I've been putting out a few new fics lately, and here's one my main beta HK and I have been working on for a long time. This will be a very different fic from Elune's Pebble, mostly focused on world building, both figurative and literal. Just Add Water is high fantasy, with technology that looks like magic and magic that looks like technology. This is a fic that takes place in a multiverse with some elements thrown into Harry's world, with Harry as the main character. This fic is also kind of an experiment for me to write out something different. I've got about 90k words written out, most of it just needs a few more editing passes and more 'Newsreels.'
Just a warning, Harry won't actually be the main character until chapter four because of the way the chapter splits worked out and the fact that Harry is only ten at the fic's start so his PoV is less interesting than others. (Seriously, to heck with trying to edit a 25k word chapter. Just, no thank you.)
I'm still not super fond of Dumbledore, so rest assured he won't be playing much of a role. Poor guy is very much used to his place in the world, and he isn't going to be fond of anything that interrupts that.
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Just Add Water
Chapter One: We Come in Peace, Mostly
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On March fifteenth, 1990 humanity learned it was not alone in the universe. Interstellar ships, thousands of them, entered the solar system. At first all of the ships congregated near Earth's moon, causing panic. Soon, many of the ships broke off, with some beginning to build massive frames in orbit of Mars most engineers believed were either shipyards or repair facilities, some leaving to begin a survey of the rest of the solar system's planets, and most leaving Sol altogether. Six hours after the fleet arrived, a small craft large enough to have a crew of perhaps ten human-sized individuals pulled alongside one of Earth's telecommunication satellites and a repeating message was soon broadcasting on the airwaves. "Do not intend harm. Translating local languages. Will speak to inhabitants in three planetary rotations."
The days that followed were tense. More questions were raised than answered when telescopes around the world and even the new Hubble telescope in orbit were turned towards the ships. There were many different designs and hull configurations in the alien fleet, the largest were wedge shaped with thick armor and seemed to be carriers for smaller vessels or fighters, others were roughly rectangular and built around some kind of massive cannon. Other ships were smaller and obviously more maneuverable as they wove through the alien's formation. All of the ships were obviously warships, but they were not in 'mint' condition. There were scorches, buckled hull sections, and rushed repair work everywhere. Some ships even looked to have been salvaged and were being towed by others. The crew controlling the Hubble telescope sent their feed directly to worldwide news channels when they caught sight of what was happening on one of the wrecked ships. Bodies from dozens of distinct, visibly non-human alien species were being recovered under the careful watch of an honor guard floating in the vacuum in armored suits, and placed into ceremonial coffins. Adapting a telescope intended for peering much further into space was difficult, but the crew controlling Hubble managed to get a clear image of the (probable) commander overseeing the work. He was standing at attention, apparently wearing magnetic boots, on a platform kept steady by thrusters as he oversaw the recovery of the dead; his stern and mournful ash-gray face was visible through a transparent faceplate as casualties were brought out, one by one. He was obviously not born on Earth but he wasn't too different either, and the emotion on his face as the aliens recovered their dead seemed very… human.
As promised, three days after the fleet first arrived a small craft launched from one of the largest ships and quickly entered Earth's atmosphere. It was soon obvious it was heading for the east coast of the United States, and as it decelerated its destination became obvious. The triangular gray-painted craft, which was about the size and mass of two tour-busses side by side with short wings for stability in atmosphere, continually slowed as it approached Manhattan Island, eventually skimming the waves as it made its final approach towards the United Nations Headquarters.
After a surprisingly smooth landing, a ramp dropped down from the front of the ship and two soldiers in sealed armor painted dark gray with white highlights walked out. One of the two was about eight feet tall with a hunched back, thick frame, and digitigrade legs while the other was much more slender, only about six feet tall, and seemed to be mostly human shaped with the exception of a tail that could reach its ankles. Both were armed with some kind of dangerous-looking projectile or energy-based weapons that fit their size and frame, but after a moment looking around they holstered the weapons on their backs. Then another figure with the general shape of a human wearing gold and white armor exited the small ship. The figure in gold armor led the three of them with the other two following a step behind him as they advanced towards the nearest UN building. By now, people were flocking to the location and only barely being held back by the police that were rushing to the site. Pausing for a moment, the alien in golden armor made a gesture with his hand and spoke in clumsy but comprehensible English, his voice booming out to be heard by the bystanders. "I will address your world. There is much you must know."
A particularly brave intern met the three aliens and guided them into the famous general assembly building. It was filling quickly as diplomats, press, and camera crews rushed to take their places. There was no shortage of armed police and soldiers as well. As they entered, the slighter built bodyguard withdrew a number of small discs from a belt and began placing them around the stage. Their purpose soon became clear as a holographic projection of a stylized golden yellow star flickered into being behind the podium. Waiting only until all major news networks were airing a live feed from the hall, the figure in the golden armor stepped up to the podium and began to speak in understandable, if heavily accented English. Thanks to the work of his crews 'improving' existing communication satellites, his voice was translated into the most common language in each of Earth's many disparate nations.
"Inhabitants of Earth, welcome to the greater universe. I am Ahn'tamet, Commander of Defense Fleet 695741 of the Golden Star Empire. On behalf of the Empire, we come as friends, and to secure your help. There is a war that rages through the cosmos, a war which your world was nearly a casualty of. My fleet fought back an incursion by our mutual enemy in your galaxy at a great cost. Thousands of warships and billions of lives were lost, but we prevailed." Behind Ahn'tamet, the projection that had been showing the Golden Star's sigil changed, and began to show a number of scenes of war. In the first scene a ground army was digging in around a city, one that appeared only a little more advanced than Earth, Imperial soldiers handing out weapons and directing women and children into shelters as starships that looked identical to the fleet milling around Earth's solar system were driven off by a much larger fleet that looked almost organic, covered in pitch black chitinous armor. You could see the soldiers preparing to hold the line under a massive dome-shaped energy shield were grim as the last of their fleet jumped away or was shot down, but could almost feel the determination as the dark ships sent down their own landing craft.
In the second scene, eight of the Empire's smaller ships dropped out of faster-than-light travel close to an enemy fleet and immediately began evading wildly. Half of the small craft had been shot down a moment later when the main Golden Star fleet, hundreds of massive battlecruisers but still only a third of the enemy fleet dropped out of FTL, unleashing hell the instant they reverted to normal space. The smaller craft had been sacrificed to gather precise targeting information, turning an unwinnable battle into a difficult one. In the third scene, an Imperial fleet arrived in a solar system, weapons blazing like dying stars and drove off a small enemy fleet that had destroyed an inhabited world's orbital defenses and was bombarding their cities from orbit. The Imperial forces could then be seen hurrying the survivors into ships, fearful of a larger enemy force returning. In the next scene, the enemy returned with a hundred times the force that had been driven off, but the last Imperial ships entered FTL seconds after they arrived. A small caption explained that the world was lost and they did not have the forces to protect it, so the moment the last survivor and Imperial were clear, a trap was sprung. The scene changed to the system's star, where six objects had been moved extremely close to the surface. As the last ship jumped away, each object gleamed dark red and created an artificial supernova.
"I will not lie and say this victory was significant, that the war is now over, it is not. Before the Golden Star Empire threw itself into an endless war for the sake of all who lived, my government would only expand when other species or worlds asked to join. No longer can we afford that luxury. As of this moment, every inhabitant of this world is now a citizen of the Golden Star Empire, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities as any other. You join an Empire that has provided peace, opportunity, and stability to its members for nine millennia. You join a billion other races, a coalition of every form of sapient life imaginable.
"This war began two thousand years ago when the Empire's military was dispatched to discover why one of our oldest trading partners, an ally that had stood by the Golden Star since its inception, had fallen out of contact. We discovered that their empire, their people, and even the galaxies they lived in were simply gone. After searching for more information, that expeditionary fleet discovered a fleet of our enemies, that we have since named Entropy and the Void, and was fired upon without warning and destroyed. In two millennia of war our enemies have never made any attempt at contact, replied to any of ours, or shown mercy to any form of life they encounter. They cannot be bargained or reasoned with. They do not desire peaceful coexistence, they desire our annihilation and extinction. The Golden Star Empire fights because surrender or hesitation means death.
"The Empire cannot fight this war, cannot protect us all alone. Nor should we have to shoulder that burden on behalf of those who refuse to contribute. In time, your people will take their place among our soldiers and leaders. Together we will turn your world into a shining paradise. Every person willing to work will be housed, fed, and given medical care more advanced than you can imagine."
When a diplomat shouted that their species would take their chances on their own, the commander had removed his helmet, revealing a grotesque face. His original skin color was probably a dark green, but it was hard to tell around the burn scars that took up the entire left side of his obviously alien face. On his right, large patches of flesh and bone, even some parts of his skull and brain were obviously missing, like a knife had simply cut them out. Circuitry that presumably replaced the missing parts of his brain blinked into the cameras that were showing the world what was happening. In a slow, measured voice Commander Ahn'tamet responded. "Every soldier, every ship, every world and star consumed by our foes only strengthens them. You might have the authority to reject us on behalf of your nation, but you have no right to condemn your species to extinction. It will be many years before you're able to see it, but even now your galaxy bears the scars of our war."
With a gesture of his hand, Ahn'tamet activated a hologram showing the Milky Way Galaxy. But this wasn't the same illustration of stars familiar to humanity. With the appearance of something having taken a bite out of the collection of stars, a third of the galaxy was simply gone. "My fleet and the ground forces I fought with saved as much of your galaxy as we could. The fighting was fierce, bloody, and costly. Billions and billions of lives were lost. Far too many worlds, too many entire species, have been lost. A third of the stars and planets of your galaxy no longer exist, and forty-three percent of the species once present in your galaxy are now extinct. I was promoted for my actions during the fighting and now myself and those under my command have been given a seven year minimum of service away from the front lines. It's one of our regulations to keep our soldiers sane after a bloodbath like that. Now our mission is to secure this galaxy and begin terraforming every planet possible. We will also be building shipyards and factories to replace what has been lost. Some of your people may eventually serve under me when my fleet is called back into action.
"Very soon, our fleet will begin transforming every planet in your solar system into one that can support life, even as we construct new planets from asteroids and fabricated matter. Earth, as the homeworld of a sapient species will be turned into a garden paradise. Your oceans, lakes, and rivers will be filtered until they are pure and clear. The atmosphere will be purified. By the time my fleet returns to active duty your world will gleam like a precious jewel! Your people will colonize new planets and solar systems to prevent your extinction if the enemy manages to assault this universe again and our defenses fail. Never again will anyone born on your world starve if they are willing to work!"
Ahn'tamet's continued to share information and give explanations for over an hour. As he prepared to return to his flagship to oversee the vast construction efforts now underway across the galaxy as his soldiers traded their task of combat for construction, his final remarks made something of a stir. "Understand this, if nothing else: in the years to come we will all stand together, shoulder to shoulder. We will look extinction in the face, and tell it to burn in the abyss! In the coming days, months, and years we will build trust and brotherhood as one Empire, united!
"Finally, because of their unique ability to counter our foes by reclaiming stolen energy and matter, every user of magic on this world is hereby declared a critical war resource."
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Suffice it to say, that statement had gotten some ridicule until all around the world Imperial task forces tore down magical defenses and places that hadn't been known to exist beforehand suddenly did. Hidden societies were forced to integrate into the cohesive whole that was the Golden Star Empire's newest member world. Many magical humans, however, refused to integrate, to come out of hiding and join the world at large. Sloth and smug superiority had long been strong sentiments for those who could wave a wand and accomplish many things. They were not given a choice. The Golden Star Empire's needs were too great, their war too desperate, and the consequences of defeat too unimaginable.
The Empire's enemies, Entropy, the Void, their insane willing followers, and the monstrous creatures they spawned would consume world after world if left unchecked. Species, planets, solar systems, even stellar objects were consumed and though they fought hard, though they fought and bled and died time and time again, the Empire was simply outmatched; their opponent's numbers seemed endless. The situation was even worse than that; when the last living thing and star was consumed in any given reality, that reality collapsed. As far as the Empire's scientists knew, if enough realities collapsed, it would start a cascade effect and even realities that hadn't been culled would fall apart. However, no one knew what this number was or how many realities had been consumed before the Empire first encountered their enemy.
Four days after Ahn'tamet addressed the United Nations, and through television nearly every human on the planet, Albus Dumbledore had prepared Hogwarts' wards for a siege and brought the entirety of Hogsmeade into the castle. The Ministry and Diagon Alley had fallen two days ago to an assault from muggle soldiers with some kind of enchanted armor working in tandem with powerful magical monsters. This was an army like Grindelwald would have used if he'd won, magical and mundane forces working together in nightmarish lockstep. Albus had dueled one of the invader's magic-users briefly in the Ministry's Atrium when the creature he could only call a dragon-centaur intervened as he struck against the mundane soldiers. Neither had gained the upper hand before Albus fled when he felt an immensely powerful ward replace the Ministry's shattered wardstone. As much as he wanted to deny it, the monstrous creature had nearly been his equal and had called for back-up. Albus might have been sure he could have defeated the creature with a little more time, but he didn't like his chances against two or more under powerful and hostile wards.
Rallying Hogsmeade to rush into the castle hadn't been difficult, and while he had been preparing to raise a Fidelius Charm to protect the castle his professors had been hard at work building and expanding additional greenhouses to feed the refugees and students. Last night Albus had succeeded in casting a Fidelius that hid the school from the invaders. He had slept well after that, the vast amount of power required had necessitated him to rely on the Elder Wand and draw strength from the castle's wards in a way he'd never needed to before. At breakfast the next morning, he shared the secret with the students and refugees. At his request the morning meal had turned into a celebratory feast, and all had been going well until he felt a warning through his connection to the wards. He didn't know what to make of it at first: Yes, it was a powerful magical signature, possibly even stronger than himself, but it was alone and shouldn't be able to sense anything through the Fidelius. As a precaution, he sealed the doors to the Great Hall with a flick of his wand.
By now the many people present realized something was happening. Dumbledore tracked the interloper through the wards as it entered the castle, somehow navigating a space it shouldn't have been aware of at all. Eventually it came to a stop just outside the Great Hall, and a loud knocking sound echoed through the room. No one moved, not even Dumbledore. A moment later after a repeated knocking, a voice was projected into the Great Hall: "Greetings on behalf of the Golden Star Empire. My name is Ayura, can we speak like reasonable adults or do I have to break down these doors?"
When she received no response, a rectangle of glowing light appeared on the inside of the doors barring the Great Hall. It smoked for a moment, then a slab of the door fell towards the invader. A moment later, a figure stepped through the new hole and strode into the hall. She, and while alien, the obvious breasts gave away her gender, had dark brown hair, lightly glowing blue eyes, and blue skin a few shades darker. Rising from her forehead she had a pair of horns that curved over her head and slightly out, from the bottom of her spine she had a slender but strong tail, and instead of feet she had hooves. She was wearing slender, gleaming white plate armor that was probably not very heavy. Speaking again, loudly enough to be heard by all present, she came to a stop with all of the house tables between her and the head table. "As of four days ago, you all are now citizens of the Golden Star Empire. There are many benefits of citizenship in the largest empire in the Explored Realities, but there are also obligations. All of you will be expected to support the war effort against Entropy and the Void, in honor of the billions of lives our empire sacrificed to protect your world and many others in this galaxy."
The Headmaster studied the creature standing before him. Despite the fact that he'd never seen proof of their existence before, the parallels between this creature and iconography that had existed since long before Hogwarts was founded could not be denied. Dumbledore stood then and replied in a voice that thundered. "Leave this hall now Demon, and never threaten us again or I will drive you out!"
Ayura paused for a moment. "I am not a demon. In your language I am an alien, an extraterrestrial. My people are called the Draenei. There is a war raging for all of creation and you will do your part, one way or another."
Dumbledore's response was to cast a rather strong banishing spell at the diplomat, who waved her hand and canceled out the spell with an equal force, ruffling the clothing of those sitting in the hall. Again Dumbledore thundered out: "Be gone Demon!"
After letting out a sigh, Ayura spoke again. "Do you even understand me? I endured the pain of having the 'English' language transcribed into my mind a few days ago, that is what you speak, right?"
One of the braver students, a sixth-year muggleborn at the Gryffindor table, spoke up as Dumbledore began throwing a chain of spells into a transparent golden shield that sprung up around Ayura in response to the attack. "We understand you perfectly, but you obviously expect us to work, which is half the reason why wizards hid from muggles in the first place. Also, you're obviously not human and most of those in power here don't even consider Centaur, Veela, or non-magical humans to be 'people.' Many of the people running the government don't seem to think first-generation magicals like me are people either."
Upon hearing that, the alien smirked. "So this integration was always going to be violent. Well, Headmaster, if that's how you want this to go, allow me to demonstrate the gap between you, a middling Class Three, 'Mage Class,' magical and myself, a Class Seven or 'Star' Class."
With those words spoken Ayura took a step forward and spread her hands apart, a sphere of blue transparent magic briefly contained between her hands before it pulsed and surged in size, spreading outwards through the Great Hall and the castle. Dumbledore gasped, pausing in his spellcasting as he felt not only the Fidelius Charm, but Hogwarts' ancient wardstone shatter. While the Headmaster was distracted Professors Flitwick and McGonagall flexed their magic and nearly every piece of cutlery leaped into action or transformed into an aggressive animal. A golden sigil most of those present recognized as a rune of some sort sprang into being above Ayura's forehead, staying in place as she continued to stride through the hall, and as it flared brightly every charmed object and transfiguration dissolved into ash.
A bolt of sickly green energy sprang from Severus Snape's wand, only to meet a conjured block of stone that was sent flying towards the potions instructor the instant it absorbed the Killing Curse. Ayura's face twisted into a snarl, showing the most emotion anyone had seen on her so far. "You dare! You dare use Fel magic in a school, around children?! And you call me a demon!"
The stone block impacted Severus Snape, sending him flying into the wall with an audible crunch before the conjured stone reshaped itself to restrain the man, and Ayura was briefly confused about the cheers of jubilation from the students. Shrugging, she countered the Headmaster's conjured pillar of fire with a cyclone of water which was just enough to cancel out the spell and envelope the room in warm mist. Unlike the Headmaster, Ayura took advantage of the smokescreen to cast two binding spells, which wrapped two of the professors in glowing golden chains. When Albus conjured a strong wind that drove the fog away, he realized he was down three professors when his attempts failed to dispel or destroy the chains. Ayura spoke again even as they prepared and cast spells and counters, with Albus constantly losing ground. "And speaking of things that should never be around children! Why in the Twisting Nether are you using a cursed wand? I can feel it calling for blood, death, and destruction from here! In fact, why are you even using a wand at all? Are you a Mage or aren't you?"
Not receiving a response other than a sparking whip of lighting, Ayura parried with a blade of light that sprung from her left forearm and destabilized Dumbledore's spell as she used it to parry the whip, the dispersed electricity causing every hair save hers to stand on end. Deciding to taunt the wizard as her counters became more aggressive, Ayura spoke again as a spell that looked like a ray of golden light lashed out from her right hand and shattered Dumbledore's shield, while a ball of blue flames sailed forth from her left hand, making Albus stumble backwards off the platform that held the Head Table. "Magical foci make casting spells easier, but part of growing as a user of magic is leaving them behind. If you don't, they become a crutch and you never reach your full potential! If your people used the Empire's curriculum, half the magical population could be as powerful as you or even stronger!"
More than one person saw the look of absolute horror on Dumbledore's face at that statement, before he focused once more on the battle at hand. With a deafening noise, Hogwarts' army of animated suits of armor stormed the room. Ayura raised her left hand high and formed a beach-ball sized orb of lightning that swelled for a moment, then broke into a hundred pieces each of which leaped to a suit of armor. Each animated suit of armor then crumpled inwards until it was a useless husk thanks to the rare electromagnetic spell. By now, many students, at least the purebloods, were raining spells at the intruder, but her golden shield simply absorbed each one without wavering. Several more Killing Curses flew from the Slytherin table, but they also failed to do anything to the shield. Those students who had cast the spell, however, found themselves struck harshly by conjured rocks and bound to the floor or wall.
With a flourish, Professor Flitwick jumped into the fray again, throwing a massively diverse string of curses at the intruder, to no avail. With a smirk on her face, she shifted her footing and stomped a hoof on the floor with a pulse of magic. Filius Flitwick did not expect anyone to be able to transfigure the castle's stones and found himself flung from the floor on a pillar, the momentum keeping him from leaping off. He was relieved when the pillar slowed before slamming him into the roof, turning a lethal strike into something that would land him in the hospital wing for a few days. The pillar around him hardened and trapped him against the ceiling, not that he could move much with so many broken bones.
Hagrid was the next to enter the fight as the invader advanced on a retreating Headmaster. With a roar of effort he lifted the entire staff table and swung it at her like a child swinging a bat. While the large table was in motion, the invader's fingers sparked with electricity before releasing a massive storm of lightning against the table, turning it into so much ash. Turning towards Hagrid, the female invader charged at him, suddenly moving so fast few could track her. When close enough to reach her target, she jumped and slugged Hagrid's chin with her right fist. While the audible crunch was a clue that the half-giant had received a broken jaw, few noticed it given the way the man was launched into the air and through the wall above. Advancing on Dumbledore again at a sedate stroll, she spoke again to the hall's other inhabitants. "Physical enhancement isn't something that can be learned if you're reliant on a focus. It can't be learned if you've allowed yourself to become lazy."
With a few flicks of skilled fingers, Ayura conjured enchanted chains at the Professors who were still free, binding the last of Dumbledore's help. Making a snap decision, Albus called for Fawkes. Despite all his power and skill, this was one foe he couldn't defeat easily. But he would return. He would gather more support from abroad and build an army to drive this new foe back! Fawkes appeared in a flash of flame and Dumbledore grabbed his tail feathers, then blinked in shock when nothing happened. Glaring at the intruder, he reached out with his magical senses, and discovered a network of spells that blocked every form of magical transportation imaginable, even Fawkes' unique ability. With a clear smirk on her face, the intruder spoke once more. "Now that you've thrown a tantrum like a toddler, are you willing to sit down and listen like a good little boy, Headmaster? I'm obviously better at wards than you are."
In hindsight, Albus would decide he should not have given in to her taunt. With a cry of 'Never, foul demon!' he charged at her while casting a chain of the most powerful destructive spells he could manage. Before he'd restrained himself out of fear for the students, but now he had decided some collateral damage was acceptable if he could escape to rally the world against these invaders. He did not expect for his seven most destructive spells, even a roaring dragon of Fiendfyre, to be caught in the demon's magic and simply hang in the air. While he was frozen in shock the 'demon' spoke again. "Enough old fool. I tolerated your idiocy when I was the only one you were trying to kill, but no more. If not for my skill you would have killed everyone here with that attempt. Congratulations for convincing me to 'take my gloves off.'"
When his opponent raised both hands Albus saw orbs of golden glowing light flicker into being and speed at him, tearing through his most powerful shield. Leaping out of the way, his jaw dropped when the orbs followed him and one struck the Elder Wand, forcing it out of his hand. Before his eyes, the wand he had taken from Gellert Grindelwald so long ago dissolved, leaving only swirling black energy inside the sphere for a moment before the sphere glowed brightly and even the residue was destroyed. So great was his shock that it took him a moment to remember the other orbs that were circling him. As soon as his eyes glanced at them, the first charged directly at him and easily penetrated his attempt at a wandless shield charm. With the sound of a great church bell, the orb exploded with enough force to send him flying towards the student tables. When the arc of his flight turned downwards, another orb surged forward and exploded beneath him, this one filling the air with a sense of hope as it exploded soundlessly. The third went off and caused a swell of positive emotion as those in the hall briefly relieved their fondest memory. Again and again he was struck until he passed out.
As Albus fell, the invader reached out her hand and caught him with a levitation charm, lowering him to the floor in front of the doors to the Great Hall. With her other hand, she conjured a bright shining ball of fire and projected her sense of self into the flame. This allowed Fawkes to sense her emotions, motivations, and who she really was at her core. After a few moments of deliberation, the phoenix flew to the newcomer and alighted on her shoulder, crying out a song that forced the image of a new dawn into the mind of everyone watching. Carefully seating herself in the Headmaster's own chair, Ayura spoke again as what were obviously medics escorted by a complement of soldiers swept into the hall, seeing to the injured. "Does anyone else want to fight or are you willing to listen now?"
Unsurprisingly, the students and refugees sat down and proved willing to listen as their guest explained her purpose. "In light of the war raging across the cosmos, all of you will be expected to help us protect you. Given how low your species' population is however, it is doubtful that any of you will be sent to the front lines for at least several generations. Instead, you will be given tasks on Earth and elsewhere to help make as many worlds livable as possible. You will be pushed to fulfill your potential, to become as powerful as you can. But there are benefits to hard work! The Golden Star Empire reaches through realities and worlds you cannot imagine and we do not believe you should work for free. You will be paid with our currency and can use it to purchase spells, creatures, and objects from a truly massive marketplace. Now, are all of you ready to help us save creation from darkness?"
In addition to being a Class Seven magical and certified curse-breaker, Ayura had been chosen for this assignment because she was good at dealing with people. Still, the cheer that broke out when she finished speaking was admittedly the result of using a few magical spells, nothing stronger than Earth's standard Cheering Charm, to evoke fear and hope at different points during her speech. When the cheers died down, she gave the room a warm smile. "Then I welcome you all to a much larger world. Our first order of business is to give each of you a medical exam, so our healers will be setting up in the castle's infirmary. Our healers have begun healing those with broken and malformed magic, what you call Squibs, giving them full use of their birthright. If they can do that, imagine how much stronger they can make you."
Ayura pointedly did not inform them that part of their exam would involve the standard implants, but figured the healers could enjoy sharing that surprise after the 'fun' negotiation she'd had today. The Professors had been carried away while she'd spoken, so she strode intently out of the room and desperately prayed she wouldn't be stuck leading this school.
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Newsreels: Welcome to the Club
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As the Golden Star Empire took control of Earth they not only worked to secure the world's people and resources, but to begin the long and difficult work of winning hearts and minds. Experience from past integrations had taught them that careful and accurate dissemination of information could make the difference between a peaceful transition of power and chaos. As landing crafts made their way towards the surface, analysts in Ahn'tamet's fleet projected that a completely peaceful transition was impossible, but loss of life could be kept to a minimum. So as troops landed and began doing their job, Shia Runsocris was seated in front of a vanity as her stylist applied finishing touches to her appearance. Shia was obviously not human, though she was humanoid; her body was covered in short golden fur except for the top of her head. She was particularly fond of her long red hair, and was glad to be wearing a perfectly-fitted cream-colored uniform that complimented her natural colors. Moments later, her stylist nodded and stepped back. Shia took a deep breath and stood, making her way through the corridor.
As she strode through the halls with her tail swinging nervously behind her, Shia took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She'd trained for this, studied hard, but she'd never thought her first (and, unless something terrible happened, her last) assignment would be this important. I was never suited for the frontlines or life on a warship, but I still have to contribute. Everyone has to do their part, after all. I might not be a soldier, but this is something I can do to help the Empire with my own talents.
Moments later Shia strode into her studio, and seated herself behind a desk carefully crafted to project an air of warm professionalism. Her manager, a human who came from the same universe she did, nodded in her direction as he adjusted one of the camera drones, a silently hovering robot about the size of a football. Turning back to her, he spoke up. "Looking good Shia. We'll be ready in just a moment. As soon as the light on the back wall turns green you can start. The initial announcements have already gone out and the techs are securing the rest of Earth's broadcast hardware. We have time, so we can take as many takes as you need."
Shia nodded, then briefly called up her holographic interface. A few sharp motions of her hands and her notes she'd typed out were projected on the wall behind the primary camera. A moment later her manager stepped back, and the indicator on the camera flipped from red to green. Shia took a deep breath, forced herself to relax, and looked into the camera. She gave a warm smile, showing off her pointed teeth just a little, and started to speak. "Greetings, people of Earth. My name is Shia Runsocris, and until I'm reassigned, I will be bringing you the news on behalf of the Golden Star Empire. I am a Caitian from a nearby reality and I'm pleased to see Earth again, even if it isn't the same world I've visited before. We are currently searching for a co-host, and I look forward to working with him or her soon."
Shia paused, glanced briefly at her notes, and continued speaking. "There is a lot of information to disseminate, but first I want to tell you how I came to be here. Part of my job description is to earn your trust, after all." Shia took a breath and her smile fell just a little. "By now you've heard the Empire's claims, that they're fighting a war against universal extinction, and that they need every individual and every resource possible mobilized to fight back the Void. I don't need to tell you that is true, your people will see the truth with their own eyes the first time your people visit one of the stars or galaxies that no longer exist in this universe, or one of the realities where only a handful of stars remain.
Shia paused for only a moment before continuing. "I grew up knowing that my universe, reality, dimension, or whatever you want to call it, was not the only one to exist but we only had direct knowledge of one other. James Tiberius Kirk, probably the most famous starship captain to ever explore my home galaxy, described that universe as 'like looking through a dark mirror.' And yes, Kirk is a human name. Time is not constant from one universe to another; by your calendar I was born in 2362 in a quadrant of the Milky Way where humans and many other species formed the United Federation of Planets. The Federation was a paradise, there was no scarcity of food or medical care. Work was optional, many people had all their needs met and were perfectly content with a life of leisure. Others chose a more difficult path, and enlisted in government or Starfleet, the Federation's exploration and defense arm."
Shia let out a dark laugh. "We were fools. Despite never having known even half a century of peace between the disparate powers in our sector of space, our culture and leaders were so convinced that if we simply showed the galaxy an example of peaceful bliss they would eventually change their ways and become like us. In the decades before I was born the Federation had gradually drawn down its fleets and defensive installations. Instead of building ships of war to replace our aging defense fleet, we built ships designed for exploration and diplomacy."
Shia's expression faltered, and she absently rubbed old scars on her right arm, parting the soft fur and revealing discolored skin to the camera without meaning to. "When I was eight years old the Federation discovered a stable wormhole to a distant part of the galaxy. We learned that the Dominion, a powerful empire, had committed genocides against species that refused to submit, but instead of throwing everything into rebuilding our fleet, our leaders took a 'measured' approach."
She paused to let out a sad laugh. "As you might guess, war soon came to us whether we were ready for it or not. Half our fleet was close to a century old, and our newer ships simply were not designed for a protracted war. I won't describe the entire war, you can look that up with any interface if you're curious, but I will simply say that it went badly. I was on Caitian when the Dominion fleet took Betazed, the homeworld of a race of peaceful telepaths." Shia shuddered, losing the flow of her speech for a moment. "There were no military installations on that world, no reason for fifteen billion people to die screaming, but they did. So many telepaths died in agony that we could hear their screams ten light-years away."
Shia closed her eyes, trying to drive those horrible memories from her mind. "That was not the worst or the last atrocity committed against us, and the war continued to go badly. In the end, one of the few heroes we had left found the plans for an interdimensional gateway and begged the Golden Star Empire for help. Hours after leaving, Captain Picard returned, leading an expeditionary force of ten-thousand Imperial ships. The massacres stopped. The Empire annexed our galaxy, and began the same work currently beginning in the Milky Way.
"The Golden Star Empire is not perfect. The Empire sweeps across space and realities, often forcing new worlds and species to join us. Once a species reaches a population of at least five-hundred billion, that species will begin sending soldiers into a war that is as horrific as it is necessary. Your culture will change, the Empire forces every world and species under its banner to cooperate, no matter what old feuds or hatreds exist. Your people will be coerced to work, to become cogs in a machine that turns out ships and soldiers to fight against our common enemies." Shia chuckled for a moment, remembering her own people's complaints. "Federation citizens were not happy about having our way of life overturned, our lazy ways abolished. But without the need to work, to come together and struggle against a common goal, we lost something important."
Shia continued, earnestness evident despite the species divide as she continued. "But even though we will face great hardship together, that does not mean there are no benefits to the Empire! In the days to come prefabricated medical facilities will go up all across your world, with medical techniques that can cure any disease or wound! The culture the Empire imposes is carefully sculpted to give every citizen as much fulfillment and happiness as possible while still supporting the military that keeps us safe!
"And if you throw away everything else I've said as propaganda and lies, believe this: The Golden Star Empire fields a fleet of over a quadrillion warships and quintillions of soldiers. Every one of those ships exists solely to protect as many lives as possible. Every one of those soldiers fights so that their loved ones, their homeworlds, their very species live to see another day. The Golden Star Empire takes care of its own, and starting today, you are now part of the Empire and under our protection. I know that will not comfort you today, or tomorrow, or even a year from now. But in the years, centuries, and millennia to come, it will. Because the Empire will not allow extinction to claim your people. As long as the Golden Star Empire stands, extinction and annihilation will not sweep across creation unchecked! As long as the Empire stands, Life will not succumb to Oblivion!"
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A/N: Welcome to a new fic everyone. This one will probably be about half the length of Elune's Pebble when all's said and done, and it will be an entirely different fic. I know Harry hasn't actually made an appearance yet, but that's because I had to split the first chapter. I'm trying to update more often, and my next update will be chapter two of this, followed by chapters three and four.