Chapter 7: The Land that was Promised

Date: 8783 AD
Location: Theed Royal Palace

"Five minutes that's all I'm asking." Harry said. They were back in the Nabooan capital after Anakin and Obi-Wan had returned with the cure to the Blue Shadow Virus and Ahsoka along with Padmé and the clones were being treated in the medical facility in the city. He was currently petitioning the queen of Naboo to allow him to interrogate Dr. Nuvo Vindi who was responsible for the creation of the virus and who may have been also working on the Nox virus. They were reluctant to allow him to question the doctor as not only did they not know him, but he had also destroyed the lab where the Nox virus was being developed.

"Mr. Potter, you appeared out of nowhere offering aid and destroyed evidence against Dr. Vindi's nefarious actions after creating a copy that you refuse to hand over. You can understand my caution in trusting you when you refuse to extend us the same courtesy." Queen Neeyutnee said.

"I understand Your Majesty, but the Nox virus nearly wiped out all life on Earth. I will not hand over information that could be used to revive it no matter how slim the chances that it could be successfully recreated. However, in a show of good faith I would be more than willing to hand over the files that do not involve the virus. I do this because just like you I have to protect my people. I just need to speak to Dr. Vindi in order to learn who gave him the information and the samples of the virus."

"Your Majesty, it wouldn't hurt to have him interrogate the prisoner. He may be able to succeed in getting Vindi to talk." Obi-Wan said diplomatically.

The Queen remained silent for a few seconds exchanging a glance with Captain Typho before she agreed. "Very well, you may see the prisoner as long as the Jedi are present. You will also hand over the files you copied minus the information on the Nox virus."

"That would be acceptable, thank you your highness." Harry gave a small nod and exiting the room with Anakin and Obi-wan.

"Is this Nox virus really that bad?" Obi-wan asked.

Harry turned to him a small frown on his face. "Yes, it was. Highly contagious and almost impossible to cure if Dr. Vindi somehow managed to revive it, as improbable as that is, without magic it would take some kind of miracle to stop it." He seemed to become thoughtful for a moment. "Still, it advanced our understanding of medicine far beyond anything we could have imagined."

"Do you think he'll tell you who he was working for?" Anakin asked as they led him to the interrogation room where the doctor was being held.

"I'm sure we'll get something. I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be." Reaching the interrogation room where Dr. Vindi was being held, they found two guards posted outside on either side of the door who stood at attention upon their arrival. One of the guards entered the access code and the door slid open. The room was like any other interrogation room with a single table and three chairs. Two were empty and were on the side closest to the door. The third, which was on the opposite side,was occupied by the corpse that had once been the mad doctor.

"What the..?" Anakin growled pointing at the corpse. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know sir!" The guard answered. "We haven't left our post and no one has entered the room. I have no idea how this could have happened."

Harry studied the corpse his eyes glowing. "Don't blame them. He was killed by a magical. There's nothing they could have done." Whoever had killed him had decapitated the doctor and placed his head in his hands making it seem as if he was handing out his head like some macabre gift.

"Are you sure?" Obi-wan asked getting an affirmative nod.

"Well, there goes our only lead of finding out who he was working for." Anakin said.

After saying his goodbyes to Ahsoka and the Jedi, along with Padme who was starting to warm up to him, Harry returned to Coruscant. He had left after handing over the files he had copied from the lab and was now standing at the alley where he had met Alicia. He only had to wait a few minutes before she appeared before him. He raised a temporary anti-apparation ward before he started questioning her. "How did you know about the lab?"

"Our people had reason to believe that Dr. Vindi was working with the Reavers, a group that has been our enemies for the past few millennia. We knew they had contacted Dr. Vindi and assumed it was about a bioweapon but we weren't sure what kind. We had him under surveillance in case he had contact with them directly but couldn't risk getting any closer in case we tipped our hand. When the Jedi attacked the lab, it presented us with an opportunity to find out what he was really working on. Our operative contacted me and I found you." She answered her eyes never wavering from his and her occlumency barriers lowered slightly so that he would be able to tell whether she was being truthful without being able to see deeper into her mind.

"And why did you send me there?" Harry asked.

"I needed some way to gain your trust. I hoped that you would see that I had nothing to hide and that if the Reavers were on the planet you would be able to see for yourself what they truly are."

Harry considered her for a few moments. He hadn't known what to think when she had appeared. It could very well have been a trap, but that had meant that Ahsoka, Anakin and Obi-Wan were in danger. If it wasn't a trap then that meant there was something there that she wanted him to see. Either way, he had had no choice but to go and investigate and what he found there was enough to give her the benefit of the doubt. She had no reason to send him there if she truly had any ill intent towards him. However, he wasn't just going to trust her blindly. "Very well, I'll listen to what you have to say, but first I'll need proof that you are who you say you are."

Alicia hesitated for a second before she gave a nod and lowered her occlumency shields fully. Harry did the same and delved into her mind. She felt a bit of discomfort and was only able to get a few glimpses of his own mind before he withdrew and slammed his shields into place. She was impressed that not only was he able to get what he wanted so fast while she had only been able to get a small glimpse, but his mind was different from any she had ever felt. For one, it was far older. She had also sensed a vast amount of knowledge contained within him and a strength of mind that spoke of an unbreakable will. She shook off the discomfort of having another person's mind in her head. "Now that I have proven myself, there are some people who would very much like to meet you."

"Of course, but there is something I need to do first." Harry answered and he turned and started walking away dropping the ward as he went. "The Odyssey's Merlin core is about to fail." He waited until she caught up to him before he continued to explain. "What do you know about how your ancestors came to be trapped here?"

"About as much as the next person, Earth was at war and the Odyssey and her crew were tasked with finding a suitable planet that they could escape to. However, the ship stumbled into a war on this galaxy and was damaged. The crew found a planet where they could hide out, though it wasn't suitable for Earth's entire population and Captain Pendergast took the ship to find a more suitable planet but was never heard from again." She summarized.

"Yes, from what Ody told me, Captain Pendergast did find a planet and deployed the terrasphere to begin its transformation. However, on his return trip the ship was hit by an unknown energy wave and was thrown off course and out of hyperspace. The captain was gravely injured and took an ejection pod but unfortunately it was damaged by the energy wave as well and couldn't save his life. The pod and the ship crashed and it was only after Anakin found the pod and activated its recall protocol that the ship was able to come out of hibernation." Harry led her to the hangar where he had landed the ship and disabled the security measures before boarding. He headed for the cockpit followed by Alicia who was staring at everything with an unmasked look of awe.

"Is that where we are headed?" Alicia asked with some excitement in her voice.

Harry sat down and indicated for her to do the same. "Yes, but we need to hurry. Odyssey is severely damaged. If we don't fix her soon, she is going to shutdown forever." Harry explained as he activated the ship and they left the planet. Ody was an old ship. She had been six hundred years old when the war started. A scientific and exploration vessel, she had never been designed for combat and had outdated technology. However, due to the lack of resources, as the war dragged on and most of their ships were destroyed or needed in battle, she had been refit with weapons, upgraded shields and engines so that she could make the trip to find a suitable home. Having to defend herself along with the unknown energy wave, had caused massive amounts of damage. That as well as millennia underground had taken its toll. On Earth he had been able to make enough repairs that they could get back in one piece but he didn't have the necessary resources to perform all the repairs. If they didn't get to the planet soon and if by bad luck the terraforming didn't take, then she would shutdown forever and all the information she had, the collective knowledge of Earth, would be lost. "You can contact your superiors and tell them what we're doing. I'll talk to them after we reach our destination."

Alicia did just that and after explaining the situation, she terminated the call and watched Harry pilot the ship. Every now and then a shudder would ripple through the ship and she would feel Harry pour more magic into the ship. By the end of the trip, Harry was covered in sweat and was breathing heavily. The ship exited hyperspace closer than normal to the planet and Harry immediately put it into a steep entry vector. He started slowing down a few kilometers from the surface and brought it down for a somewhat smooth landing.

He immediately put the ship into hibernation before he leaned back in his chair and caught his breath. He turned to face his new companion who was staring out of the cockpit with a look of wonder on her face. "Wanna see your new home?" He smiled softly at her.

She nodded and they exited the ship. They had landed close to sundown on a flat area covered with a sea of blue-green grass that stretched for miles. Far in the distance, she could see a mountain range where small figures were flying around though she knew they must have been massive in order to be seen from such a distance. She continued looking in awe at the scene before her and her eyes landed on an area close to the mountain range that seemed to be covered in glowing blue spikes that she knew were duranite crystals something she had only ever seen images of. She heard a neigh and turned around to see a herd of four legged creatures with a single horn sprouting from their forehead that were grazing on the grass a few hundred meters away from them. With the setting sun painting the sky in orange and purple hues, it made the scene truly magical.

Harry looked around and let his magic flow out of his body for the first time since he had awoken. He watched the woman, Alicia, as she took in the sights with a wondrous expression on her face and tears rolling down her cheeks. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Alicia could only nod. Her people had been in hiding for their entire existence and now they had found their home. How she had longed for this moment, to step on the land they had been promised, a place that they all hoped might exist and had been searching for ever since they were trapped in this galaxy. And now standing on the planet that was to be their new home, it was beyond anything she could have ever imagined. They stayed like that for a few moments longer watching as night fell and they were bathed in moonlight before Harry said that it was time to fix the ship. Alicia nodded, there would be time to see the sights later but for now they needed to get to work.

A/N

It took a while, but I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter. Reviews are welcome as I would like to hear your thoughts on what parts you enjoyed and if there is anything I can do to make the story better or if there are any questions. Thanks to all those who have reviewed, followed or favourited. Till next time.