thanks for the save."

"No problem. We're all Alliance, and that makes us brothers." The man said, clipping the shotgun to a magnetic clamp on his back.

"Thanks. I'm Dave Anderson, awfully glad you were there." Dave held out his hand.

The man grabbed his hand, grasping it firmly.

"Steve Hackett, Nice to meet you. Now, let's go finish off these pirates."

-LINE BREAK-

ONE MONTH LATER

Harry and Hermione gazed out at the ship, excited to finally leave Omega. Having recruited a skeleton crew to run the ship until they could begin to actually get a crew together, they reviewed their plans for the trip to Earth.

"So, we get to Earth, and see if the wizarding world is still there? That's it?" Hermione asked.

"We have no idea how much the world may have changed. There's not much we CAN do. We've been gone for almost 200 years! Going from the year 2004 to the year 2163 is no small feat. We're dead to that world. Nothing more than a footnote in a history book, if that. Also, if you would recall, the last time we were there was when Wizarding Britain was being taken over by a dark lord. I just don't exactly expect a warm welcome when we get there." He said angrily.

Sighing, Hermione said, "You're right, it's just that after all that time, to just sort of... show up?"

"I know, but what else can we do? The only thing we're really guarenteed is that EARTH is there. We know absolutely no one there and no one there will know us." Harry said, for once sounding as exhausted as he felt.

With a resigned sigh, Hermione walked off the bridge, heading towards their personal quarters. Harry, left alone on the bridge, turned around and sat in the command chair, turning towards the window of the bridge to gaze out at the galaxy before him.

"Lily?"

A VI appeared on the end of his armrest, appearing as a redhead human woman.

"Yes Harry?"

"Take us out."

I KNOW THIS WAS A SHORT CHAPTER, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO BEST PORTRAY THE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN IN BETWEEN THEM AND EARTH. I DON'T WANT THEM TO JUST 'INSTANTLY' BE THERE.

On that note, I also didn't want you guys to be kept waiting any longer than you have been. I am again, HORRIBLY sorry for the wait, and I feel absolutely terrible about it. I am still looking for a BETA reader, so PLEASE PM me or review with an offer.

Thanks guys!