Forces of Infinity

“The Republic envoy heading to Earth would prove to be a monumental moment in Galactic history. A planet filled with every biome known to sentient life, home of the Avengers; my mother had never seen anything like it. This would the first time this world’s modern history of a peaceful first contact. However, Darth Sidious had smuggled a dangerous plague from thousands of years ago. And it dealt a heavy blow to the away team.

As for the Avengers already on the planet, their world was about to get much, much bigger. Especially with new allies approaching. And I’m not just talking about the Republic and Jedi.

-An excerpt from The Fight For Justice, by Luke Skywalker.

“Come on! Hurry!” Wolfe yelled as he and a few clones ran down a dimly lit hallway.

“They're on our tails!” one man reported before firing his blaster behind them.

There were a several screeches and roars far behind them.

“Don’t look back!” the Commander ordered, gripping the man’s shoulder and pulling him away. “Keep moving! We’re almost at the hangar!”

The group just kept running and running until they saw a closed door at a T-intersection just a few meters away.

“There it is!” a clone called out in joy and relief.

Their hopes were dashed when they heard razors up ahead as two of the alien monsters came out from both sides of the hallway.

“NO!”

“Motherfucker!”

“Open fire!” Wolfe screamed and released a volley of blaster fire on their enemies. The other men were quick to do the same.

Some of them went down but they just got replaced by more pouring in from ahead.

“On the rear!” a clone yelled and turned around to shoot behind them as more creatures came in.

Wolfe looked around to see the vicious monsters on all sides, fear and doubt starting to plague his mind. It was when he looked forward again that he saw one of the beasts leaping for him.

Forces of Infinity Vol. 3

24 Hours Earlier

New York city was ablaze with activity as per usual. Car horns were blaring. People were chatting. And most importantly, crime was brewing.

“FRIDAY, what have we got?” Spider-Man asked the Avengers AI as he sat on a tower overlooking the docks. His gaze was fixed on a warehouse up ahead.

“Maria Hill has informed the team that a shipment of vibranium is being smuggled illegally. She and Boss want you to apprehend them.”

“What will happen to the vibranium?”

“Boss will make sure it gets sent back to its country of origin: Wakanda.”

“Good. A metal like that, it’s for the best that it stays off the streets. And out of the government’s hands. Alright, I’m on it.”

He fired a web and pulled himself through the air and landed on top of the building. Peter stealthily crawled down the walls and stopped at a window. He looked through it to see the place was empty.

“FRIDAY, are we sure this is the right address?”

“That is what Ms. Hill’s intel indicated.”

Peter climbed through and landed on the floor. His eyes roamed the room for anything that could tell him what was going on. His search came to an end when he spotted a metal panel in the concrete. Parker stepped towards it to see there was a handle and hinges.

“A trap door, eh? Alright. Let’s see where this goes.”

Spider-Man lifted the hatch up and found a ladder. He climbed down and soon discovered a hidden level. The teen looked down to see where he stood wasn’t even the whole place. There was a larger area below filled with several armed goons and a container with glowing canisters. And there was a tunnel on the other end.

“FRIDAY?” Peter whispered.

“That’s the vibranium, Peter.”

“I’m on it.”

Peter climbed up to the ceiling as quietly as he could until he reached the center of it. From his perch he could see thirteen guys standing across the room, and only four of them appeared to be armed. They had assault rifles and shields.

“Eh, I’ve fought worse,” he mentally shrugged.

Parker waited for the group to cluster together. Once they did, he flung himself at the ground with full force and sent all the men falling on their backs. Not wasting any time, Peter jumped up and let out a flurry of webs on the crooks. Seven of them were now stuck to the floor.

The other six though got lucky and managed to dodge the attack, including three of the gunmen. They rose up and the armed goons opened fire while the other three hid behind some crates. Spider-Man zipped across the room to dodge their bullets. He bounced across the floor, walls and ceiling until he heard the gunfire replaced by the sound of clicking.

As they were reloading, Peter fired weblines at their guns and pulled them out of their hands. They landed on the wall behind him and stuck to it.

“Ooh! Guess this isn’t your night, guys,” Spider-Man pretended to wince.

The six guys then charged at him with their fists ready. Peter effortlessly leaned away from the first punch and responded by sending a web at the man’s eyes. He screamed in frustration and tried to pull it off, but that only served to get his hands stuck too.

The next one tried to ram him with his shield. Parker leaped over the man and pried it out of his hands. He then flung it at another guy’s face, knocking him out cold. Quickly doing a somersault in the air, Peter fired a web at the back of the foe behind him, and as he landed on the ground, spun him around like a wrecking ball.

All the remaining men were hit by him and fell to the ground, groaning in pain. With the hard work done, Spider-Man used his webs to make sure they stayed there.

“Alright. Now I just need to-” he was cut off by a gunshot followed by a bullet that barely missed him. “Aw, shit!”

Remember that tunnel from earlier? Well, a bunch of men came through and they all had guns. The criminals trained their rifles on the hero and opened fire.

Seeing he was outmatched, Peter quickly hid behind the container filled with vibranium. The storm of bullets was relentless and he didn’t have much room considering he was on the short side.

“FRIDAY, how many are there?!”

“There are twenty-eight, Peter.”

“Shit!” the teen cursed. He chanced a glance to see that his opponents were moving closer as they fired.

“Gotta think! Gotta think! Gotta think!” he frantically said.

Suddenly, there seemed to be less gunfire. The rest of it may have drowned it out, but Peter could have sworn that he heard a thud.

He must have been right because the thuds continued as the amount of gunfire began to decrease until it stopped entirely.

Peter carefully looked over his cover to see the group now looking behind them in terror. They scrambled in that direction and Parker finally got a good enough look to see that a third of the men were lying dead on the ground.

“What the…” he trailed off before being interrupted by one of the goons.

“There! In the rafters!” he yelled, shining his light up above.

Peter’s eyes widened to see what looked like a man in a black suit positioned like a cat on one of the support beams. His lenses focused on him to see that his mask actually had cat features.

“Get him!” one of the men screamed and everyone shot at him.

The cat man responded by leaping from the rafters and tackling a gunman to the ground. As he did so, Peter saw claws gleaming in the light. He seemed to have stabbed the guy with them and moved on to the next man. He grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him into the wall. Peter watched on as the cat man continued to tear through the goons.

“FRIDAY, did Mr. Stark recruit another teammate and didn’t tell me?”

“Peter, we have no record of who this man is.”

“So then… who is he?” Spider-Man asked as he watched the man fling a guy to the ceiling. “Well, he’s fighting them, so I guess he’s on my side?”

“Please be careful, kid.”

“Not a kid,” he sighed before leaping over the container and fired some weblines at a couple guys’ feet. He pulled them back and the men fell to the floor where Peter pinned them with more webs. Spider-Man then delivered an uppercut to another one then swung him down to the ground with another webline.

The Avenger then felt his spider-sense blaring and looked to see three gunmen open fire on him. He could have easily jumped out of the way, but he didn’t need to because the black garbed man quickly got in the way and took the gunfire himself. The bullets appeared to do no damage though, and they just fell to the ground.

The cat man paused for a moment to look at the vigilante and the two shared a glance. Peter gave him a finger salute and the man simply nodded. Then he grabbed a gun that a goon pointed at his head and crushed it.

“That guy is so cool,” Parker breathed.

After only a few more seconds of fighting the battle was over. All the men were either tied up in webs or dead by the newcomer’s hand.

“So uh… thanks,” Peter said.

“Do not mention it,” the cat man said and the pair marched over to the container. Peter pulled out a cylinder filled with vibranium to inspect it.

“Where did they even get this?”

“It was stolen years ago,” the cat man began, gaining the hero’s attention. “The arms dealer Ulyesses Klaue infiltrated my country and stole the vibranium, leaving destruction in his wake. He then sold it to these men’s employer.”

“FRIDAY, who are these guys working for?”

“After running facial scans, their criminal records indicate a connection with Wilson Fisk.”

“Okay, have to tell Fury to tighten things at Sing Sing then.” He turned to his companion. “So, why are you here?”

“Just let me take the vibranium back where it belongs, Spider-Man,” he said, making the young hero blink.

“You’ve heard of me?”

“My intel is very reliable. And I no quarrel with you, but know that I am ready to fight if need be,” he spoke sternly.

“Easy now!” Peter raised his hands placatingly. “I don’t want it here anymore than you do. The last thing New York needs is dangerous stuff like this on the streets. And I especially don’t want it in government hands. I’m guessing you’re from Wakanda, right?”

The man silently stared at him before nodding.

“Well, we were going to return this to your people anyway. But since you’re here, it looks like that’s already taken care of. Plus you took a lot of bullets for me earlier, so I think I can trust you.”

The Wakandan continued to stare at him with a piercing gaze. Then his form relaxed and he retracted his claws.

“Very well.” He then proceeded to effortlessly push the large container toward the tunnel.

“So, is your suit made of vibranium? And what’s with the cat thing?” Peter asked, making the man stop.

“The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantel passed from warrior to warrior.”

“Huh. Cool. I didn’t actually expect you to answer that.”

“For the past eight years the world has been changing. Perhaps it is time Wakanda changes with it.”

“So, does that mean we’ll see each other again?”

“Who can say?” he shrugged. “The future is always in motion. Until we meet again, Spider-Man.”

And so the Black Panther left with the vibranium, leaving the Avenger to stare at the scene.

“FRIDAY, contact Maria Hill. We’re gonna need extraction and for the others to see this. You got the footage from my suit?”

“Yes, Peter.”

“Good. Say, am I ever gonna get my own AI?”

“Only when the Training Wheels Protocol ends.”

“The what now?”

The next morning was quiet as the sun hadn’t risen yet. Some people were still in bed, but others were wide awake. Right now that included the Pym family as the father and daughter were having a very important conversation.

“I still think about the night your mother and I had to leave you,” Hank began. He was seated at a table with Hope right across from him. The scientist looked down as he continued. “I wish we could have put down our bags and tucked you back into your bed, but too many lives were at stake. To disarm the missile, we had to get inside it. But the plating was too thick. The only way in was to shrink between the molecules. We both knew then that if we go that small, there’s no coming back.” The old man’s frown deepened as he remembered what came next. “It should have been me, but my regulator was damaged. Your mother’s wasn’t. She turned it off… and went subatomic to deactivate the bomb. Your mother saved thousands of lives that day, knowing she’d be lost in the Quantum Realm. Alone. Afraid. Gone forever.” Hank looked up at his daughter with sad and regretful eyes. “Telling you that she wasn’t coming home was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

A smile then grew on his face.

“But then Scott showed up, or should I say broke into our house… and when he went into the Quantum Realm… he came back, everything changed. I started to wonder, could your mother still be alive?”

Pym sat up and started walking down the hall, his daughter following him.

“So I dusted off some old plans,” he said before pulling out a rolled up piece of paper from his jacket and handed it to her. Hope unrolled it to see blueprints for a gateway with the words “Quantum Tunnel.”

She looked at them in shock before turning to face him.

“Dad, what are you saying?”

“I think it’s possible to bring her back.”

The pair grinned at each other and stopped in front of a door.

“When can we build it?”

“We already did.”

Hank opened the door to reveal the hangar in the Avengers Compound, and inside was the completed Quantum Tunnel. Ants that had been grown to the size of dogs and were doing maintenance. The other scientists already in the room looked on in both fascination and disgust.

“That’s really gross,” Darcy said. “I’m so glad I haven’t had breakfast yet.”

“That may be so, but they’re very efficient,” Erik responded.

“What do you think, kid?” she turned to the ceiling. Peter looked down from his webline at the scene.

“This is honestly better than any alley in New York.”

“Systems appear to be stable,” Jane reported from the terminal as Hank and Hope came in. “However, I did the math, and we might not be able to hold it for long.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Hank said. “Where’s Stark?”

“Right here,” Iron Man answered, coming out from under the machine. He set down a wrench on a nearby table. “Power conduits and circuitry are all set. The real issue is making sure it stays stable.”

“How can we ever know if we don’t try?” Hank grinned.

“Then how about we fire it up?” Stark smirked.

Everyone got to the console and began to turn the machine on.

“Would you like to do the honors, Jellybean?” Hank asked his daughter.

Hope wasted no time in pulling the lever. A turbine released from the tunnel and started to spin with blue energy. Then the tunnel itself started to glow orange as air was sucked into it.

“That’s it! We did it!” Darcy cheered.

Then as abruptly as it came, the path to the Quantum Realm was gone. Sparks started flying and the turbine stopped spinning.

“Dammit!”

“It’s alright. We’ve proven that it’s possible to do this,” Hank said.

“Now we just need to figure out what went wrong. Do you think it was the vectors?” Hope asked.

“No, the vectors are good. It has to be something else,” Tony disagreed.

“What about the algorithm?” Peter suggested.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll go over it again,” nodded and went to a nearby whiteboard.

“I’ll help you,” Erik followed her.

“And I will have breakfast,” Darcy said and left the hangar.

“You know, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Tony agreed.

“Yeah, I could eat,” Parker went with them.

The trio walked into the kitchen to see Carol and Bucky already there. The super soldier sat at the table having cereal while the flier was whisking eggs.

“Any chance you can add a few more to that batch you’re gonna scramble?” Darcy asked.

“Sure.”

“So, what’s on the itinerary for the space queen bee today?”

“Oh, just have breakfast,” she said as she poured the eggs into the hot pan and began to scramble them. “Then I’m going to have a talk with two of my colleagues.”

Her tone was strangely sweet to the others. Darcy just shrugged, but Bucky smirked. Specifically at Peter and Tony. The pair turned to each other and shared a concerned look, brief as it was.

The blonde then put the eggs on plates and served them to her friends and herself. As the other dug in, she continued to smile at them sweetly.

“So, do you boys wanna tell me why you set me up with a dating profile?”

The pair coughed as they choked on their eggs. They exchanged worried glances and quickly rose up.

“Would you look at that,” Peter began, looking at his phone. “There’s a robbery on Main St., so it looks like I better go take care of that!”

“And I just remembered that I have a special project that requires my immediate attention,” Stark lied.

“No there isn’t, and no you don’t,” she deadpanned with crossed arms.

“Sure there is!” Peter smiled, sweat beginning to build up on his brow.

“Just get it over with,” Bucky rolled his eyes. “There’s no avoiding it.”

The two science guys exchanged a glance and sighed in defeat.

“Listen Carol, we were just trying to help. We figured you deserve something nice like that after years of being alone, so yes. We set you up a dating profile,” Peter explained.

“Correction, the kid set it up. I just added to it after I found out about it,” Tony mentioned.

“Stop calling me a kid!”

“Then stop acting like one!”

“This is fun to watch,” Darcy commented as she ate her breakfast.

“As much as I would have appreciated you two not doing this behind my back, I’m actually kinda touched,” Carol admitted.

“Then you’re not mad?” Parker asked.

“Oh no, I’m definitely not okay with what you did, but I’m curious about it. For starters, what’d ya put in it?”

“Just casual stuff, nothing too personal or classified,” Tony answered.

“Why online dating?”

“It seemed like the practical choice,” Peter said.

“But it’s online dating. I know I’ve been gone for years and all, but even I know that it’s a mess.”

“It’s a work in progress, we admit,” Tony responded. “And part of the reason why we didn’t tell you about it was because we wanted to filter out all the creeps first.”

“And how’s that going?”

“Well…” Peter began only to sigh. “Bad. It’s going bad, there’s no way to sugarcoat it.”

“Thought as much. What about you too? How are your love lives?”

“Peper and I are having dinner tonight,” Stark smiled.

“She’s out of your league!” Darcy called out.

“You don’t think I know that, Lewis?”

“What about you, Pete?” Carol asked.

“I’m still single,” he answered shyly. “There just isn’t anyone I’m interested in right now.”

“Are you sure this has nothing to do with the girl in your dreams?” Tony teased, resuming his breakfast.

“Ooh, tell us about the girl,” Darcy grinned.

“Please don’t,” Bucky said flatly.

“Yeah, can I not do that?” Peter blushed.

“Hey, no shame in it Kid. We were all fourteen once,” Tony continued.

“They’re not those kinds of dreams! They’re more like memories or stuff happening in real time. Like real events, it’s weird.”

“Really? What do you see?” Carol asked.

Peter scratched his head and thought about it for a moment.

“I see this girl and I interacting a lot. Sometimes we talk. Sometimes we fight together. I think one time we fought each other.”

“Well, that’s an interesting dynamic,” Darcy noted, taking a sip of her coffee. “Do you two also kiss?”

“…No?” he responded with a blush.

“Is that because you wake up before it happens?”

“I’m not gonna answer that.”

“You just did,” Tony smirked.

“You guys talking about dreams?” Everyone turned to see Scott walk in. He looked like her just came out of bed. “Cause I just had the weirdest dream. Where are Hank and Hope? I kinda have to talk to them.”

“In the hangar working on the tunnel,” Tony said.

“Is it working?” he quickly asked.

“It did for a moment,” Darcy answered. “We’ve still got some kinks to work out.”

“What does she look like?” Carol questioned the teen, wanting to resume their conversation.

“She’s a redhead,” he answered, not looking at them.

“Really? Well, at least you have taste,” Bucky mentioned.

“Into redheads. FRIDAY, be sure to add that to their files,” Tony ordered.

“On it, Boss.”

“Excuse me?” Peter and Bucky said at the same time.

Suddenly, Tony’s phone started to ring. He looked at the caller ID and groaned.

“I don’t wanna deal with Fury right now,” and he hit decline.

“Did you just send Fury to voicemail?” Carol blinked.

“Yes.”

The former Director tried to call him again almost immediately.

“You should really pick that up,” Bucky said.

“No,” and Tony sent him to voicemail again.

“It could be something important,” Carol pressed.

“Or it could just be another thing that isn’t worth my time. You never know with him.”

The phone rang again, but this time it said “Clint Barton.”

“Ah, Clint. Now that’s someone I can talk to.” Stark hit accept. “Hey, Everdeen. What’s going on?”

“Stark, we have a world level threat on our hands,” Fury’s voice answered over the call.

“Fury? What the hell?”

“You weren’t picking up his calls, so I let him use my phone,” Clint responded on the other end.

“Of course,” Stark pinched the bridge of his nose. “Nick, whatever it is, I’m sure you can-”

“An unidentified alien vessel has just arrived in our solar system. It’s approaching the Moon as we speak.”

Tony’s face immediately changed from annoyance to shock and concern. He turned to see that the others were just as worried.

“I want everyone in the situation room now,” he said in the most serious tone they had ever heard from him.

Ten minutes later all of the new team was gathered, as well as the scientists and agents. At the front of the room was Fury leaning on the table with a piercing gaze directed at all of them.

“One of our old satellites from SHIELD picked up an energy surge near the Moon only minutes ago. Upon closer inspection, we saw this.”

Fury pressed a button on the table and up rose a hologram of the spacecraft. It was a dagger shaped ship with a ring wrapped around it vertically.

“We have no information on what this ship is, who it belongs to, or where it came from. But based on those turrets, it’s likely a military vessel,” the one eyed man continued.

“As soon as the ship jumped out of its high speeds, it flew to the dark side of the Moon where we lost sight of it. As far as we know, it’s still there,” Maria reported.

“Does anyone else know about this?” Scott asked.

“No. We wanted to keep this under wraps until we analyze the situation,” Fury began. “The last thing we need is to cause a panic leading to a military strike on a target we know nothing about. Especially if by some slim chance they’re not a threat.”

“Almost as if they don’t want the same thing,” Bucky noted.

“There’s still a possibility that they mean us no harm, Fury,” Hank mentioned.

“He’s right,” Hope agreed. “They might be hiding behind the Moon to prevent a panic.”

“Lord knows how that’d turn out after New York,” Erik sighed.

“Danvers, you’ve been all over the Galaxy, do you recognize this thing?” Clint asked.

“It’s not like any ship I’ve ever seen,” she responded, looking at the vessel quizzically.

Nick then turned to Tony with a sympathetic gaze.

“Stark, I know this may be tough for you after what happened, but does this ship resemble any of the ones you saw at the Battle of New York?”

Iron Man appeared to have been staring at the hologram for a long time, wondering the same thing.

“No,” he spoke after a minute. “It doesn’t look like them at all. This is someone else.” His eyes narrowed. “That ring though… something about it is familiar.”

The other scientists in the room looked at the ring closely and their eyes widened.

“You’re right. The design… it almost looks like something we’d make,” Jane said.

“What if it is?” Peter wondered. “Think about it, who do we know that could have made this outside of our planet?”

“Wait, you don’t think…?” Darcy trailed off.

“The other Avengers could have made this?” Scott finished.

“That’s a possibility,” Tony realized. “FRIDAY, do an analysis on that image.”

“I have detected seventeen different features commonly found in your own designs, Boss. Features that I myself would recommend.”

“Son of a bitch,” Stark said with a grin. “Son of a bitch!”

“Care to share with the rest of us, Stark?” Pym asked.

“Before the others were launched to that other Galaxy, I uploaded a copy of FRIDAY’s matrix into Rhodey’s suit.”

“So, Rhodey and a copy of FRIDAY could have designed this thing,” Maria nodded.

“Let’s assume for a moment that this is the rest of the team,” Fury began cautiously. “How do we confirm it’s them?”

Tony pulled out his phone after a moment.

“Think that ship has reception?”

What the Avengers did not know however, was that they were being watched. All of this was seen by a figure in a white suit far off in the trees.

“I have eyes on Pym, and he’s not alone,” they spoke with a disguised voice. “Fury, Hill, Stark and other people are there too.”

“This makes things complicated. I know this is your field, Ava, but I think you should hold off on trying anything until we know more.”

“I can handle this just fine, Bill,” Ava scoffed.

“I know. But we need to know what exactly we’re up against. Or even if we need to fight anyone at all.”

“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll wait, but this better be worth it.”

Ava turned away and marched right through the trees. It was just like a ghost.

Padme sat in her quarters on the Hyperspace Ring reading a data pad on any remaining information she needed to go over about Earth. Across from her was Bail Organa doing the same.

“This planet has a long list of conflicts that rivals our own,” he sighed.

“Yes. And there are still some ongoing. Especially in this “Middle East.” I suppose you could say it’s this world’s version of the Outer Rim,” Amidala frowned.

“That is a thought that is as depressing as it is fascinating. As are many of the similarities between our Galaxy and this planet.”

“Approaching the leadership may be harder than we initially anticipated,” she began. “There’s so much division, corruption and other obstacles that could ruin any chance of good relations before they even start.”

“Yes, we will need to tread carefully here,” he nodded. “I recommend we start off by gifting them with as much technology as we can.”

“Military would be out of the question and likely a dangerous gamble. But simple things that can improve day to day life will work. There are countries that don’t even have enough electricity or running water for their citizens.”

“Perhaps we could also offer to improve the infrastructure of these struggling nations,” Bail suggested. “However, we may likely start with the wealthier ones so they may set an example for the rest.”

Padme sunk into her chair and sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Then she smiled.

“As stressful as this is, I’m actually enjoying myself. Especially when compared to dealing with the War.”

“Yes,” Organa smiled back. “This is history in the making. We are actually visiting a planet beyond our Galaxy. It is truly extraordinary.”

“I wonder what it will be like when we see it.”

“Breathtaking, I imagine.” The Alderanian then looked around the room for a moment before turning back to her with a smirk. “You know, despite this planet’s flaws, it might not be a bad place to raise a child.”

Padme’s eyes widened momentarily before shifting to a neutral expression.

“I’m sure it is,” she responded in the best casual tone she could muster.

“Padme,” he spoke gently, his smile never leaving. “We’ve been friends for a long time. There’s no need for secrets between us.”

The young woman stared at him in shocked silence for a full minute before speaking again.

“You… you know?”

“That you’re pregnant? Yes, I know.”

“H-how?”

“I noticed that you’ve been acting differently in these past few months. You have chosen a baggier style of clothing to hide your frame. Your appetite has gotten larger than usual. And your movements are slower as well. After a bit of thought, I was able to put it together. Especially since Breha and I have been hoping to find similar signs for a while now.”

She just blinked at him, not knowing how to respond. What was she even supposed to do here? What do you say after something like that.

“Don’t think that this changes my view of you,” he comforted, seeing the state she was in. “Padme, I want you to know that I am still your friend and am here to give you my full support.”

“I… thank you, Bail,” she smiled at him, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. “I’m sorry I didn;t tell you. I was afraid.”

“Well, you can tell me all about it now,” he took her hand and gently patted it. “For starters, is it a boy or a girl?”

The Nubian laughed at the question.

“That is something that my family and I have been debating for months,” she giggled. “That’s actually part of why I’m here. This planet has no knowledge of the Republic, so I plan to see a doctor to see how everything is with this little one,” she patted her stomach, looking down with a loving smile.

“Thus granting you anonymity, posing no political consequences. Very clever,” he nodded. “How long have you known?”

“I think it happened in October. It was when I met Natasha, and she was actually the one to realize I was pregnant. She even got the test for me.”

“October,” he cupped his chin in thought. “Wasn’t that when everyone was celebrating Dooku’s capture and thought the War would end?” Bail smirked.

Padme blushed at what he was insinuating, so she looked away from him.

“Yes, it was,” she answered, earning a chuckle from him.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but is the father involved?”

“Well, the thing about that is-”

She was cut off from answering when the door opened and in walked 3PO.

“Mistress Padme, I’m so sorry to interrupt, but the ship has just exited Hyperspace.

The Senators looked at each other and nodded before standing up.

“To be continued,” Bail said, and they left for the bridge.

Theory arrived a few minutes later to see several clones, the Jedi and Avenger gazing out the window.

“Have we arrived?” Padme asked.

“See for yourself, Senator,” Master Koon said and stepped aside.

The pair gasped upon finally seeing the planet they had heard so much about. They had seen many worlds in lives, but this one… this one felt different. Hell, it looked different.

“This is your home, Colonel?” Fisto asked.

“Yeah,” War Machine laughed, whiping a tear away.

“Remarkable. I have never seen anything like it,” Organa breathed.

“It’s beautiful,” Padme beamed.

“It’s like the entire Galaxy has been put together into one place,” Commander Wolfe mentioned.

“The Force… feel it, do you?” Yoda asked, his eyes closed.

Kit and Plo closed their eyes and reached out with the Force.

“So much life… it’s strong here,” Fisto observed.

“And yet… restricted?” Plo wondered.

“Yes. But why that is, we must find out,” the Grandmaster said.

“Move us to the dark side of the Moon,” Rhodey ordered. “We don’t want to scare everyone there.”

“Yes, Colonel,” a deck officer said, proceeding to pilot the ship behind the moon.

It was a few more minutes until the Alderanian turned to the Colonel.

“How do we intend to contact your planet without raising an alarm?” Bail asked.

“We need to  contact Tony. He can arrange the rest afterward. How secure are any transmissions coming to or from this ship?”

“No one from your planet will hear a thing without our say so. Even on that multipurpose device you have there,” Wolfe answered.

Speaking of said phone, it started to ring from Rhodey’s pocket. The Avenger pulled it out and nearly choked when he saw the caller ID. With a far away gaze, he hit accept and put it to his ear.

“Tony?”

“Rhodey? Is that you?” he heard the voice of his friend break.

“Yeah, man. I’m home.”

The door to the ship’s medical bay opened and in walked a clone trooper with a loud groan.

“Des, you’re back? This is your third visit since we left Pantora,” the medic said.

“I know,” the man groaned. “I know I said I could handle it, but it just keeps getting worse. I need better injections for this fever.”

“If you’re feeling this bad, then it is no simple fever. Sit down so I can look you over.”

The soldier did as his brother told and sat down on a cot. The clone medic opened a drawer and looked through the tools.

“You’re looking very pale. Any other symptoms?”

“Just this cough,” he said right before he coughed.

“Let me check your eyes.”

The medic pulled out a retina scope and got down on one knee to do the inspection. He looked through and scanned the patient for anything out of the ordinary. Then his own eyes widened. He took a gloved hand and touched it to the corner of the socket. Then he pulled it back to see it now had a drop of blood.

“Dear God, you’re bleeding from your eyes. I’m gonna have to quarantine you.”

“Is it really that,” Des coughed again, only this time blood came out. The trooper fell to the floor and began spasming.

The medic ran for the shelf to grab a medpack. When he turned around he gaped in horror.

There his fellow clone brother lying on the floor with his veins bulging, blood leaking out of the holes in his face, and his limbs twisting into inhuman shapes. Then his body began to glow.

There was a flash that made the medic shield his eyes. When he opened them he saw something unrecognizable.

Des had transformed into a beast that he had never seen before. The clone’s pale skin had become a light gray. His head had increased in size and was now ovular like a melon with large teeth. His hands now had sharp claws on long limbs. And his two eyes were now replaced with one singular optic.

“Mother of moons!” the medic screamed.

The beast roared and tackled the clone to the ground. The medic screamed while the beast bit and tore at him. After a minute he transformed into another one of those monsters as well. The two let out a loud roar, promising death to all who came their way.