Author: Lady B
Pairing(s): Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape/Remus Lupin, other pairings to follow
Genre: AU Fantasy
Rating for this chapter: PG13
Warnings: M/M relationship, character death, OOC, descriptive sexual acts between persons of the same sex
Challenge: 50harlequins prompt #45: Running from an arranged marriage and falling for a stranger who turns out to be the groom.
Summary: Space...the final frontier...In the year 4437 A.E. (After Earth) Prince Draco Abraxas Lucien Malfoy of the planet kingdom Slytherin is being forced to marry the enigmatic Prince of the neighboring planet kingdom Gryffindor. He hates the fact that he has to marry someone he's never met and runs away. His father, King Lucius, sends one of the best Retrievers in the galaxy after his wayward son, to be delivered to the Prince of Gryffindor personally.

Harry Potter was the best star pilot to ever come out of Hogwarts Academy. Known to his friends and crew as Captain Evans, he was also one of His Majesty's Retrievers, a band of men and women who searched the galaxies for the lost or stolen, whether they be people or objects. The Queen sends him on a mission requested by King Malfoy of Slytherin: find and retrieve his son to be delivered to the Prince of Gryffindor for a marriage ceremony.

Once he crosses paths with the Ice Prince of Slytherin, he does all he can to melt his heart of ice, and to make Draco his very own at personal cost to himself and the kingdom he serves.

Of course, things don't always go according to plan (-cue Darth Vader's Imperial March-)...

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plots from the Harry Potterverse belong to JK Rowling and various publishing companies and movie studios. I am not making any money from this. I am simply doing this for the fun of it. Any plot devices and original characters belong to me alone and are simply a figment of my imagination.
Author's Note: there's some Star Wars-type action ahead.

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Chapter 3

Two days and several thousand light years from home later...

It was late in the evening and most of the crew had gone to bed. Colin was left alone on the bridge, as he didn't sleep much and took his duties as navigation officer very seriously.

He had been keeping a close eye on the radar since they had rescued the Ice Prince and something was beginning to bother him. One small dot that had been tailing them for the last two days. His gut was telling him something was up and he never disavowed his gut feelings. It had saved their lives on more than one occasion.

"Hedwig?"

Yes, Lieutenant Creevy?

"Where's the Captain?"

In his personal quarters, Lieutenant.

"Is he asleep?"

No, sir.

"Thank you, my lady." he smiled.

My pleasure, sir.

He tapped into the personnel comm. "Captain?"

"Here. What is it, Colin?"

"I don't mean to disturb you at such an hour, but something's come up that needs your immediate attention."

"Is it serious?"

"I believe so, yes."

"I'll be up in a second. Captain out.:

True to his word, Harry was on the bridge in a matter of seconds.

"What's the problem?" he asked, standing behind Colin.

"I think we're being followed." Colin stated.

"How so?"

"This blip," he pointed to the radar, "has been on our tail since we left the Mythosian Nebula."

"Have you tried hailing them?"

"I've tried all frequencies, even the obscure ones. Nothing."

Harry stared at the blip for a full minute.

"Fuck!" He jumped into action, alerting his team. His voice echoed over the comm system to all parts of the ship.

"All crew to the bridge, Emergency Level is Red! I repeat, all crew to the bridge, Emergency Level is Red!"

A moment was all it took for everyone to arrive and take up their positions.

"What's going on?" Draco demanded, following Remus into the room. Harry strapped himself into his pilot chair next to Blaise and logged into the controls.

"Have a seat, Your Highness. Looks like we're taking a little side trip." Harry grinned at him. Draco didn't question him, just followed Remus to an empty chair and belted himself in.

"Hermione?"

"Scan coming in. Looks like a Class 10 warship. Ah...it's your old pal, Krum." she grinned. Harry growled.

"Who's he?" Draco wondered.

"Viktor Krum...I bested him in all of our sparring classes and he's never forgiven me for it." Harry sighed.

"Communicae coming in, Captain." Hermione called.

"Patch it through."

The viewing screen went static for a second and then the handsome visage of Viktor Krum was staring back at him.

"Viki, old buddy, pal of mine! How they hangin?" Harry grinned.

"Evans. I've told you before ve vill never be friends. Now are you going to play nice and be captured or do ve do dis ze hard way?" Viktor scowled.

Harry made a vague gesture to Fred and George, who began charging the ships guns. Ginny was poised to raise their shields when things started to get ugly.

"Well now, Viki. That all depends on why you want to capture us in the first place." Harry replied, sitting back in his chair.

"You have something I vant."

"I don't think I do." Harry shrugged.

"The Prince, Evans." Viktor stated, looking directly at Draco.

"Well I'm glad you think I'm a prince, mate, although my father might disagree with you on that one." Harry laughed. Viktor's face turned an ugly red color.

"Don't toy vit me, Evans. Ze Dark Lord has put a bounty on ze Prince's head vit a bonus if you are brought back dead!"

Harry's laughter changed into guffaws and Draco stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Poetry will get you nowhere, Krum!"

All at once, Harry's face became calm and the gleam in his eyes was deadly.

"Now see here you little shite! No one threatens me and gets away with it. You will be getting neither of us today, Krum!" And with that, Harry cut off communications.

"Shields up, now!" he commanded. Ginny put the shields up and not a moment too soon. Gunfire rained down upon them as Harry and Blaise quickly maneuvered the ship through space.

"Colin, position!"

"Five miles and gaining!"

"Seamus! We need more speed!"

"I'm doin the best I can, Harry! You caught me off guard, ya know!" came the Irishman's voice over the comm.

"Wank on your own time, Finnegan! How soon can we jump?"

"Two minutes and the core adapter will be charged full!"

"Let me know immediately!"

"You got it!"

"Blaise...we've got to do some tricky maneuvering. You up for it?"

"Till the end, Harry." The two friends slapped a high five before returning their attention to the controls.

"Captain, asteroid field fifty yards ahead!" Colin called out as the ship shuddered violently.

Hull breach in sectors 7 and 8. Anti-Grav shields are holding. Hedwig stated.

"Good girl, Hedwig!" Harry shouted. "Seamus!"

"That last blast damaged the warp core, Harry. We may not be able to jump!"

"Do your best! And hang on to something! It's going to get bumpy in a moment!"

"Not the asteroid thing again!" Seamus groaned. Harry simply chuckled.

"Two miles!" Colin called out.

"Harry! Watch out!" Ginny shouted, pointing to a large planet-sized asteroid heading there way."

"Blaise!" Harry called, pushing down on his throttle. Blaise matched him move for move as they navigated their way through the asteroid field.

"Fifty yards and closing!" Colin shouted.

"Now, Harry! Try it now!" Seamus called.

"Everyone hang on to your arses!" Harry shouted, initiating the core drive. The stars began to blur by at an alarming rate and in a flash of light, Hedwig vanished, too fast for Viktor to follow. He cried out in fear and frustration. His Lord was not going to be pleased.

- - -

Midway through the jump, something below exploded and the ship began to lose control. Blaise was knocked unconscious leaving Harry to grapple with the controls on his own. The ship plunged sharply out of their jump and Harry caught sight of a planet just below.

If I can just...steer...this...right! He grunted. Another blast rocked the ship, knocking both Remus and Draco to the floor. Harry would worry about them later.

The ship broke through the planet's atmosphere in a bright flame and Harry did his best to land it safely. The trees slowed him down but not enough to prevent the crash landing onto the sandy beach below. He banged his head on the console and he felt the darkness overtake him.

"Ouch." he managed to say just before he blacked out.

TBC...