Summery: A broken soul ends his existence only to end up in another world entirely, in the care of those who need him, and the key player to the fate of three races.
Rated: M, just in case.
Disclaimer: neither Harry Potter nor Earth Final conflict is mine, and are the sole property of their creators.
Authors Note: another chap! A bit more excitement, it is joining events in the canon of the episode Hijacked form EFC, and larger portions with obvious differences where taken from the episode. Happy New Years!
Key to Destiny
Chapter 4: Hijacked.
7 days later…
Abby Franklin, world-renowned reporter that had only recently started to see the end of her career as a reputable reporter beginning to seed, only to have gotten the Pulitzer (again) global call of her dreams.
She had grabbed her most advanced, steady, and durable camcorder she had on hand, and nothing else as she made her way to the lush green grass field that sat behind the Washington embassy after taking a quick portal from New York and grabbing a quick, but calorie rich breakfast. She would need the calories as she planned to not stop for something as paltry as a meal while she was making history as the first reporter allowed on the mother ship, let alone an interview with the leader of the Synod and the North American Companion on their home turf as it were.
She had read the extensive dossier and instructions left by Mr. Wagner, the Taylon's spin-doctor.
She was given relative carte blanche with her interview, which was yet another bonus for such a high profile case.
She also not only would be introduced to the taylons, and their protectors, but also the North American Star Child, the figure head, that had only rumored to have been adopted by the taylon legally a week ago. He was the latest, and freshest face, and no one had yet to see it. There was much curiosity about the child, and she had to admit, she was curious as well. She wasn't a fool after all, she knew that the Star Child program was most likely a public relations ruse, and she knew her viewers would be curious to see if the boy was only that. The watching audience that was for sure would scrutinize his interaction with the taylons and his surroundings.
She was pulled out of her musings when Captain Lily Marquette, a brisk, and some what gruff tempered women, though with a wry sense of humor and not unkind, meant her at the taylon shuttle, and said with an amicable smile,
"well, shall we be off?"
The ride was short, but accelerating, and ID space was stunning. Their approach to the mother ship was equally a glorious site, and Abby made sure not to miss any inch of it with her trusty camcorder.
When the shuttle had safely docked with its fellows in the belly of the mother ship docking bay, Abby followed the captain off the ship, not bothering to hide her impressed wonder at the alien tech and the sheer size of the place!
Her attention was drawn from her surroundings by a surprisingly short, but fit Asian man with dark eyes, tanned skin, and a slicked back dark chocolate hair cut short with a hint of wave. He wasn't unattractive, but there was something dangerous, watchful, and conniving in his eye, and the way he held himself that sparked the reporters instincts.
"Ms. Franklin," Agent Sandoval greeted briskly.
"Please, Abby," she replied with an easy smile stepping down the docking steps and taking his hand in a relaxed but firm handshake.
"Ronald Sandoval, welcome to the mother ship," he said in the same tone, no real infliction other then keen attention in his demeanor.
"Well, I have never been in space before," Abby said, and then turned to the Captain and said easily, "a thanks for the ride."
"My pleasure," Lilly replied easily with a hint of humor, which increased at her bosses brisk "follow me." rolling her eyes when the mans back was turned as the two females followed the man a little ways back.
Abby got right to business.
"So when do I get my sit down with Da'an and Z'or? I am also curious to meet the North American Star child as well."
Sandoval turned and was in the middle of his lecture on why her camcorder would not be allowed until Lily reminded him, quite gleefully, though still respectively, about her full access.
Deciding on a little revenge for trying to take her camera, she pinned the protector with a look, and her camcorders active eye.
"Okay agent Sandoval, your responsible for taylon security here on Earth, I am wondering if your concerned about this so called resistance movement?"
The Agent did not look pleased to be the centre of attention, but replied, "I think we are all wondering what exactly these people think that they are resisting."
'Smooth' Abby mused mentally, 'a great sound bite, and extremely smooth indeed for a guy with a reputation for disliking reporters.'
"Tell me what your thoughts are on the upcoming election?"
Looking frustrated, the agent said coolly, pushing down her camera " I am also interested Ms. Franklin, is this a casual conversation or will my answers be considered an official part of your interview?" with that cool rejoinder, he marched off, leaving the two women to catch up.
The Captain shrugged her shoulders, and the two hurriedly followed.
Ooo ooo ooo
Meanwhile…
The form of Liam Kincaid moved smoothly through the motions, reading the console, and eyeing the global in front of him intently, while at the same time keeping an eye out for possible witnesses.
His hand flew over the energy based display screen one more time, then with a wave, cleared the console, gave another furtive look around, and left the empty room.
Ooo ooo ooo
Abby looked around the bridge of the mother ship, taking in every curve and angle, noting the people and taylons that went about their duties with single minded intentness.
"It is a pleasure to welcome you as our guest Ms. Franklin," the familiar voice of her countries companion caught her attention, Da'an.
She smiled a greeting at Z'or, the leader of the Synod, taller and lighter in color in his dress next to the other taylon also offered his greetings.
" Thank you, I am honored to be the first journalist invited onboard the mother ship," She replied easily.
Her smile became broader when she spied a tousled head of wild dark hair peeking out from behind Da'an.
Abby would later pride herself from not overtly reacting when she meant the pair of the most beautiful and uniquely green eyes that she had ever seen.
The boy was quite simply stunning!
Pale, fey like features that were accented by the casual, though high quality dark cloths.
The boy eyed her with obvious weariness and sidled closer to his taylon guardian, if that was possible, since he was already practically plasterd to the taylons side.
"This is my ward, Puck Goodfellow," Da'an introduced, subtly positioning the boy a little further out in the open.
"Hello Puck, that's a nice name, and it certainly suites you. Do you like William Shakespeare? MidSummer's Night Dream was my favorite."
The boy eyed her for a moment, then the camera. He bit his lip nervously, but finally nodded.
Puck was in the middle of trying to re-situate himself further behind Da'an, when Mr. Wagner finally joined the group.
"Well! This looks to be a win, win situation," he said pleasantly, slapping his hands together, looking vastly pleased.
Lily and Sandoval exchanged mutual exasperated looks, both their opinions in silent accord about what they thought of the man, one of those few times the two saw eye to eye on things.
Puck's regard swung to the spin-doctor. He frowned at the man. The boy's dislike of Mr. Wagner had made it's self known as soon as the two were introduced at the Embassy before they had departed for the mother ship.
Only Da'an noticed the shiver from the small body that pressed close to him.
" I love it when a plan comes together," he stated smugly.
Only seconds after that statement, nearly everyone standing was thrown off their feet as the ship shuttered all around them.
Z'or managed to grip the handles of his command chair, thus remaining somewhat stationary, Lily fell to the ground, and was quickly returned to her feet by Sandoval, as the two used each other to brace for balance, then pushing off each other to cling to consoles, trying to get a handle on the crisis in the read outs before them.
Puck was torn from his guardian's grasp in the chaos, and the boy slid into a hard protrusion.
He winced when he felt a searing pain in his side, he clung to the buttress as the shaking ship moved at alarming speed, the Earth receding further and further from his sight.
"Status report!" shouted Z'or.
"Communications offline!" Sandoval reported, fingers flying over the controls.
Liam Kincaid arrived on the bridge in a lurching run.
"What the hell is going on? Systems are down all over the ship!"
He steadied Da'an, who was trying to move to his feet.
Liam saw a flash of green out of the corner of his eyes, spying the curled up form of Puck. He carefully moved to the boy's side and with a few hasty muttered questions, lifted the boy into his arms easily, the child clinging to him like a limpet.
"We're entering interdimensional space!" exclaimed Lily.
"Is that not where we are supposed to be?" questioned Abby nervously.
"Ms. Franklin, if you don't mind!" growled Sandoval, giving the reporter a sit-down-shut-up look.
The careening star field before them suddenly gave way to the familiar chaotic rippling light of interdimensional space.
Liam shifted Puck in his grasp, handling his global one handed.
" All instruments confirm we are at maximum velocity," Liam proclaimed.
Abby went unnoticed as she raised her camcorder, filming the unexpected twist that had become what had once been a exciting, though predictable interview dialogue. She felt a twinge of excitement like she hadn't felt since her fieldwork in the SI wars.
"How can this be?" Da'an asked.
"The ships navigational commands have been reprogrammed, we are locked out!" the Captain answered, her hands flying over the console.
"That is impossible!" stated Z'or, "I am the only one with the proper access codes to initiate such an override!"
"Not any more," the captain said fiercely, "some one has gained access, new co-ordinates have been downloaded into the core."
"Maybe we have been hijacked?" the reporter offered her two cents from what she gleaned from the evidence so far.
The taylons exchanged alarmed looks.
After a few minutes of silence as everyone digested this, and the shaking of the ship had leveled off and was smoothly traversing it's unintended path, Da'an said finally.
"We must stop this ship."
"Your insight into the obvious is appreciated Da'an," Z'or said sarcastically.
"You misunderstand, we must stop this ship, by any means necessary," he stated grimly, his hands dancing in agitation, "even if it means ejecting the ID engine core."
"That would strand us in ID space!" Z'or exclaimed.
"Better that then have out interdimensional technology fall into the hands of our enemies."
"This is premature, we don't even know who has compromised out computer system," no one noticed that Puck was watching a certain individual unblinkingly through narrow eyes.
Da'an shook his head, stating "it is surely not the work of our allies," then with more urgency he said, "we must act quickly Z'or, and decisively! We have now been in ID space long enough to enter contested territory, we must stop the ship! Do you concur?"
Z'or gripped the armrests of his seat, finally grinding out.
"I am considering your suggestion…"
"There is no time!" Da'an turned to Sandoval, " prepare to jettison the ID engine core."
"Z'or…" the agent began.
"Please agent Sandoval," Da'an cut off sternly, "this is beyond your field of expertise, I am a member of the Synod, your CVI imperative compels you to obey me."
"As a member of the synod, Da'an has the authority," Z'or concurred reluctantly.
Sandoval swallowed and took his position at the necessary console.
"On your command," the agent told the two taylons.
Da'an nodded, laying his hand on a small green control panel and said,
"Prepare for ejection"
There was a light hum filling the air in backdrop to the generic computer voice counting down the seconds.
Those that had lungs to breath, held their breath.
Puck buried his face into the major's neck, his arms nearly strangling the man.
"5…"
Z'or tensed in his chair.
"4…"
Lilly gripped her console, Sandoval swallowed again.
"3…"
Da'an and Liam closed their eyes.
"2…"
Abby's hands tightened on her camcorder, never straying from the action.
"1."
Ooo ooo ooo
a/n: let me know what you think.