Beginning a New Path

by stargatesg1fan1

Massive multiverse crossover between Harry Potter/Buffy/Stargate/Star Trek Enterprise/X-Men/Fantastic Four/Iron Man/Highlander/Justice League/Underworld/Star Wars and More in that order. Harry Potter is the main character. Full summary inside. Non-Traditional-Harem, Builds up to Awesome Power Harry. 1 Million Words. 150 Smut Scenes (Very Sensual Story).

46. Chapter 46 Starship Troopers Verse

Starship Troopers Universe

By Stargatesg1fan1

Betaed by Pyrgus

Disclaimer: I own nothing of any recognized characters within. If I did own this universe I would have been smart enough to not expect a rock hurled from one end of the galaxy to the other at sublight speeds to arrive at its destination in under a millennia.

AN:

Carmen Ibanez is played by Denise Richards

Dizzy Flores is played by Dina Meyer

End AN

Buenos Aires…

Harry arrived in the middle of a high school class. While he was adjusting to the identity of Johnny Rico, he heard his name being called, apparently for a second time.

"Rico," the teacher, Mr. Rasczak, called.

"Yes sir?" asked Harry.

"Pay attention," Rasczak instructed.

"Sorry Mr. Rasczak," Harry answered before paying attention.

Harry directed his nanites to finish the drawing Rico had been making for his gorgeous girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez, while paying attention to the teacher.

"Let's sum up," Rasczak said loudly. "This year we explored the failure of democracy. The social scientists brought our world to the brink of chaos. We talked about the veterans, how they took control and imposed the stability that has lasted for generations since."

Harry felt eyes on him and turned his head back to see a very attractive redhead, Dizzy Flores, smiling at him while mouthing "bad, bad boy". Dizzy had a strong crush on Rico. Rico only had eyes for Carmen; Harry on the other hand was going to have to mix things up a bit here.

"You know these facts, but have I taught you anything of value this year?" asked the teacher as Harry examined Carmen, sitting a seat in front of him to the right, who turned when she felt his gaze and graced him with a white toothed beautiful smile. "You, why are only citizens allowed to vote?" the teacher asked another male student.

"It's a reward, what the Federation gives you for doing federal service," the student answered.

"No, no, something given has no value," the teacher announced as Dizzy stood up a bit to get a peak at what Harry had just drawn, but it was already sent to Carmen. "When you vote you're exercising political authority and using force, and force my friends is violence, the supreme authority from which all other authority is derived."

"Uh…my mother always says violence never solves anything," Dizzy spoke up.

"Really, I wonder what the city fathers of Hiroshima would say about that. You," Rasczak pointed to Carmen by placing his amputated arm stub on her shoulder.

"They probably wouldn't say anything, Hiroshima was destroyed," Carmen answered easily.

"Correct, naked force has resolved more issues throughout history than any other factor," the teacher continued while Carmen brought up the image Harry sent her.

It was an animated picture of two people kissing, which got a quiet laugh out of Carmen.

"Rico, what's the moral difference, if any, between a civilian and a citizen?" asked the teacher.

"That sir, is a question that I cannot answer until I've transitioned from one to another. The text gives an answer about accepting responsibility personally for the body politic, but like I said, that isn't understandable to me yet," Harry answered.

"Very good Rico, I'm glad somebody learned something," Rasczak praised.

Carmen took that moment as the teacher began to finish his lecture just before the bell rang to send back an image of the girl's bubblegum blowing up in the boy's face, blocking the kiss. Carmen also blew Harry a kiss. When they walked out of the classroom, Carmen was right behind and allowed Harry to pull her into a kiss, which she eagerly returned, his aura making her very aroused.

"Not here," Carmen said a little more huskily than normal.

Carmen didn't like to kiss in public in case somebody saw them and told her father. Carmen's father didn't like Harry's new parents because they were rich and weren't citizens.

"Come on, let's see if they posted the math final," Carmen said excitedly as she pulled Harry along.

"Aristotle quick, hack the servers and upgrade all my test scores to perfect scores," Harry ordered.

"Done Harry," came Aristotle's reply a moment later.

Although the technology of this universe was a bit more advanced than Harry's usual experience when arriving in a new reality, it was nothing compared to the technology he had available to him.

"Rico, you going to take Tesla?" asked a fellow student as they walked by.

"We're going to kill them," Harry answered in reference to the futuristic football team Harry was a member of.

"First thing fleet academy looks at is your math scores," Carmen informed Harry as she dragged him towards the public terminal. "Wish me luck," Carmen said as Harry watched her jump excitedly in her school uniform skirt, something she looked amazing in.

"Congratulations beautiful," said Harry as a score of 97% came up for Carmen.

"You're turn," Carmen said playfully while grabbing Harry's ass, his aura being very affective on her.

Harry typed in his access code and his perfect score came up.

"One hundred percent!" exclaimed Rico's best male friend, Carl Jenkins, while Carmen gushed and grabbed his head to turn it so she could kiss him heatedly.

"I am so hot for you right now," Carmen purred into Harry's ear.

Carl punched the score up so it took up the entire screen instead of just a corner when Harry was distracted. There was much laughing and cheering. Harry's counterpart was very popular.

"I'm going to go talk to Marco for a moment Johnny, his sister is at fleet," Carmen whispered before walking a short distance away.

"You haven't done it yet have you?" Carl asked in reference to having sex with Carmen.

"Not yet but I'm sensing it will be very soon," Harry answered with a smile.

"Maybe you're the one developing ESP, a little telepathy maybe, now," Carl joked as the one who had some of those powers. "Don't wait too long, others are waiting," said Carl while looking at Dizzy behind me.

This society was quite a bit in the future relative to the turn of the millennia Harry was used to. The humans of earth had evolved quite a bit. Some had budding powers while most didn't.

"Hey don't forget about this afternoon. He's always late when he walks you home to fish for a kiss," Carl teased Carmen, getting right in her face.

"Get out of here," laughed Carmen as she walked up to Harry, him putting his arm around her as they began to walk to their next class. "Marco's sister made pilot," Carmen informed Harry excitedly.

"So will you, and if you don't I'll either build you your own ship or buy you one," Harry promised.

"I mean imagine flying a half a million tons of starship. You've gotta have nerves of steel," Carmen continued, thinking Harry was joking.

"Yeah you do, let's see how yours hold up," Dizzy spoke as she walked by.

"Not really," Harry answered while thinking of the wonderful ships he's flow which weigh a lot more than that.

"How would you know?" asked Carmen with a smile.

"You'd be surprised. I've got tons of surprises in store for you Carmen," Harry promised with a purr that sent shivers down her hot body.

"You may begin," the biology teacher said a short while later.

"Uuuuggg," Carmen said as she put her hand over her mouth in disgust after Harry flipped the alien creature over.

The bugs were a hostile species that sent meteors at Earth from an asteroid belt orbiting their planets. They sent so many out that several were bound to hit if it wasn't for the orbital defense systems. The meteors were accelerated through very fast hyperspace via a special energy field the bugs generated naturally when they shot a variation of plasma energy balls into orbit at the asteroid belt. Harry had already dispatched a remote probe to study the effect when he learned of it from his new memories.

"Carmen you can stand behind me and don't look. I'll handle this," Harry whispered to his girlfriend while casting a notice me not charm on her to keep the teacher's attention from her.

Harry began cutting up the bug while his girlfriend buried her face in his neck to keep the gory vision from her sight. He felt her kissing him and nibbling on his neck, his aura keeping any unpleasant smells away from her while also causing her to become aroused. About halfway through the dissection Carmen began grinding herself against Harry's backside.

"I want you Johnny," Carmen whispered to him.

"Oh look at that," Harry said as he looked at the clock and concentrated on his power. "Time for class to end," he announced while confounding the teacher.

"Yes time for class to end," she mimicked while everybody in the class besides the too aroused Carmen stared at Harry in shock, and admiration.

Harry quickly washed up and pulled an excited Carmen out towards a secluded spot he knew. By the time he and Carmen got there Aristotle had erected wards to keep others away while making it as romantic as possible. The clearing had an ethereal glow to it, while a very comfortable (cushioning charms) sleeping bag was laid out with all the accoutrements to a romantic picnic laid out (wine, food, etc.).

Carmen didn't want to waste time with food. She pushed Harry down onto his back on the sleeping bag with a growl of arousal.

Insert Smut Scene here

When Carmen awoke, Harry presented her with a spare blouse and skirt he had brought along just in case.

"You came prepared lover," Carmen said appreciatively.

In truth, Harry had just conjured them.

"Of course…but I'm keeping these," Harry announced as he picked up her panties and put them into his pocket.

"I suppose but it's not like you can't get into what those cover anytime you want," Carmen replied with a smile.

"Promises, promises," said Harry.

"Most definitely," purred Carmen as she sauntered up to him before stealing a kiss.

Harry walked his lover home before heading off to see Carl.

Carl's house…

"I don't understand it…every time before that we've performed this test you got them wrong, all of them," exclaimed Carl in frustration. "Now, now your score is higher than mine," Carl groused as another card matched with the one Harry said it would be.

"I don't know Carl, I guess something is just different about me," Harry answered with an easy grin.

"There is something different about you," Carl agreed while scrutinizing Harry and trying to figure out what. "Cirino," Carl exclaimed at his pet ferret as it spilled Carl's drink over the keyboard.

Harry didn't have anything to do with directing the pet as a distraction, no definitely not.

"He just wants some attention. You need to play with him more," Harry told Carl while petting the animal.

"Go bug mom Cirino," Carl instructed while concentrating with his fledgling telepathy.

"Nice," Harry complemented as Cirino took off up the stairs.

"I just gave him the impression there's a grub crawling up my mom's leg. He's on a mission to go eat it," Carl spoke with a mischievous grin on his face just as we heard his mom screaming at Cirino to get off her leg.

Later that day, the game…

Harry ran around the opposition with ease at just above human reflexes and speed, not overly noticeable or distinguishable from extreme talent. He could hear Carmen cheering him on loudly from the stands. He saw one of the blue team members from Tesla make a dive for him and front flipped high above him, leaving the opposition sailing into the stands. After Harry scored the touchdown, he looked over into the stands where he saw Carmen help the opposition up.

"Are you alright?" Harry's super hearing picked up from Carmen.

"Much better, now," asshole, whose name Harry picked up from a Tesla player's mind was Zander, flirted with Carmen. "So what are you doing after the game?" Zander asked.

"See that guy who just scored over there and totally outplayed you," asked Carmen. "I'm going to the dance with him and then he's going to take me home and fuck me until I'm unconscious," answered Carmen with a shit eating grin.

Harry just busted up laughing and went back with his teammates to prepare for the next play. Zander came back onto the field sullen and angrily glaring at Harry. Harry glimpsed into the dumbass's mind and found that he was a flight instructor for the fleet. Realizing that this could be a problem if Zander found out Carmen was going for the fleet, Harry used a strong compulsion to make Zander avoid Carmen at all costs. In fact Zander would avoid her name if it even came up as a trainee. Zander would turn it down and pass her onto somebody else.

"Johnny," yelled Carmen. "Yeah," she cheered excitedly while clapping.

The play was called and Zander tried to charge Harry when he wasn't looking. Harry dropped his shoulder at the last second and made it look plausible as to why Zander dropped like he just ran into a brick wall when Harry only allowed himself to give a little.

"That's going to leave a bruise," Harry mused to Aristotle who was keeping an eye on Carmen.

"Indeed sir, but I think the laxative I just had transported into his system is going to leave a more lasting impression," came Aristotle's reply.

"Aristotle you were the best thing that ever happened to me, well next to becoming a sex god and acquiring a massive harem," Harry added.

"Understood sir," Aristotle replied dryly.

Harry was busy intercepting the pass Tesla just tried to make to another receiver after Zander went down.

"Rico, flip six three hole," Dizzy instructed as the team captain as Harry walked into the end of the huddle. "Got it?" she asked.

"Got it Diz," Harry answered with a grin which he could tell had a serious affect on the attractive redhead.

The team formed up at the line before Diz shouted, "Hut!"

Harry watched as Diz shouldered her opponent out of the way. She checked the second Tesla opponent who tried to tackle her before throwing the ball down the field towards Harry. Three Tesla idiots were between Harry and where the ball would come down. He flipped over all three and they ran into each other trying to colliding after the failed tackle on Harry. Catching the ball, the crowd cheered as Harry sensed Zander trying to catch him. Harry waited until he sensed Zander diving to tackle him before doing a front flip which caused Harry's foot to clip Xander's nose, breaking it. That action was perfectly legal in the more dangerous futuristic sport.

The touchdown won the game for Harry's team by quite a few points. Carmen's excited cheer could be heard from quite a distance. She ran forward and tackled Harry, kissing him happily. The team hoisted Harry up on their shoulders.

Shortly after, Harry's house…

"Who said you could grow up so fast?" asked Harry's new mom as she straightened his bow tie.

"I believe that was the biology of the human race and a lapse in your perceived span of time," Harry answered.

"This came for you today," his father announced as he brandied a Federal service recruitment guide. "I presume at your request?"

"I like to check out all my options," Harry said as he took the booklet.

"Well you're not thinking of applying?" asked his mother.

"Have you lost your mind? I'd rather take ten lashes in Public Square than see you ruin your life," spoke his father vehemently.

"How do you know it would be ruining my life?" Harry asked calmly.

"Johnny people get killed in the Federal service!" his mother exclaimed.

"Gee mother, I didn't bother reading all the statistics before I became interested," Harry said sarcastically.

"Who gave you this idea?" his dad demanded. "It's that teacher isn't it? What's his name? You know the one I'm talking about."

"Mr. Rasczak and no he didn't. He actually discouraged it," Harry answered.

"You're going to Harvard and that's the end of it," his dad stated as the rich man poured himself a drink.

"You obviously know nothing about psychology. Tell someone they aren't doing something and they have no choice in the matte is the opposite of what you want to do," Harry explained patiently.

"Wait you two, "interjected his mother. "Dad and I have a surprise for you that will settle this."

"How about a trip to the outer rings, Zegama Beech?" announced his father.

"I've always wanted to go there," Harry mused.

"Good, good then it's all settled," his mother said enthusiastically.

"Hardly," Harry thought.

The dance…

"Don't go away," Carmen told me with a smile as she went to the ladies room.

"Ok," Harry promised.

"Hey Rico, you want to dance?" a smiling Diz asked.

"Sure Diz," Harry agreed with a warm smile.

As she pressed her body close to his, Harry had to admire her athletic form.

"You know it's sad, after tonight most of us probably won't see each other again," Diz said.

"I'm sure our paths will cross faster than you know it beautiful," Harry spoke with an enigmatic smile, trusting his instincts.

"Johnny how come we never got together?" asked Dizzy.

"Because I'm a damn fool and you keep picking fights with Carmen," Harry answered. "Talk to her, make peace with her. You might be surprised what comes of it," Harry suggested.

"I'll think about it Johnny," Diz promised.

"Can I have this dance with such a lovely lady?" Carl asked.

"Sure Carl, here comes my date," Harry answered. "Have fun Diz," Harry said with a wink.

Carmen molded herself to me for the last dance. Her lips were sweet with the taste of punch as she kissed Harry.

"Hey break it up you two, there's a place for that sort of thing," Carl said as he stuck his hand between the lovers.

Carl was trying to spare Diz the sight. For some reason Harry's aura against jealously was having a hard time against Diz. It was probably because she had such a strong attraction for Johnny for so long before Harry merged with him. Harry made a special effort to concentrate his aura on Diz. She seemed to have a lot more fun after that.

"I've been thinking and I'm going to do it Carmen, I'm going to go for Federal service," Harry informed his lover.

"That's great," Carmen said with a big smile. "Carl and I are signing up tomorrow. Come with us," urged Carmen.

"I will," Harry agreed.

Carmen kissed his lips and then her way to his ear.

"My father's not home tonight," Carmen whispered seductively before kissing him once more.

Diz managed to make a tentative truce with Carmen after the dance. Diz apologized to Carmen for being so mean and admitted it was due to jealousy.

"Don't worry about it Dizzy. I have a feeling we'll be good friends in the years to come," Carmen said with a smile for the redhead.

They actually hugged goodbye and Harry caught Carmen copping a feel of Diz's ass. It looked like Harry's aura feature which promoted bisexuality didn't have any trouble with Carmen. Harry had a very fun night with his frisky lover at her house.

The next morning, the Federal recruitment terminal…

Harry took the two year oath next to Carmen.

"Fresh meat for the grinder aye?" asked the prosthetic wearing paperwork stamping soldier as the couple handed him their papers. "So how'd you kids do?" he asked.

"I'm going to be a pilot," Carmen answered with a wide grin.

"Well good for you, we need all the pilots we can get," the man said.

"Hey, did you get Starside R&D?" asked Harry when Carl walked up.

"No I got Games and Theory," Carl answered breathlessly.

"Games and Theory, that's military intelligence," Carmen said with a smile.

"Way to go Carl," Harry encouraged his friend.

"Next time we meet I'll probably have to salute you," the paperwork man said.

"What about you son?" he asked Harry.

"They wanted to put me in either Starside R&D or Games and Theory but I turned them down. I want to be where the action is, fighting so I'm in Infantry," Harry answered.

With his high scores, the most advanced ever, they had wanted to put him as high as possible. Harry had been adamant on being where the action was. His instincts told him that was where he wanted to go. So Harry had made a compromise. They provided Harry with a tablet computer, a very advanced quantum computer in fact, and a little more leeway than the other recruits. Harry would do officer training and R&D training by correspondence. That was fine with Harry. He suspected he would be "inventing" some new technologies to aid in the war soon enough.

"Good for you son," the soldier said as he shook Harry's hand. "Infantry is what made me the man I am today."

Harry thought perhaps they shouldn't have a guy missing both legs and one arm willing to say that to new recruits.

Harry ran to catch up with Carl and Carmen.

"Let's make a vow," suggested Carmen. "No matter what, we'll always be friends."

"I'll go for that," Harry said as he held up his hand.

"Well chances are we'll never see each other again," Carl said hesitantly when Carmen took Harry's hand. "We'll be millions of light years away from each other. But uh…yeah sure why not," Carl decided as he added his hand to the pile.

Harry's home, shortly after…

"You'll resign and that's the end of that," Harry's father ordered. "It may look bad but if that's the worst you suffer then so be it."

"Not going to happen," Harry answered.

"I'm telling you it will. You're not going back, you're going on vacation," his dad rebutted.

"I made the choice dad. Deal with it," Harry replied calmly.

"You walk out that door you are cut off young man. You understand me?" his father shouted.

"Johnny, why won't you change your mind? Does citizenship mean that much to you?" asked his mom just outside the door.

"Yes," Harry answered easily.

"Well I hope so. I hope you don't ruin your life over some silly little girl who wants to look handsome in a uniform," his mom said.

"Mother do you want what could possibly be your last words to me to be in anger?" Harry asked.

His mother gave him a tearful hug. Harry gave her a recording to give to his father when he calmed down.

"Are the generators and defense systems in place my friend?" Harry asked as he left his home.

"Yes sir," Aristotle answered.

"Good," Harry said before apparating away to meet Carmen at the terminal.

"Johnny," Carmen said excitedly as Harry took her suitcases.

"What kept you?" asked Harry.

"My dad had to help me pack. Suddenly he's afraid he's never going to see me again or something," answered Carmen. "It was sweet but it took forever. Anyway I guess I'm ready to go," Carmen spoke as she plugged her ticket into the hub.

"Not quite," Harry replied as he pulled out a small case out of his pocket. "I want you to have this and promise that you will never take it off," Harry said seriously while showing Carmen the beautiful platinum wristband.

"It's beautiful," Carmen gushed. "But will they let me wear it," she asked as she slipped it on and admired it.

"Yes, I checked. It's not against regulation. It's got some technologies I built in. You'll understand what I mean the next time you think of me at night. I've got a matching band," Harry explained as he showed her his wrist.

"I'll never take it off," Carmen promised before leaning up and kissing Harry deeply. "It's exciting going away but I'm scared, aren't you?" Carmen asked Harry after they ended the kiss.

"No…because you give me the courage to face anything. I love you," Harry looked deeply into her sky blue eyes.

"I love you too Johnny. I'm going to miss you," Carmen spoke softly.

"Not as much as you think love," Harry answered enigmatically while they called Carmen's transport number.

They kissed deeply one last time before Harry watched Carmen climb aboard her transport.

"Don't forget to write," Carmen called just before the transport doors closed.

Harry's only answer was a wide grin this time. In addition to a divinely powerful personal shield the band contained within a pocket dimension a device which created a subspace neural link with a hard light interface. Basically they could have sex via the device over any distance. Of course Harry planned on just apparating to Carmen and having sex in person but it was nice to have a technology to hide his powers with.

Boot Camp, a few hours later…

"Most of you will not live to be in the mobile infantry. Trouble is you are not good enough the way you are. Hands at your side," Drill Instructor Sgt. Zim reprimanded another recruit as he walked down the line. "Chin up…I am your senior drill instructor Career Sergeant Zim, suck it in," he yelled while whacking the offender in the gut with his baton. "To think this had to happen to me. What a bunch of apes. No strike that you don't rate that good. Never in my life have I seen-" Zim began before stopping as a recruit began to laugh.

"Do you think I'm funny?" Zim asked as he got in the young man's face.

"I'm sorry," the recruit answered.

"The first words and the last words out of your stinking holes will be sir! Do you get me?" Zim shouted in the laugher's face.

"Sir Yes sir," the recruit answered as he was jerked out of line.

"See that armory? Run around it," Zim yelled before whacking the recruit. "Run, run, run, Cruzky keep pace," Zim instructed another drill instructor.

"Any time you think I'm being too tough, any time you think I'm being unfair, anytime you miss your mommy quit! You grab your gear, you take a stroll down washout lane," Zim pointed at the gates to the facility. "Do you get me?"

"Sir, yes sir," the entire recruit body answered.

"Pathetic, I wonder if there's a handful of guts in the whole bunch of you. Now, who here thinks they got what it takes to knock me down?" Zim asked while rubbing his hands in glee.

"Sir, I guess maybe I do, sir," shouted the first idiot to raise his hand.

Zim took off his belt and waived the poor recruit forward. Being the first was a bad idea. He charged and Zim used his momentum to flip him on his back before breaking his arm.

"You alright son?" asked Zim.

"Sir, yes sir, it's my arm. I think it's broken sir," the recruit felt the need to state the obvious.

"Medic," Zim shouted before the medics came running. "Pain is in your mind," Zim began to lecture."Who's next?" asked Zim.

"I am," Harry announced.

"Sir," a familiar voice interrupted as Dizzy showed up. "Dizzy Flores reporting for duty sir," Diz announced as she handed Zim her orders.

"You specifically requested transfer from Fort Chroncite to this training unit?" asked Zim.

"Sir I heard it was the best sir," answered Diz smartly.

"It is the best. Now take your spot in line. Recruit Rico step forward and try to knock me down," Zim shouted.

Harry picked up from Zim's mind that the drill instructor heard Harry was a whiz kid and didn't like his special accommodations. He wanted to knock Harry down a peg. When Harry charged Zim, Harry feinted but the instructor didn't fall for it. When Harry went right only to pull back at the last moment and strike at the left Zim surged forward and made to grab Harry in a choke hold. That was what Harry was hoping for as his elbow came up and impacted into Zim's temple so fast the drill instructor didn't know which of Harry's appendages hit him. Harry followed it up with a quick jab to the kidney before finishing Zim off with a leg sweep and a Vulcan pressure point he learned from T'Pol.

There was a hushed silence as Zim collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"Holy shit," Harry heard somebody mutter.

The fight had taken less than five seconds. Harry acted like he was applying the reverse pressure point but channeled an enervate into Zim. Zim stood up and brushed himself off, obviously used to being knocked unconscious plenty of times in his life.

"Back in line Rico," Zim ordered.

Lunch, the Mess Hall…

"Man I'd like to kill that Sergeant Zim," announced Tom, the cadet who got his arm broken a short while ago, now sporting a healing pack which allowed him to use it while the bone was mended.

"Woh, improper attitude," a decently attractive redhead cadet chastised jokingly. "They can kick you out for talking like that."

"Bye, bye you go down washout lane," another cadet spoke as he grimaced at the pink slop that they were supposed to eat.

"Yeah, you either got what it takes or you don't," Cadet Ace Levy said as he pushed his way in line, cutting many cadets, including Harry.

"Wait your turn Ace," the thin black female in front of Harry reprimanded.

"Hey, at ease little soldier. It's all the same muck," Ace tried.

"Get in line like everybody else Ace," Harry spoke up, his aura of intimidation coming up.

"Ok," Ace agreed immediately, having seen what Harry did to Zim just a short while earlier. Ace was not eager to mess with the powerful looking cadet. Harry could feel Zim's stare on his back as the Sergeant watched the outcome of the confrontation. "You've got some guts for a rich kid. I guess you and me can be buddies," Ace tried.

"That's fine Ace as long as you go to the back of the line," Harry was firm.

Ace finally went to the back of the line so the rest of them could get their food, or what passed for it in that place. Harry layered an illusion over his meal after he sat down while Dobby, who still cooked all of his meals, replaced the nasty slop the cadets were served.

"Hey Rico, want to sit together?" asked Diz as she walked up with a smile.

"Sure Diz," Harry agreed with a warm smile for the cute redhead.

After they sat down Ace quickly joined them. There was a lot of flirting between Harry and Diz but with Ace there they kept it to an appreciable level. The night before Carmen had discovered the sexual features of her platinum bracelet and had been overjoyed at the prospects. Afterwards when they were lying in bed cuddling Harry's lover had given him permission to seek out other gratification with whoever he could. As long as there was a place in his heart for her Carmen wouldn't complain. Harry really loved his aura all the time.

"Forget it Ace, you don't stand a chance," Harry informed his friend as he ran along the obstacle course.

"What makes you even think you're going to make Squad Leader Rico," asked Ace from shortly behind Harry.

Harry was having to restrain himself from blowing by everybody.

"Because I'm the best," Harry answered as he and Ace swung across the ropes to another incline.

"Hey!" Diz's voice rang out from behind them. Harry stepped to the side just as one of her feet connected with Ace's chest, knocking him off the platform into the mud below. Rico smirked down only for a moment before flipping across the gap and landing beside Diz as she dropped from the zip line. He nudged her with his foot and knocked her into the mud pit.

"Oops," Harry called sarcastically before completing the course, Zim suppressing a laugh while watching on.

Knife throwing course, ten minutes later…

Every one of Harry's knives sank into the bulls eye. Ace stepped up and had his knife bounce right off the target.

"Sir, I don't understand," Ace called to Zim. "Who needs a knife in a nuke fight anyway? All you gotta do is push a button," Ace said as he walked to the wall behind the throwing line.

"Cease fire," Zim called. "Put your hand on that wall trooper," ordered Zim. Ace hesitated before Zim shouted, "Put your hand on that wall!"

Zim pulled the knife out of the target behind him and threw it dead center into the palm of Ace's hand.

Walking up to Ace before gesturing at the cadet's hand Zim explained, "The enemy cannot push a button if you disable his hand."

Zim then pulled the knife out of the groaning Ace's hand and called for a medic, something routine in Zim's squad.

Group shower room, after training…

"Well, we all have one thing in common…we were all stupid enough to sign up for mobile infantry," a loud mouth cadet said as he walked up and activated the showers.

Harry wasn't paying too much attention as he admired the naked and wet forms of all the female cadets around him. It was one thing to see them with his x-ray and other forms of penetrating vision but to see them wet as well was so very nice. Dizzy was particularly a sight for sore eyes. His aura was working wonders on the ladies around him. He could tell by their hard nipples and aroused scent that Carmen was going to get a workout later tonight. Harry was teasing Diz, driving her more wild for him. When he finally released her tension it was going to be so fun.

"Breckinridge what's your excuse?" the loudmouth asked the cadet whose arm was broken earlier.

"Oh my family is all farmers. Mobile infantry is like pure picnic by comparison."

"Alright so they grow them big and dumb on the farm planet. Djana'D what about you?" loudmouth asked the slim black girl who wasn't too bad on the eyes.

"Oh I'm going into politics and you know you gotta be a citizen for that. So here I am," Djana'D answered while washing her hair.

"Ah you want responsibility," nosey loudmouth said. "Shujimi let's keep it going."

"I got into Harvard. But my father says forget it. It's going to cost an arm and a leg. So I serve and the Federation pays my way."

"I want to have babies," Katrina, the cute redhead, added. "It's a lot easier to get a license if you're a citizen."

"I'm going career," continued Ace. "Officer's training all the way."

"Ah and future Sky Marshall," loudmouth added. "Hey Rico your turn," he called to Harry.

Harry just stared steadily at him until loudmouth was forced to look away out of intimidation.

"Hey Flores, you knew Rico from Buenos Ares, what's his story?" loudmouth asked Dizzy.

"Oh uh…he's here because of a girl," Diz announced while teasing Harry with her eyes.

This got catcalls and shouts of lover boy from the other cadets. Harry decided his shower was done for now so walked out, getting smacked on the butt by Djana'D on the way.

"Was it you?" asked loudmouth of Diz.

Harry heard and saw through the wall as Diz just smiled and shrugged enigmatically. He shook his head laughing at the antics of his redhead friend. She had to get her licks in somehow. He was teasing her enough.

Harry didn't bother writing Carmen because he saw her every night anyway, did more than saw her. The next day they had a training exercise of futuristic capture the flag. Each team shot laser weapons at each other. When the laser hit the armor of the opponent the armor stunned the wearer. Harry and Diz stuck next to each other. Harry made every shot count.

"We're going in, move," a blue team (the teams were red and blue) teammate called out.

"Wait, hold back," Harry called. "There is a group of reds just around that wall. Wait for them to come out," Harry instructed.

Just like he said the group of six, including Ace, ran out a moment later. With the other group and Harry with Diz they had five to the red group's six. Harry counted for more as he gunned down any opposition.

"How did you know?" asked Diz.

"I can hear them," answered Harry while tapping his ear.

"Anymore of them," asked Diz.

"Yes about six," Harry informed her.

"Do a flip six three hole play and you can score," she suggested.

"Alright," agreed Harry.

Harry ran to the opposite wall while he was covered by the four other blue team members.

"Now," Diz shouted over the impacts of the laser fire on the surrounding metal walls.

Harry ran out and flipped over the first group, shooting them while turning in the air. He snatched up another rifle from one of the downed opponents. He ran towards the flag, shooting any in his path while weaving just fast enough to avoid their fire. Harry was unstoppable as he ran up the ramp and took the red team's flag.

"Kid's got some moves," Harry heard one of the observing instructors tell Zim.

"Give him a squad, see what he can do," Zim ordered.

The barracks, later…

Harry attached his Squad Leader badge rather nonchalantly. Being a mobile infantry squad leader was no big deal to him other than it was a stepping stone to a higher position.

"Look at him," loudmouth said to Ace as they played pool with a couple of the girls. "Have you ever seen anybody so pleased with himself?"

"Well Zim must have had to choose someone to be his brown nose," Ace answered.

Harry leaned over to Diz who was sitting next to him.

"I couldn't have done it without you Diz," Harry whispered into her ear before turning her head with a hand on her jaw and kissing her hotly on her sweet lips.

His tongue delved into Diz's mouth as she moaned into the lip lock. Harry put his hands on her hips and channeled a powerful pleasure bolt into her lower half. Harry had already broadcast a notice me not field through his aura and was glad he did a moment later when Diz came hard, crying into his lips.

"Oh my god Johnny," gasped Diz after she needed to breath, and had rode out her climax.

"You have no idea," Harry told her smugly before he casually pulled out his computer and began his studying and work.

Most of the studying was just having Aristotle compare the information for him and downloading anything relevant he needed to know into his mind. Harry caught Diz stealing glances at him frequently, wondering what that kiss was all about.

Exercise Field, the next day…

"Fun and games are over children. You will be firing live ammunition in a simulated combat environment. You will exercise extreme caution on my assault coarse," Zim called out to the at attention group of cadets as he walked along the top of the first slope.

The course contained robotic green soldiers which shot lasers at the cadets who ran the course. There was a series of bowl shaped slopes with sand in the center of each bowl.

"Do you get me!" Zim finished.

"Sir Yes sir!" everyone shouted.

"Rico take them out," Zim ordered Harry as he vacated the course.

"First fire team with me, next team in ten seconds," called Harry as the cadets jumped to his orders.

"Maximum score has been 280, I expect you to do better," Zim called as a buzzer rang.

"Go," Harry shouted as the first wave ran forward with a shout.

Harry made his shots count once more. Utilizing his enhanced senses and targeting abilities guided by nanites in his system Harry was able to take out any targets he sensed were about to take out his troops. If the laser was about to fire on them and they weren't fast enough, Harry shot the enemy weapon to bits.

"God dammit Brackenridge clear my line of fire," Diz shouted.

"It's my helmet, it's all screwed up," Brackenridge answered.

"You're going to blow the score," Djana'D shouted at him.

"Diz stay put," Harry shouted.

"Every time something goes wrong it's always you Brackenridge," Djana'D shouted as she backed up the slope, not watching where she was going.

The robot fired on her, hitting her. Djana'D went down and the shock of having her body electrocuted by the armor caused her to squeeze down on her trigger. Harry realized that her line of fire had her going right at Brackenridge's head and face. The helmet could take the bullets but it would only take the impact of the bullets to knock his head back before Brackenridge's face became a target.

Harry moved fast enough to tackle his trooper out of the way, taking several rounds into his just exposed upper right arm at the same time. Harry let the bullets hit him and penetrate his skin to avoid things looking suspicious. His nanites in that area were already blocking his pain receptors from feeling anything while making sure nothing would look too life threatening. The young god suppressed his healing factor to those areas.

"Fuck," Diz shouted as she ducked below the fire and kicked the gun from Djana'D's hand. "Johnny," she shouted in alarm.

"I'm alright Diz," Harry called out as he stood back up and pulled Brackenridge back up, simultaneously shooting the robot that got Djana'D out of the game. "Brackenridge put your hand on my shoulder and follow right behind me. Diz let's go. We are going to win this course," Harry ordered.

His teammates looked a bit shocked that he would continue but Harry intended to beat the high score. His shots from then on could be considered nothing less than miraculous. A single shot took out the enemy weapons while Diz and Harry's other troopers made sure the targets were shredded.

They beat the previous score just barely thanks to the holdup with Djana'D. Djana'D also turned out to be the only casualty.

"That was outstanding son," Zim praised right away. "I've never seen such dedication. Go get that arm looked at. I've got someone to deal with," the instructor told Harry before heading toward Djana'D as she got back up.

Djana'D ended up in tears after that and determined she wasn't going to cut it in the military. She knew without Harry's intervention Brackenridge would be dead and she would have been kicked out. It was due to her taunting and they all knew it. Harry felt bad for her. He had Aristotle approach her about a job (in human form of course). It wasn't politics but it would involve some political savvy to get him the best price. Harry was going to be patenting some new inventions in the next couple of days and he wanted to keep them somewhat hidden behind over complex technical terms until he was ready to reveal them. Djana'D could help him with that.

Harry overheard the discussion between Zim and the base CO. Because of his involvement with R&D, his outstanding test scores, his performance overall in training, and his saving of a life of one of his fellow cadets Harry would be booted straight to Corporal as soon as he graduated boot camp. His skill set as a telepath would have gotten him promoted a lot sooner than most but his actions recently made it happen even faster.

Later that day, Harry got a message from Carmen through the band. She was frantic because a loose asteroid had clipped her ship in hyperspace heading from the Arachnid quarantine zone heading for Earth at high warp. Harry assured her he would take care of it. They couldn't contact Fleet Command without their communications tower and Fleet Command wouldn't detect the asteroid at such high warp coming from an unexpected direction until it was too late. That quarantine zone was supposed to be guarded against such objects by a constant fleet presence of ships. They obviously had missed one.

Harry decided it would be a good idea to give his parents some warning.

"Johnny," his mom greeted happily when she answered the call. "Bill pick it up it's Johnny."

"Johnny, it's good to hear from you son. I'm sorry for what I said. I was so stupid," Bill Rico said with true regret, having obviously learned never to leave a loved one in anger.

Diz sat nearby listening to the conversation. There was no such thing as privacy in an army barracks but Harry didn't mind.

"Don't worry about it Dad, Mom. It's all water under the bridge. I just called to tell you things are good hear. I'm doing great. I did get shot in an exercise," Harry added, causing his mom to gasp as she saw the bandages and the healing device strapped to his arm. "But I'm fine. I also wanted to tell you not to leave the house for the next few hours," Harry warned.

"Why?" his mom asked in confusion, a look his father shared.

"Although we may not have parted under the best of terms I was still worried about you. I left a few protections on the house. My deep space monitoring equipment just alerted me to a fast moving exercise that should be approaching in a few minutes. Fleet's equipment won't pick it up until it's too late," Harry explained, to the growing alarm of his parents and Diz.

"What are we going to do?" asked his mom in fright.

"Not to worry…you'll be safe in the house. In fact the whole planet should be safe. You'll see why in about one minute," Harry continued as he switched the call from the public monitor over to his pad where the more sophisticated communications was able to handle the interference from the subspace eddies generated by the fast moving asteroid.

Harry, with Diz watching over his shoulder, watched on a separate screen as the asteroid impacted the gravity well of the Earth, knocking it out of hyperspace. Harry had to give those bugs credit. They were smart enough to hit the asteroids just right so that they avoided all other gravity wells on their interstellar journey to Earth. It could be heard outside as the asteroid hit the edges of the upper atmosphere. That was when a powerful bright golden light lit up the screen. The less advanced version of an Asgard beam accelerated the plasma in a tight but extremely powerful blast that impacted the asteroid and destroyed it in a tremendous explosion.

"Son…what was that?" asked his dad in awe.

"That would be one of my little inventions. You'll be getting visited by the authorities shortly I'm sure. Just tell them I built it and I'll take care of it. Love you guys, gotta go now," Harry said before ending the transmission.

"Johnny…that was amazing," Diz exclaimed before jumping him and kissing him gratefully at saving her parents.

Their brief snogging session was interrupted as a General and Sgt. Zim strode in.

"Rico," called out Zim.

"Sir Yes sir," called Harry as he stood up at attention.

"Was that your weapon that just saved millions son?" asked the General.

"Sir Yes sir," Harry answered.

"Damn good work son. Sergeant Zim, I read on the way over here while perusing Rico's file that you were planning on promoting him to the rank of Corporal as soon as he graduated?" asked the General.

"Yes sir," Zim answered.

"Frankly for just saving millions of lives and from your records we've decided you're going to be a Major as soon as you graduate. Congratulations son," the General ordered as he shook Harry's hand. "Another thing son…we the Federal Government would like to buy that weapons design off you."

"Yes sir," Harry agreed.

The government could have just taken the design but to be buying it meant they realized how much of an asset Harry was. They wanted more out of him and they didn't want to piss him off.

By the end of that day Harry had been questioned many times over by various branches of Federal intelligence, congratulated and thanked by many of his friends and fellow cadets (Katrina told him she wanted to have his babies, Diz said she had to get in line), and had a bank account balance of a billion dollars for his design. It wasn't just the weapon itself the government got with the design. The power source for the device was the real gold mine. Current fusion reactor technology was still quite bulky and would take entire rooms on a ship. The reactor for the weapon was the size of a person. Boy was the government in for a surprise when he unveiled his next technology.

When Carmen heard the news of what he had done she immediately demand Harry connect via their bracelets so she could properly thank him for saving her parents lives. She also informed him that she was the top of the line to have his babies. In a society where birth rights were licensed, it was considered an absolute honor to be chosen by a woman to carry your babies.

Ticonderoga, Deep in the Federal Quarantine Zone…

War. That was the next response of the government from the bug's latest attack. All of the cadets immediately graduated and were being shipped out to fight. Harry and his troops (he now commanded the group of privates) were recently arrived on the Ticonderoga space station as the forces mobilized for the assault on Klendathu, the planet where the asteroid was launched from.

"Here's a bunch of MI kids who look like they could eat bugs for lunch," a reporter spoke before holding the microphone up to Diz.

"Yum, yum, yum," Diz said with a smile.

"So trooper you're not too worried about fighting the arachnids?" the reporter asked Ace.

"Dang, you shoot a nuke down a bug hole you gotta lot of dead bugs," Ace replied.

"Oh my…and here we have Johnny Rico, the man who saved millions. What do you say Johnny?" asked the reporter.

"We will eradicate their species from existence," Harry answered with a calm cool smile which made the reporter shiver.

"Hey guys…we all should get tattoos," suggested as the group walked by a tattoo parlor.

"I'm good," Harry replied, having enough marks for one lifetime.

Luckily he was saved by a welcome voice at that moment.

"Johnny," Carmen shouted excitedly over the din.

"Carmen," Harry greeted with a warm smile as Carmen stopped and saluted him.

"At ease honey," Harry ordered.

"Hey Diz," Carmen greeted as she hugged her newly discovered friend.

"Have a drink with us guys," Harry suggested.

Loudmouth declined as he wanted a tattoo badly. Ace agreed so he could chat up Carmen's blonde pilot friend she introduced. While those two flirted; Harry, Carmen, and Diz chatted about old times. There was a decidedly sexual feel to the atmosphere as both women kept copping feels under the table. Harry didn't mind. Diz got drunk enough to admit she was interested in Carmen. They didn't act on anything that night but it was definitely on their mind.

They arrived in orbit around Klendathu the next day. After they all geared up, Harry ordered his troops into the drop ship. Carmen was piloting their carrier. There was an air of anticipation as everybody prepared to fight.

"We're going in with the first wave people. I want each of you to partner up with the person next to you. Don't get separated. If your partner goes down and isn't getting back up, you attach yourself to another pair. Don't get caught by these bugs alone and shoot smart people. Aim for the brain stem just like I showed you," Harry instructed, referring to the hologram of a bug he showed them earlier.

"Sir yes sir," his troops replied.

Harry could feel their nerves as he strapped in next to Diz, his 2IC (second in command). Ace wanted the spot but Harry could sense the pressure wasn't for his tall blonde friend. Harry channeled a calming aura over the ship to steady their nerves. Reaching over he grasped Diz's hand, she squeezed back tightly before throwing him a smile.

Diz was constantly watched over by several out of phase invisible replicats. They could project a personal shield around her at any time. Carmen had replicats as well as an out of phase Alteran cruiser protecting her in orbit.

The drop through the atmosphere was very turbulent. Bug plasma balls were everywhere. The drop ship pilots were good enough to avoid them. A replicat flying under the hull of Carmen's ship would be opening small wormholes to swallow any that got to close.

Just as their ship touched down, Harry sensed a neighboring ship get taken out by plasma.

"Go, go, go," Harry ordered before following quickly and taking the lead as many more troopers poured out of the other ships.

As Harry led the charge, Aristotle played this heroic sort of war tune in his mind via Harry's nanites. It had his blood pumping and making him either want to fuck or kill something. Since Dizzy probably wouldn't appreciate having her life risked by being fucked out of her mind right in the middle of the battlefield, it looked like some bugs were going to die.

"I should have been a war god," Harry muttered to himself as he mounted the nearby ridge with Diz and Ace just behind.

"Rocket crews move up," Harry shouted as they all knelt down for cover.

The big fucking bugs which were launching the plasma into space were straight in front of them. The troops all watched as a ball of plasma built up inside of the house size bugs until it burst forth in an energetic spray powerful enough to launch it into orbit.

"Let's nuke these fuckers," Harry instructed Ace before being handed a mini nuke launcher.

"Set," Diz announced after she inserted the warhead.

The beeping built up to announce the weapon was armed before Harry pulled the trick.

"Fire," Harry called before both he and Ace pulled the triggers.

Both bugs disappeared in a halo of fire as mini mushroom clouds appeared.

"Pretty," Harry mused with a grin, having no trouble looking at something so bright while the others ducked for cover.

Harry extended his aura out to block the others from the radiation. They weren't lethal levels of radiation but they would certainly hamper Katrina's plans to have babies. Bob would enjoy the energetic snack as he consumed the residual radiation.

"Ok guys let's go squash some bugs," Harry called out as the others stood up from their crouched positions.

When the troopers ran down the slope and out onto the rocky terrain they didn't encounter any bugs for a few moments. When they ran into the first bug the others jumped back while Harry shot right at the brain stem. The bug dropped to the ground immobilized with a screech.

Harry noticed quickly the other troopers teaming up on their arachnids and taking too long to take them down. The bugs still managed to take out a trooper with a gory death here or there. Harry made sure none of them were his troops. He had a replicat monitoring each bug his troops were engaging and his artificial companions informed Harry if any of the bugs were going to make a move that would result in grievous injury to his troopers. If that was imminent, Harry lashed out with his gun and shot the bug down.

"Here they come," loudmouth shouted in alarm as dozens of giant bugs filled their field of vision.

"Johnny what do we do?" Dizzy asked in fright.

"Look away," Harry answered.

Diz only had time to look at him in confusion before Harry whipped several fusion grenades into the group of bugs, scattering them across the field. Mini stars burst into being not far from his friends. The blast of heat and air knocked everybody but Harry onto their asses. Harry deflected the rocky shrapnel with his telekinesis while everybody couldn't look because of the brightness.

"What the fuck was that?" asked Ace as he climbed back to his feet.

"Fusion grenades, plasma in a can," Harry answered. "Alright…let's kill some more of these fuckers," Harry ordered as he ran forward.

More arachnids swarmed out of the hills as the troopers approached.

"Time to switch arsenal," Harry said to himself before flicking a switch on his gun.

The internal workings of the gun immediately reworked themselves until an entirely different system was in place. The others hadn't noticed until now but the guns they were using were slightly bulkier around the shoulder butt and the inside of the barrels seemed to gleam a bit more brightly than before. As soon as the flip switched all of the other guns made the same change. Harry's was the master control unit for all the weapons in his unit. He had ordered Aristotle to make the upgrades while the troops were getting some R&R the night before.

"Johnny, what's going on!" Diz cried out as her weapon suddenly started firing orange blasts instead of bullets.

"I converted everyone's weapons to plasma weapons. You're packing a micro fusion reactor in the hilt of that weapon," shouted Harry.

"Shit," Ace cried as he unloaded on the hoard of bugs approaching.

The plasma burned through the bugs like a hot knife through butter.

"Let's go get em," Shujimi cried excitedly, making to run ahead by himself.

"Shujimi get your ass back in line!" Harry ordered, channeling his power into his voice.

Sufficiently cowed the trooper did as he was ordered. Katrina made the mistake of glancing at the troopers not in her unit and noticed the gory deaths of some.

"Let's get out of here," Katrina cried in alarm before turning to run back the way she came.

Harry didn't notice her disappearance until one of his replicats informed him.

"Diz I'll be right back, hold the line," Harry ordered his 2IC before turning and running as fast as humanly possible, with maybe just a bit more speed.

He watched as a bug tunnel opened up in the ground, Katrina falling with the collapsing ground. She screamed bloody murder as a bug came out and moved towards her. Her weapon had fallen away. Harry jumped down into the hole and opened up on the beast. It was dead and a pile of bug goo before Katrina finally stopped screaming. He put his arm under her and helped her up before reaching for her weapon.

"Thanks Sir," Katrina said gratefully.

"Go back to the line Private," Harry ordered, not unkindly.

Harry tossed a fusion grenade down the hole before guiding it with his telekinesis, looking through the ground to see that it went as far as the tunnel could before it hit a pack of bugs. After the grenade went off Harry looked around and noticed more tunnels approaching his troops. He hurried back to the line.

"There's a general retreat Johnny," Diz informed him with a shout.

Diz was the one with the com unit.

"Back to the boats," Harry ordered.

The fight may have been going ok with Harry's troops but it most certainly wasn't with the other troopers on other parts of the planet. Harry, Diz, and Ace stayed at the back of their troopers, covering their retreat.

"It's an ugly planet, a bug, planet a planet hostile to…," Harry heard the reporter from the night before shouting just as a bug charged him.

Harry gunned the creature down before rushing over and pulling the terrified cameraman to his feet.

"Get your ass back to the boats now," Harry commanded.

Harry took the opportunity when others were running away to toss a few dozen plasma grenades a thousands of yards back, using his ability to see through solid matter to aim. When he climbed back aboard the boats he counted his platoon and saw everybody accounted for.

"Sir thanks sir," they all shouted as one.

Harry just nodded at them before ordering the pilot to take off.

The fleet limped back to Ticonderoga. They were scarred with plasma burns visible everywhere. Harry walked up to the bridge to give the captain the report that everybody that was coming aboard was aboard.

"Johnny," Carmen shouted happily that her lover was unharmed.

"Hi Carmen," Harry greeted his bonded after she released him from her tight hug.

"Sorry Ma'am," Carmen said with a blush as she turned to face her captain.

"It's alright Lieutenant," the Captain replied while trying to suppress a smile.

"We're ready to leave orbit," Harry reported.

"Set a course for Ticonderoga Lt. Ibanez," the Captain ordered.

"Major Rico, tell me how the battle went before the retreat. And what were those brilliant blasts we could see even from orbit?" instructed the Captain while gesturing towards a nearby vacant chair.

"Well, I couldn't really tell you much about how it was for the other units but we were holding our own until the retreat was called. That was mostly thanks to some extra goodies I brought along. Those flashes were fusion grenades, plasma in a can," Harry explained.

"And these other extra goodies that helped?" asked the Captain.

"I converted my platoon's guns to something that I recently got working but hasn't been battle tested, hence why I couldn't bring it up sooner. They now function as duel automatic mass driving weapons and plasma weapons," Harry answered.

"Plasma weapons…wherever did you get the plasma?" asked the Captain in surprise.

"From one of these," answered Harry as he pulled a small silver sphere out of his pocket, about two inches in diameter. "It's a micro fusion reactor I created. It doesn't take much plasma relatively speaking to fuel one of my new weapons."

"Well…that's amazing Major. Lt. Ibanez hold onto this one. He's already the richest man in the Service if what I've read about the price of our new weapon is correct and now I think he'll be in for another promotion when he sells this weapon to the government. Hell he could buy you your own personal battleship that makes this boat look like an old Spanish galleon," teased the Captain with a tired grin.

"Sssshhhhhh…. you'll ruin her next birthday present," Harry said with a wink which elicited a laugh from the Captain and a brilliant beaming smile from Carmen.

Ticonderoga station, a short while later…

The station was littered with the severely injured and dying. Most of them were missing limbs. One hundred thousand servicemen and women were lost in the first hour alone. The Sky Marshall in charge of the operation stepped down and a new one stepped up, SM Meru. Harry actually got to meet Meru in person. The day after the Klendathu incident Harry was taken by Carmen in a fast ship to the Command headquarters where he was asked to "sell" the new weapon design to the Service. In reality, if he didn't want to sell the design they would have attempted to take it and failed. But Harry had no trouble selling the design, along with the micro fusion reactors, which would power a whole host of new devices. The research to create such devices would have taken decades and billions of dollars to come up with. They just thought Harry was a savant that recently showed his true intelligence.

Harry had already ordered Aristotle to go back through and upgrade all of his old grades to very good scores and to even modify the memories of his teachers to match those scores. But his classmates remembered he wasn't always so smart. He couldn't alter all their memories (well he could but it would be bloody difficult to track them all down). For his trouble Harry was given another billion dollars and a promotion to Colonel. SM Meru didn't want to let him see combat in case he got killed. Harry got her to compromise. She was going to attach a division of the meanest, toughest, and generally the best troopers to all the missions Harry was sent on. Although he would outrank the commander of the other team it was suggested he defer to the other team leader's judgment in combat situations.

Harry was quickly shuttled back to Ticonderoga after that. But his mind was still flashing back to the night they got back from Klendathu.

Flashback….

"Well that was a cluster fuck," Ace said as he drained the last of his beer.

"Yeah, I'm heading to bed," Harry announced.

"Me too," agreed Carmen.

It was implied that they would be going together.

"Night guys," Harry told his friends before following Carmen.

When they got a few dozen yards away, Carmen stopped and turned back to look at the table for a moment.

"Johnny hold on for a moment," Carmen told him.

"Sure honey," Harry agreed.

She came back a moment later with Diz in tow, holding the surprised redhead's hand.

"Nobody should be alone on a night like this," Carmen whispered before pulling him along with her other hands.

When they reached Carmen's quarters they saw that her officer's room was a bit more spacious on the ship than the rest of the airmen and women were afforded. Carmen began to strip off her jumpsuit while Diz and Harry shared a glance before quickly shedding their clothes with matching grins.

Insert Smut Scene here

End Flashback

Ticonderoga, Staging Room 003…

"Officer on deck!" an attractive young black woman called as soon as she saw Harry walk into the room.

"Holy shit it's Johnny Rico," Harry heard a female voice whisper as everyone but Diz and Ace came to attention.

"At ease," Harry said after saluting. "When will the Lieutenant arrive?" Harry asked the Roughneck's (the new unit) 2IC.

"Here he comes now," the 2IC answered while pointing behind Harry.

Harry turned to be presented with his old teacher, Mr. Rasczak. Harry guessed the robotic arm wielding former teacher was Lt. Rasczak now. The Lieutenant came a stop before Harry and saluted.

"At ease," Harry said after saluting back.

"You've come a long way quickly," Lt. Rasczak said.

"Yes, yes I have," Harry agreed.

"Where's your unit?" Rasczak asked.

"In the staging area adjacent to this one," answered Harry. "They've already been briefed on the mission. I believe you know my 2IC, Lt. Dizzy Flores. This is Sergeant Ace Levy," Harry introduced.

Rasczak nodded before explaining, "I'll brief my unit and then we'll be ready to move out."

"Listen up; we've got a new Sky Marshall and a new battle plan. We're going to clean out the systems outlying Klendathu one at a time before we hit Tano urila. After Fleet glasses the planet MI mops up. Carry on," Rasczak ordered.

Planet O, A short while later…

Harry walked beside Diz and Rasczak as Ace led the Bug Burners (the name of Harry's own unit) beside the Roughnecks. The field before them was smoking from the recent "glassing" Fleet just performed on it.

"Alright spread out. If you locate a bug hole nuke it," ordered Rasczak.

Harry nodded at his unit to do the same but they were smart enough to stay in pairs like he had trained them. Harry and Diz made their way over to join Ace. As they approached the top of a nearby ridge, an arachnid came screeching over the top. Two shots rang out, one from Diz and the other from Harry. The first shot burned through the bug's brain stem while the second finished cutting it in half.

"There's a bug hole," Ace pointed out.

"Dizzy nuke it," Harry instructed.

His lover put the launcher on her shoulder before Harry loaded it. With a pull of the trigger the nuke raced down the hole. The three bugs that had just emerged looked confused on what to do for a moment before the bomb decided for them. The blast ripped them and the nearby ground to its constituent atoms.

"Come on…the others need us," Harry ordered.

They ran for the others only to find the Bug Burners were living up to their names, taking out the last of the arachnids. That's when the ground began to shake and break apart near the ridge. A giant black armored beetle rose out of the ground with glowing green eyes. Harry had read the Intel on these suckers. They could shoot a magma hot stream of chemicals out of their mouths.

"Concentrated fire, watch out for its fire," Harry ordered.

His unit along with the Roughnecks opened fire. The Roughnecks had been one of the first units to get upgraded to plasma weapons but hadn't yet had much time to do training on them. In this case it didn't matter because the target was so big. The Bug Burners aimed for the eyes, mouth, and any vulnerable points in the armor.

The bug went down screaming in anger and pain. Harry pulled out a fusion grenade and lobbed it down the beasts' gullet. It disappeared in a flash of star light.

"Nice moves," Rasczak complimented as he came over, referring to both Harry's command decisions and ability with weapons.

"Thanks," Harry replied.

The two units soon made camp for the night after a perimeter was established. The instant tent modules of this universe were a far cry from a wizards tent but they were still pretty nice. Of course since Dizzy was now in the know about Harry's true nature they simply replaced their module with a very comfortable wizards tent while layering an illusion over it for the other's benefit.

"Listen up," Rasczak called. "I expect the best and I give the best," he shouted before opening two modules. "Here's the bear and here's the entertainment. Have fun, that's an order," Rasczak commanded after tossing out one of the footballs.

"Thank you Lieutenant," shouted a grinning Ace after he picked up a futuristic clear green violin with built in amplification systems.

"Come on Colonel," Diz said excitedly as she ran up and grabbed Harry by the arm.

"It would be my honor my lady," Harry replied as he followed Diz over to where everyone was dancing.

Ace got up right next to Harry and Diz and began to play a slow romantic song.

"You're so beautiful…how could my counterpart be so blind for so long?" Harry asked Diz as he stroked her cheek.

"I don't know…I'm just glad you're not now," she answered her eyes reflecting brightly in the campfire. "So Johnny…what are you doing after the dance?" Diz asked with a mischievous grin spreading across her very kissable lips.

Harry leaned forward and kissed those delicious lips before projecting over their bond, "You my dear."

A few minutes later Dizzy was pushing Harry onto his back on the lush bed within their tent. She ripped open his shirt. Licking his nipple and then up his neck Dizzy then shoved her tongue down his throat. She leaned back to take her shirt off, the black stretchy garment being stopped by Harry just under her nose. Harry held Dizzy in his arms while she laughed at his antics. She tried to kiss him, he held back just millimeters away. She tried again before finally he kissed her heatedly, her naked chest pressed to his. As they lay down they both sensed the wards alerting them that Rasczak was trying to find them.

"Do you want to do it in super speed or use the time dilation wards," Harry asked his lover.

"Hmmm…super speed is always fun but I'd rather take our time, as long as we need," Diz answered.

With a burst of his power the time dilation wards activated. A few moments for the rest of the planet later (but was actually hours for them) the couple stepped out of their tent well rested and much happier.

"We're moving out," Rasczak informed the pair. "There's been a distress call from General Owen on planet P."

With a nod of understanding the two went to get the Bug Burners together.

Planet P…

Planet P was a desert planet with high rocky hills and canyons all around. It was one of these canyons the Roughnecks and Bug Burners were hiking through to get to General Owen's encampment. Both Rasczak and Harry noticed the rocks and dust sliding down the canyon walls in specific places. Harry looked through the mountain and saw the flying bugs up top.

"Whiskey output, whiskey outpost this is Roughneck 20 do you copy?" tried the Roughneck com m officer with no response.

"Any contact with General Owen?" Rasczak asked.

"No sir. Not even the transponder signal," the com officer answered.

"It's these canyons, go to higher ground son," Rasczak ordered.

"No it's not the canyons. My equipment can penetrate through any amount of rock and it's not picking up anything. The transponder must have been destroyed. This planet crawls," Harry spoke up.

"Stay down here then Sergeant," Rasczak changed his mind.

"Shujimi toss me your weapon," Harry ordered one of his sharp shooters.

Taking aim with Shujimi's rifle which sported a more compressed stream of plasma Harry fired off a shot and was rewarded with the scream of a dying bug.

"Damn thing has been dogging our steps since we landed," Harry explained as he handed Shujimi back his weapon.

"Nice shooting," Rasczak complimented.

It was then that the group left the canyon and caught sight of Owen's camp, a gray metal structure which was designed to be set up permanently and provide a fortified position. Rasczak signaled for three troopers to run ahead and they quickly responded, running up the ramp into the structure.

It was obvious the moment they made it up the entrance ramp that the mobile structure wasn't that fortified because there were mutilated human and bug corpses everywhere.

"Ugh," Dizzy quietly moaned in disgust from right behind Harry.

"Geez someone really humped the bunk," a Roughneck named Watkins said while looking at all the blood and gore.

"Watkins secure this compound. Police these bodies," Rasczak ordered.

"Yes sir," Watkins responded. "Give me three up on the tower, now," Watkins shouted. "OP there, OP there. Police up these bodies," he continued.

"It stinks in there," Ace pointed out the obvious as they came to the Operations Center.

"We need retrieval. This place crawls," Rasczak announced.

"I'll have my people take a look at the communications equipment," Harry spoke up before issuing orders.

"Ah shit," lamented Ace as the group walked into the mess hall. "Dirty bugs came in right when they were having chow."

"Oh yeah…this is where they got in," Rasczak said as they came upon a bug hole.

"Colonel I think you're going to want to see this," Katrina announced.

Katrina led him to the communications room where Harry examined the corpse of a com officer who had his brains literally sucked out.

"They sucked his brains out," Rasczak informed everybody who wasn't close enough to see.

"And that confirms the real reason we got sent here," Harry announced.

"Sir?" asked Rasczak.

"A brain bug Lieutenant. They put Owen's unit on this planet to see if they had a brain bug. I'm privy to some of the Intelligence Reports from command. Somebody didn't like Owen very much," Harry explained.

"They used him as bait," Rasczak nodded in agreement. "So what's our mission?"

"To capture the brain bug," announced Harry as he put his helmet back on. "My sensors are telling me a large force of bugs is moving to attack this compound as we speak. I've got a few goodies for them," Harry announced before nodding at Ace.

Ace ran off to deploy the presents.

"We're going down that hole and finding that brain bug," Harry explained.

"Yes sir," Rasczak said before issuing orders for his men to prepare to pull out.

It was then that the group heard a rattling coming from a nearby cooler. Harry strode over and opened it to find a freezing General Owen. He screamed as he fell out.

"Officer on the deck," Ace announced before everyone snapped to attention.

"Pickup the General," Rasczak ordered.

"Are they gone? Is it safe?" shouted the hysterical General. "We gotta get out of here!"

"General Owen…Sir," Rasczak shouted, calming the man.

"Thank god for you," Owen said as he turned and shook Ace's hand. "All of you…you're all going to be heroes, every last one of you. I had to evade capture; the security of the Federation was at stake."

"Alright we're moving out now," Harry announced.

"Moving out where?" Owen asked.

"After the brain bug," Harry answered.

"No you can't. I order you not to," Owen announced.

"Sorry sir, these orders come directly from the SM herself," Harry counteracted.

Owen was left whimpering as he was forced to follow the Roughnecks and Bug Burners into the hole. Harry tapped an activation button on his mobile wrist computer and smiled in satisfaction as the plasma screen snapped into place blocking off the hole. The troops began walking down the rather large tunnel.

"Why is it so wide, the tunnel sir?" Katrina asked.

"The brain bug is speculated to be quite a bit bigger," Harry answered.

A few seconds later loud explosions rocked the surface before they could hear the squeal of thousands of bugs as the ground shook.

"What the hell was that?" Rasczak asked.

"That would be a device called Star Screen. It fires plasma grenades in a blanket pattern so that the entire field of battle was just covered. The place we just left is now as hot as a star. Now the secondary weapon system will auto target any bugs coming into range. It's a plasma canon similar to what I used on that asteroid but it will continuously kill anything that comes into range. It's also much smaller and portable," Harry explained.

"If it's as hot as you say sir then how did the canon survive?" the black female XO of the Roughnecks asked.

"It has special shielding," Harry answered as they came to several forks in the tunnel.

"Alright…we're going to have to split up," Rasczak announced.

He began dividing the units up. Harry, Diz, Ace, and Katrina went down the tunnel Harry could sense the brain bug was in. They didn't have to walk far when they encountered a cavern filled with arachnids, the smaller sand beetles Harry dissected in biology, and one big ass brain bug.

"Harry we've got to pull back to a much higher orbit," Carmen informed him over the bond. "We're getting pelted with bug plasma."

"Understood love…do what you have to in order to stay safe. Be ready to bring Carl down with that transport in a short while," Harry answered while firing plasma rounds into screeching hordes of arachnids.

Carl was the one who gave Harry the Intel on the brain bug. They were both of equal rank now, Carl and Harry. The two stayed in touch. The SM had given Carl the ok to keep Harry updated with most of what was pertinent to Harry's success from the Military Intelligence end, not that Harry hadn't already hacked everything anyway.

"Cut me a path so I can block that brain bug's escape," Harry ordered while hitting a locator button on his wrist panel which lit up on all the corresponding panels for his Bug Burners. They would quickly home in on his location. Harry grinned as he could sense the fright emanating from the smart bug. He quickly weaved through the sharp mandibles and skewers of the surviving arachnids before running up to the brain. Harry pulled out his zat gauntlet and unloaded with an overpowered discharge into the creature. It squealed before becoming temporarily paralyzed, but still conscious. It only took a few more minutes to kill anymore non brain bugs. Harry slapped plasma screen generators onto any tunnels that led out of the chamber except for the one they entered through. The Bug Burners quickly arrived with the Roughnecks in tow. Apparently General Owen had managed to get himself killed during one of the bug skirmishes the units had entered into in adjacent caverns.

"That is one ugly bug," Ace announced.

"How are we going to get it out of here?" Ace asked.

Just then their question was answered as all of the humanoid beings and one giant bug disappeared in a flash of transporter light before rematerializing on the surface, their plasma canon still targeting any bug that approached. The bugs had apparently learned not to approach the canon because the weapon was currently dormant.

"Greetings," a melodious voice spoke from behind the group.

They turned to see what looked like an attractive blue skinned female elf.

"My name is Jyslin," she added. "I'm from a race known as the Alterans. We understand you have a bit of a bug problem."

"Greetings," Harry answered while mentally saying hello in a more intimate way to Sam R, his replicator wife who was playing Jyslin.

Jyslin was actually a character from an amazing science fiction book series by the author Fel, called the Subjugation series. Harry had always found the character sexy and lovable. He wanted to end the bug threat permanently without being hounded for technology for the rest of his life in this universe. This was his solution.

"We detected some of your experiments from our home universe and found ourselves curious. We would like to offer our help in dealing with this problem," Jyslin explained. "A ship of ours is explaining things to your home world, all of your world," Jyslin added the last part telepathically to the whole group.

Indeed the same message was being broadcast telepathically to the entire planet Earth.

"We would like that," Harry said graciously.

"We would also like you to be the ambassador to our people from your people Johnny Rico," Jyslin said with a blue smile.

"Ok," Harry agreed easily just as a drop ship touched down piloted by Carmen.

"Excuse me but how exactly would you help us with the bugs?" Carl asked as he and Carmen walked out of the drop ship, having gotten the pertinent details of the conversation from the mind of one of the Roughnecks.

"I will show you," Jyslin answered before Carl, Carmen, Harry, and Diz were transported to the bridge of the Alteran cruiser in orbit.

"Where is the crew?" Carl asked after he got over his disorientation.

"One is not needed," Jyslin answered.

"Why are the four of us here?" Diz asked for the sake of Carl.

"You four share a special bond I can sense. You have been friends for many years. You three will support Johnny during his ambassadorship," Jyslin explained. "Your people and ship have been transported back to the Roger Young landing bay. Now as to how we can help your people look there," Jyslin pointed towards the larger of the two stars in the system.

The four watched as a massive object soon became visible coming around the star. Carmen and Diz didn't have to fake the amazement they felt and displayed at the sight of the massive supergate. The device was mobile and being piloted by several hyperspace and spatial sublight engines. They watched as the gate became active.

"This device connects via an inter universal wormhole with another identical device in a universe devoid of life. The universe in question can support life, none ever formed for some reason or another. We will send all of these bug infested planets to that that universe where they can live and thrive by their own designs," Jyslin explained.

"Amazing," Carl summed it up.

From there they watched the planet disappear through the wormhole. Jyslin then began to establish the steps to form a relationship with the Earthlings. By the time they were done Harry and his lovers were invited to stay on the Alteran cruiser while Carl went back to report to his superiors.

"So how do I look?" asked Sam while twirling in her blue form.

"Sexy," Harry purred.

"I thought you'd think so. I took great pains to make sure this body matched everything you imagined," Sam purred.

"So what do you say we go find a big bed and celebrate the end of the bug wars for good," Diz suggested.

"I like that idea," Carmen agreed.

"Harry you always bring me the nicest gifts," Sam added her two cents while licking her blue lips and walking between the two native females, grabbing their butts to cop a feel.

"By the creator I love my existence," Harry announced before wrapping them all in his power and transporting them to the nearest large bed.

AN2:

So I haven't posted in a few weeks. School is killing me with work. For now I've set the path series (at least the main series) aside. I'm going to work on finishing up the verses I've already started first before going on but before that I'm going to work on my Balance series. I've currently got some really big Balance universes (one of which is over 70k words) that I'd like to get done before moving on.

If my posting is sporadic for the next few months it's because I graduate December 11th for my math and physics degrees and will have to get a real job (sigh).

Check out my beta's new fic Lucky Harry. It's posted on here under the name Pyrgus. It's got H/Fleur action , which is always good.