====BtVS====

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....

Star Wars
Episode 1: The Phantom's Menace
====BtVS====
It has been two years since Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg were pulled thoug
h the portal that Glory had opened in the process of closing it, two years since
the friends had landed in the hell of molten lava and ash. There, they were cap
tured by a rogue slaver colony, and were separated, each sold to different maste
rs and now there is turmoil. Dark forces are aligning. A blockade of the planet
Naboo was investigated by a pair of Jedi, who managed to make their escape with
the Queen and her entourage. In the process of their escape, their ship was dama
ged. And so the Jedi, the Queen, and a handmaiden with a secret find themselves
heading for the small planet of Tatooine, and towards a destiny that has been wr
itten in the stars....
"WAKE UP, BUFFY!" an excited voice shouted in the Slayer's ear. Buffy grumbled a
nd turned over on her side in an effort to make the annoying voice go away.
"Five more minutes..." she mumbled, and then yelped as a sudden force landed on
her chest.
"Oomph!" she groaned, then yelled "Annie! Get off!" she laughed as Anakin pounce
d on her again.
"I'll get off if you get up!" he laughed, trying to wrestle the sheets away from
the Slayer's iron-like grip. He wasn't successful, so he tried a different tact
ic. "If you don't get up now, you're not getting any breakfast before we go in!"
"Ugh." Buffy grumbled, then suddenly released her hold on the sheet, causing Ann
ie to yell out and tumble off the edge of the bed. "That's what you get for jump
ing on me!" she said with a grin. "Now get out of here wile I change."
Anakin scampered out of the room and the former Slayer closed the door. Buffy pu
lled on the simple tan pants and tunic that had been her wardrobe since she had
arrived on this planet, and pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail. She hate
d doing this, as it exposed the control collar that she had been forced to wear
since she had arrived in this dimension. Buffy's eye's were drawn toward it as s
he looked at herself in the mirror, and she shuddered, remembering...
She still didn't understand how she had gotten there. Buffy knew the risks when
she jumped into the portal that Glory's minion had opened using her sisters bloo
d. But Willow- she had just been a bystander. And it was a strange irony that, s
o soon after being reunited with her beloved Tara, Willow had been ripped away f
rom her by a stray bolt of energy from the opened portal. The next thing she kne
w, Willow and she were lying on the ashen shore next to a river of lava. Weakene
d, near delirious, they had been found by a rogue group of slavers that had set
up camp on the lava planet and taken into captivity, being told that they would
be sold to the highest bidder.
Buffy hated the collar. It was her punishment from the slavers that had captured
her for when she tried to break herself and Willow out. She had managed to take
nearly a dozen of them before she had been overpowered. Then they had slapped t
he collar on her, turned it on to full power, and then threw her into a box that
was barely big enough for her to fit in. In the box she was forced to stand for
a week, with no food or water, all the while having the collar turned on and of
f at random, sending electric shocks up and down her spine. More than once the s
eizures caused by the collar caused her to bust open her head, to the point that
the blood obscured her vision. For nine months she was left in that box getting
fed only once a week, and only given water every three days.
Nine Months of wondering what had happened to her best friend. They never told h
er specifics, just that her new masters would be putting her body to good use.
Then she had been sold to the Hutts on this wonderful world of Tatooine. Watto p
roved to be a somewhat decent master; he hardly ever activated the hated collar,
preferring instead to use it as a threat. And he had put her with the Skywalker
s, who had spent a year bringing her out of the shell the slavers had caused her
to build around herself. After a year of living with them, she considered Anaki
n to be her little brother, and she called Shmi mom.
"Come ON, Buffy!" a voice called from outside the door, shaking Buffy out of her
reverie. Buffy smiled. "Coming!" she yelled back as she wrapped a silken scarf
around her neck to hide the collar, she ran out of her room to join her brother.
====BtVS====
"You are late!"
Buffy glanced up at the chronoreader mounted on the all, then back to the blue-s
kinned Hutt hovering in front of them. "You're going to argue with me over two m
inutes?"
Watto's eye's narrowed, an he fingered the controller for the collar on his belt
. "You know, I think that you haven't been showing me enough respect, you know?"
Buffy's eyes widened in fear slightly. "Look, I'm sorry. I'll stay two minutes l
ate, okay?"
Watto nodded. "Good. Now both of you get out into the yard. Annie, clean out the
bins. Buffy, the last sandstorm knocked down a piece of the back fence. I want
you to put it back up. Now get to work!"
It was a few hours later when Buffy heard Watto call Annie back in to watch the
store. Buffy was busy driving the poles for the fence into the ground- with her
bare hands. She could use the various machines that Watto kept for such purposes
, but she preferred to let out some of her frustration by doing the hard work by
hand. It was the closest thing to Slaying she could do, without getting punishe
d. With a grin, Buffy picked up another pole and, with a few fancy twists and sp
ins, she drove the pole two feet into the ground. She wiped her hands together a
nd smiled happily at the work she did, and then reached for the sheets of metal
that Watto used to fence in the yard. Suddenly, her Slayer sense went crazy and
she stood up straight.
"Buffy!"
The Slayer turned to see Watto leading two people- wait, one person, and one dro
id,- into the yard. The droid looked to be what Anakin called an Astromech droid
, and in fairly good condition, too. But it was the man that got her attention.
Her eyes narrowed as she felt that he was the one setting off her Slayer sense,
ad she looked closer. Tall, with long hair pulled back into a pony tail and a go
atee, he was dressed in simple desert clothes with a poncho on top. Her eyes nev
er leaving the man, she addressed her master.
"Yeah, boss?"
"Go back to the shop and keep an eye on your brother. I've got business to do ou
t here."
Buffy nodded. "You got it, boss." She replied, wiping her hands off on a rag and
heading back to the shop. As she passed, she couldn't help but feel the strange
r's eyes on her back for a moment before she got to the shop. As she entered, sh
e saw Anakin and a pretty young girl laughing at an amphibian-type creature as i
t struggled with a small maintenance droid.
"Hit the nose!" Anakin called out laughing. Buffy smirked, picked up a small was
her, and with a flick of her wrist, sent the washer flying. It impacted the nose
of the droid right before the creature could, and the little droid folded up. T
he creature yelped and dropped it. Anakin smiled and looked over at Buffy.
"Nice shot, sis!" he said, then turned back to the girl. "That's my sister, Buff
y. Buffy, this is Padmè. And that's..." Anakin trailed off, realizing he hadn't go
tten the creatures name.
"Mesa Jar Jar Binks." He said pleasantly. Buffy looked around the ground at the
mess he had created.
"Yousa making a mess." She remarked, causing Jar Jar to blush and getting snicke
rs from the other two. "You stand over there while I pick this up."
Meanwhile, Anakin was looking at Padmè, whose own laughter had died down. Suddenly
, Anakin spoke.
"I'm going to marry you." He said, causing Buffy to look up sharply. Suddenly, P
admè laughed again, and the smile on her face told Buffy that she was laughing at
the remark, not at her brother.
"You are an odd one," she said as her laughter died away. "Why do you say that?"
Anakin hesitated. "I guess because it's what I believe..."
Her smile was dazzling. "Well, I'm afraid I can't marry you..." she paused, tryi
ng to remember his name.
"Anakin." Buffy supplied with a smile of her own. Young love was always fun to w
atch. Until your lover turned into a vicious demon from hell and tries to kill y
ou, at least...
"Anakin." She cocked her head. "You're just a little boy."
His gaze was intense as he faced her. "I won't always be," he said quietly.
Buffy shook her head and got back to picking up the mess that Jar Jar had create
d. Ain't that the truth...
After a moment, the guy Buffy had started think of as Clint Eastwood walked back
into the shop, his little Astromech following closely behind.
"We're leaving," he announced to the girl, moving towards the shops entry. Jar J
ar was quick to follow, anxious to escape his latest mess, as well as Buffy glar
e. Padmè gave the boy a warm smile. "I'm glad I met you, Anakin," she said, turnin
g after them.
"I'm glad I met you, too," he called out after her, reluctance evident in his vo
ice.
Watto flew in from the salvage yard, shaking his head in disgust. "Outlanders! T
hey think because we live so far from everything, we know nothing!"
Anakin was still staring longingly after Padmè, his gaze fixed on the empty doorwa
y. "They seemed nice enough to me." He remarked. Buffy chuckled.
"Yeah, she seemed very nice." She quipped, earning a glare from her brother.
"Watto snorted and flew up between them. "Both of you, clean up this mess, then
you can go home."
Anakin gave a small cheer, Buffy gave a crisp salute and a "Yes, sir!" and both
quickly got to work.
====BtVS====
A short time later, the twosome headed out of the shop and back to the slave qua
rters of Mos Espa. Buffy was busy teasing him about his new 'girlfriend' when An
akin noticed something up ahead.
"Uh-oh." he said. "Looks like trouble."
Buffy looked ahead, and she could help but agree with her brother. The creature
from the shop, Jar Jar, had apparently incurred the wrath of Sebulba. Before Buf
fy could do anything, Anakin rushed off, presumably to try and save the creature
from the Dug's wrath. Buffy rolled her eyes and hurried after her wayward broth
er.
"What a guy will do to impress a girl..." she muttered. She came up behind Anaki
n just as she heard him say, "Careful. This one's very well connected." Buffy ra
ised her eyebrow at that bluff, and decided to hang back for a moment to watch t
hing play out.
Sebulba turned to face the boy, cruel face twisted in disdain as he saw Anakin.
He spoke something in Huttish which Buffy didn't understand. Foreign languages w
ere never her forte. Anakin shrugged and replied, "Connect- as in Hutt." Buffy s
aw a hint of fear on the Dug's face. "Big-time connected, this one, Sebulba. I'd
hate to see you diced before we had a chance to race again."
The Dug spat in furry. "Neek me chawa! Next time we race, wermo, it will be the
end of you. Uto notu wo shag! If you weren't a slave, I'd squash you here and no
w!"
"You'd try, Seby." Buffy interjected, coming up besides her brother. Sebulba's l
ips curled at the sight of her. "Now, are you going to walk away, or do I have t
o teach you another lesson?"
Sebulba growled and turned as if to walk away. At the last second, though, he tu
rned back and let his fist fly right at Buffy's midsection. With superhuman spee
d Buffy caught the hand with her right hand, then grabbed the Dug by the neck wi
th her left hand and lifted him clear off the ground so they were at eye-level.
Enraged, Sebulba let loose a vicious kick, which caught Buffy on the right side
of her jaw and whipped her head around. But instead of dropping him in surprise,
as Sebulba ha though she would, her grip on his neck tightened so he couldn't b
reath.
Buffy slowly turned her head back so she looked him dead in the eye.
"Well, another lesson it is, then." And with that, Buffy flicked her writs and s
ent Sebulba flying back into the dining tent, where he collided with a group of
his flunkies. They all crashed to the ground, covered in spilt stew. Jar Jar loo
ked at Buffy in amazement at the casual show of strength. The dug pulled himself
off, gave them a glare, then stalked off. Anakin looked up at her sister with a
smile. Buffy was looking after Sebulba with a slight frown on her face.
"Some suckers always gotta be ice skating up hill." She muttered, causing her br
other's smile to change to a look of confusion.
"Huh?"
"Never mind."
Anakin helped to move the Gungan, who had fallen on the ground, up when Buffy no
ticed the Clint Eastwood wanna-be, his droid, and Padmè heading back their way. An
akin noticed it, too.
"Hi!" he said cheerfully, obviously happy to see Padmè again so soon. "Your Buffy
was about to be turned into orange goo. He picked a fight with a Dug. An especia
lly dangerous Dug, named Sebulba." Anakin smiled proudly. "I took care of him."
Buffy looked down at the boy with an amused grin. Anakin looked up, then away qu
ickly, blushing. "Well, Buffy helped a little."
"Nossir, nossir!" the chagrined Gungan insisted, brushing off dust and sand. "Me
hate crunchen. Tis da last thing me want!"
The cowboy gave Jar Jar a careful once-over, glanced around at the crowd, and to
ok the Gungan by the arm. "Nevertheless, the boy saved you from a beating. You h
ave a penchant for finding trouble, Jar. Jar." He gave Anakin a short not. "Than
k you, my young friends."
Buffy smiled tightly, her eyes not leaving the cowboy. "It was no problem, Mr...
"
"Qui-Gon Jinn." The cowboy said, extending his hand. Buffy took it and gave it a
firm shake. "And you have met my companions, Padmè and Jar Jar Binks."
"Me doen nutten!" Jar Jar was insisting, still trying to defend himself, hands g
esturing for emphasis.
"You were afraid," Anakin told him, looking up at the long-billed face solemnly.
"Fear attracts the fearful. Sebulba was trying to overcome his fear by squashin
g you." He cocked his head at the Gungan. "You can help yourself by being less a
fraid."
"And that works for you?" Padmè asked skeptically, giving him a wry look.
Anakin smiled and shrugged. "Well...up to a point. Then I got my sister to take
care of the rest."
Buffy chuckled, then watched as Anakin persuaded the group to follow him a short
distance down the street to the ramshackle old fruit stand where the old lady J
ira sold her wares.
"How are you feeling today, Jira?" Anakin asked her, giving her a quick hug.
The old lady smiled. "The heat's never been kind to me, you know, Annie."
"Guess what?" the boy replied quickly, beaming. "I've found that cooling unit I'
ve been searching for. It's pretty beat up, but I'll have it fixed up for you in
no time, I promise. That should help."
Jira smiled at the boy, brushing his cheek with her wrinkled hand. "You're a fin
e boy, Annie."
Anakin shrugged off the compliment and began scanning the fruit display. "I'll t
ake four pallies, Jira." He glanced over to Padmè and said with a smile, "You'll l
ike these."
He pulled out the trugruts he'd been saving from his pocket, but accidentally dr
opped one. Qui-Gon bent over to pick it up, and as he did both Anakin and Buffy
noticed the lightsaber hanging from his belt.
As Anakin's eyes widened in surprise, Buffy's narrowed as her suspicion level of
the cowboy rose. Buffy hid her surprise behind a face of cool indifference, whi
le Anakin focused on the coins. He saw that he was one short.
"Whoops, I thought I had more," he said quickly, not looking up to avoid looking
at Padmè's face. Better make that three..."
"Make it five." Buffy interjected, pulling out her own coins. Anakin smiled grat
efully at his sister. Jira gave the group their fruit and took the coins from Bu
ffy and Anakin. As they started to eat, a sudden wind blew through the street, c
ausing the flaps on the awning of Jira stand to start flapping. A second gust se
nt sand and dust lowing down the street.
Jira rubbed her hands together. "Gracious, my bones are aching. There's a storm
coming, Annie. You'd better get home quick."
Anakin and Buffy looked around- all of the outdoor vendors were closing up shop
as the wind started picking up sand wind whipping it around. "Do you have shelte
r?" he asked.
Qui-Gon nodded. "We'll head back to our ship. Thank you again, my young fiend, f
or-"
"Is your ship far?" Anakin interrupted hurriedly. Buffy pulled the scarf she wor
e around her neck up over her mouth to block out most of the sand that was flyin
g around.
"It's on the city's outskirts," Padmè answered, turning away from the stinging san
d herself.
Anakin took her hand quickly, tugging on it. "You'll never reach the outskirts i
n time. Sandstorms are very, very dangerous. Come with me. You can wait it out a
t my home. It's not far. My mom won't mind. Hurry!"
As Anakin started to lead Padmè away, Buffy turned to Qui-Gon. "He's not kidding."
She said. "I stayed outside in a sandstorm when I first got her, and spent a mo
nth recovering. Come on, let's go!" the Slayer said as she led the rest towards
her home.
Chapter 2
====BtVS====
On the outskirts of Mos Espa, the Queen's Nubian shuttle sat idle in the desert,
its crew eagerly awaiting the replacement parts so they could leave what they t
hought of as a backwater planet. Inside the ship, Obi-Wan Kenobi sat behind the
com system, talking to his master.
"Are you sure there isn't anything of value left on board?" Qui-Gon asked.
Obi-wan considered for a moment. "A few containers of supplies, the Queen's ward
robe, some jewelry maybe. Not enough to barter with. Not in the amounts you're t
alking about."
"All right," Qui-Gon responded over the link. "Another solution will present its
elf. I'll check back."
Obi-Wan turned the com off and sat back in his chair, deep in thought. He paid l
ittle mind to the handmaiden whom had entered the cockpit.
"Problems?" she asked. Obi-Wan nodded.
"Yes." He replied, turning to face the handmaiden. "A salvage operator has the p
arts we need, but will not except Republic credits. Nor will anyone else, I'm af
raid."
The handmaiden nodded. "That's defiantly a problem." She then stuck out her hand
. "I'm Rose. Rose Naberrie."
Obi-Wan took her proffered hand and shook it. "Obi-Wan Kenobi." He replied. Obi-
Wan took a moment to study the young handmaiden. She looked to be in her early t
wenties, and wore the same concealing outfit that every one of the handmaidens w
ore. What little he could see of her face revealed bright green eyes set into a
pale face framed by locks of red hair. He considered the girl for a moment befor
e addressing her again. "Naberrie. I've heard of that name. Are you related to-"
"Padmè?" Rose responded with a small smile. "Not exactly. Her family took me in wh
en I arrived on Naboo, then sort of adopted me."
"I see." Obi-Wan replied. After a moment of silence, he asked her, "Do you know
if we have anything of value on the ship?"
Rose considered this for a moment. "Some jewelry, some equipment, the Queen's wa
rdrobe- hey, you could try selling that, since, and I'd never say this to Her Hi
ghness's face, those robes are god-awful ugly...; all of the maintenance droids
were destroyed in the escape, otherwise you could sell them, we got some blaster
s, but I doubt they would get much-"
"All right, all right!" Obi-Wan laughed. "Just take a breath Rose! Goodness, you
're not your average handmaiden, are you?"
Rose chuckled. "You mean reserved, subdued, and all that jazz? Nope, not me. I h
ave a penchant for babbling." Rose's face suddenly took on a serious look. "Tell
 me the truth. How much danger is the Queen in here?"
"Considerable danger." Obi-Wan responded after a moment. "The longer we remain h
ere, the more likely it is that the Hutt's will learn of her presence here and a
ttempt to kidnap her. Also, the more likely it becomes that the Trade Federation
, or whomever is working with them, will find us."
"Then I hope your master gets the parts soon. In the meantime, I'll make sure th
e girls are on our guard."
Obi-Wan nodded. "You do that. Help secure the ship, and hopefully soon we will h
ave what we need and we'll be on our way."
"We might be here for a while." Rose remarked, looking out the windows at the sa
nd blowing on the dunes. "Looks like a storm is a-brewin'."
Obi-Wan frowned and exited the cockpit, Rose right behind him as he made his way
to the ramp that led outside. He made his way down the ramp and stood beside Ca
ptain Panaka, observing the storm as it began to obscure the small town of Mos E
spa.
"This storm's going to slow them down," The Jedi remarked, worry evident in his
voice.
Panaka nodded. "It looks pretty bad. We'd better seal up the ship before it gets
worse." The captain's comlink beeped, and Panaka answered it. "Yes?"
"We're receiving a message from home." Ric Oliè, the pilot, said from the other en
d of the link.
Panaka looked at Obi-Wan. "We'll be right there."
Panaka led the way up the ramp with the Jedi right behind him. Once inside, he s
ealed up the ramp, and they proceeded to the Queen's chambers, were the transmis
sion had been received.
Panaka, Obi-Wan, and Rose entered the chamber to see Ric, the Queen, and her han
dmaidens Eirtaè and Rabè viewing a weakly shimmering hologram of Sio Bibble, governo
r of Naboo.
"...cut off all our food supplies until you return...death toll rising, catastro
phic...must bow to their wishes, Your Highness..." the image and voice faded and
returned, still somewhat garbled. "Please, I beg of you, tell us what to do! If
you can hear me, Your Highness, you must contact me..."
The transmission finally cut off completely. Queen Amidala sat staring at the sp
ace where her governor had been only moments before, her smooth face troubled. S
he wrung her hands in her lap, betraying her nervousness. Her gaze moved to Obi-
Wan, whom shook his head immediately. "It is a trick. Send no reply, Your Highne
ss. Send no transmission of any kind."
The Queen looked at him in uncertainty for a moment, then her gaze moved off to
his right for a split second, where Rose was standing. Out of the corner of his
eye, he saw Rose nod her head in agreement. Then the Queen followed suit, noddin
g in acquiescence herself. Obi-Wan left the chamber without further comment; wit
h only two thoughts on his mind- did he make the right decision, and who was thi
s Rose, who commanded such influence with the Queen?
====BtVS====
The sandstorm was raging through the streets of Mos Espa by the time Anakin, his
hand still tightly clutching Padmè's so as not to loose her, led the group into t
he slave quarters of the city. But even while Anakin led them to his home, his m
ind was a jumble of thoughts- thoughts about Padmè, of how he couldn't wait to int
roduce her to his mother, to show her his various projects, how soft her hand wa
s... Anakin face flushed at that thought, and he re-directed his mind to other t
houghts. Thoughts of the cowboy, as Buffy called him. Anakin had thought him a s
imple farmer, at first. But after seeing the lightsaber hanging from his belt...
only Jedi carried lightsabers. The thought of bringing an actual Jedi into his h
ome was an exciting, and frightening, prospect. Exciting, because he had always
dreamed of becoming a Jedi. Frightening, because he knew how protective Buffy co
uld be of him. And if she thought the Jedi was a threat to him or his mom-
Well, he really wouldn't want to be the Jedi then.
====BtVS====
Buffy brought up the rear of the party, fighting her way through the storm. She
hadn't been kidding when she told them it had taken her a month to recover from
the first storm she had been through. Of course, she had failed to mention that
for anybody without Slayer healing, it most likely would have been fatal. No nee
d to show all of her cards before the flop, after all...
Her eyes never strayed far from Clint, as she called him in her mind. What kind
of name was Qui-Gon, anyway? What was with all the weird names? For once, she wo
uld like to meet someone named Bob, or Ben, or Owen... but, no! She meets people
named Qui-Gon! Buffy shook her head, partly to clear out the jumble of thoughts
racing in her mind, and partly to clear the sand from her eyes, and focused bac
k on the problem that was Qui-Gon. She knew, from Anakin's descriptions, that th
e thing on his belt was a lightsaber, and that lightsabers were traditional weap
on of a Jedi. She also knew that the Jedi were supposed to be the good guys here
, something akin to the Vampire Slayers on her own world. However, she couldn't
help but find it suspicious that a Jedi would show up in their small town. Her e
yes narrowed at the Jedi, she silently vowed to keep a watch on him. If his inte
ntions were friendly, than they wouldn't have a problem. And if his intentions w
ere less than friendly?
Well, then she'd find out who would win in a fight between a Jedi and the Slayer
.
====BtVS====
The group finally reached the slaver quarters, which was little more than hovels
stacked haphazardly on top of one another and connected by switchback stairways
and common walls. The plaza in front was empty of people as they all struggled
to find shelter from the storm. Anakin led them through the windy plaza, and fin
ally pushed his way through his front door into his home.
"Mom! Mom! I'm home!" he called out.
The adobe walls of the hovel glimmered softly in the sand-obscured sunlight that
came in through the small windows, as well as from the electric glow from the c
eiling fixtures. The group stood in the main room, a rather small space the cont
ained a table and chairs. The kitchen was set into one wall, and a work space oc
cupied the wall across from it. Two opening in the far said of the room led to s
leeping quarters and a sitting room.
"Tis cozy," Jar Jar murmured. Buffy nodded.
"It's not much," she said, looking around, "but it's home."
Anakin's mother entered from the work area, brushing her hands off on her dress.
She was a woman of forty, her long brown hair tied back from her worn face, her
clothing rough and simple. She had been pretty once, and Anakin and Buffy would
say that she was pretty still, but time and the demands of her life were catchi
ng up with her. Her warm and youthful smile faded quickly when she saw the group
assembled behind her children.
"Oh, my!" she exclaimed, glancing uncertainly at the surrounding faces. "Annie,
Buffy, what's this?"
Buffy pointed to her brother, silently mouthing 'It's not my idea!' Anakin just
beamed.
"These are my friends, Mom. This is Padmè Naberrie, and this is-"
"Qui-Gon Jinn." The Jedi said, extending his hand to Anakin's mother, who took i
t. "And this is Jar Jar Binks." The Gungan made a gesture that Buffy assumed was
a wave, and then the droid gave a beep.
"And this is our droid, Artoo-Detoo." Padmè finished.
"I'm building a droid!" Anakin said excitedly, anxious to impress the pretty you
ng girl. "You wanna see?"
"Anakin!" his mother said, stopping him in his tracks. Her face took on an expre
ssion that Buffy always found akin to Willow's 'resolve face'. "Anakin, why are
they here?" she asked.
"There's a sandstorm, Mom. Listen."
Shmi glanced out the windows into the plaza, which was now obscured by swirling
sand.
"Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter," Qui-Gon explained. "We met him i
n the shop were he works."
"Come on!" Anakin said, grabbing Padmè's hand again. "Let me show you my droid," H
e led Padmè toward his bedroom, already telling her about his droid. The girl foll
owed, listening attentively to what Anakin was saying. R2-D2 followed behind, ap
parently interested in seeing what the boy had built. Buffy chuckled, seeing the
look on her mom's face.
"Relax, Mom." She said with a small smile. "These are the only years you don't h
ave to worry about your son bringing a girl into his room." With that, the tensi
on in the room seemed to abate somewhat.
"I'm Shmi Skywalker," she said. "Anakin, Buffy and I are pleased to have you as
our guests."
Qui-Don, sensing what was needed, reached into his poncho and pulled out several
small capsules from the belt he wore and handed them to Shmi.
"I know this is unexpected. Take these. There's enough food for a meal."
"Thank you.": she said, accepting the capsules, her eyes meeting his face briefl
y before lowering again. "Thank you very much. I'm sorry if I was abrupt. I'll n
ever get used to Anakin's surprises, I guess.:
"He's a very special boy." Qui-Gon offered. Buffy's eyes narrowed, even as Shmi
once again looked the Jedi in the eye.
"I know." She replied simply, though her tone conveyed a greater meaning.
====BtVS====
The storm continued to rage for the rest of the day, piling sand up against the
buildings and doors. Anakin showed Padmè the protocol droid he was building for hi
s mother, which he called See-Threepio. They both got a laugh when R2-D2 told th
e other droid that it was naked.
Shmi used the food capsules Qui-Gon provided to cook up dinner for them. As Shmi
fixed the meal and Anakin had Padmè occupied in his room, Qui-Gon took the moment
to move over to a quiet corner of the hovel and contact his Padawan. While the
connection wasn't perfect, it was good enough for him to learn of the transmissi
on from Naboo. He advised his protégé that he had done the right thing, and that the
communiqué was an obvious ruse to establish a trace. Before he signed off, Obi-Wa
n told him something that piqued his interest.
"There is one other thing, Master. When I advised the Queen not to send a transm
ission, she seemed to look to one of her handmaidens for...well, approval, almos
t. As if she needed her opinion before agreeing with me."
"Most interesting." Qui-Gon replied, stroking his goatee. "Who is she?"
"She says her name is Rose Naberrie. She is apparently Padmè's sister, adopted by
the other handmaiden's parents when she had arrived on Naboo. There is something
about her..."
"If the opportunity arises , I will ask Padmè about her. In the meantime, stay on
your guard. Qui-Gon out."
Soon dinner was ready, and the group took their places around the table- Qui-Gon
and Padmè at the ends, with Shmi, Buffy, Anakin and Jar-Jar around the sides. Ana
kin, naturally, took the seat next to Padmè, and was explaining his life as a slav
e in only the way a young boy could- as a fact of his life, nothing more. Shmi,
in contrast, was trying to show the severity of their situation to their guests.
"All slaves have transmitters placed inside their bodies," she explained.
"I've been working on a scanner to try and locate them, but so far no luck." Ana
kin added.
"Any attempt at escape..." Shmi started.
"...and they blow you up!" Anakin finished, adding an overly dramatic 'Boom!'
"Or in my case, they just zap me." Buffy added, absently fingering her collar.
A loud slurping noise stopped the conversation, as all eyes turned to face the o
ffending member of their dinner party. Jar Jar lowered his head in embarrassment
.
Padmè turned back to Shmi. "I can't believe slavery is still permitted in the gala
xy. The Republic's antislavery laws should-¬"
"The Republic doesn't exist out here." Buffy responded, her voice hard. "We surv
ive on our own."
There was an awkward silence at the table, before Anakin's youthful exuberance f
ound a way to break it.
"Have you ever seen a Podrace?" he asked Padmè, trying to ease her discomfort. She
shook her head no, and a look at Shmi saw the concern set in on her weathered f
ace. Buffy also sported a frown. In the meantime, Jar Jar launched his tongue at
a piece of fruit in a bowl at the far end of the table, deftly plucking it out
and swallowing it loudly. Buffy's frown turned into a look of disgust, even as Q
ui-Gon's disapproving look silenced the Gungan.
"They have Podracing on Malastare," Qui-Gon remarked. "Very fast, very dangerous
."
Anakin grinned. "I'm the only human who can do it!" A sharp look from his mother
, and a sudden cough from his sister, wiped the grin off of his face. "Mom, what
? I'm not bragging. It's true! Watto says he's never heard of a human doing it."
"You race like I drive." Buffy observed sarcastically. Anakin huffed.
"Please, Buffy. I could never race that bad. It just isn't scientifically possib
le!"
Buffy stuck her tongue out at her brother as Qui-Gon observed the boy carefully.
"You must have Jedi reflexes if you race Pods."
Anakin smiled broadly at the compliment, and Jar Jar took the opportunity to try
and snatch another piece of fruit from the bowl. However, this time Qui-Gon was
waiting, and as the Gungans tongue shot out, Qui-Gon quickly moved to snatch it
-
And snatched it at the exact same moment as Buffy. He looked at her in surprise
for a moment; Buffy looked back passively, before looking to Jar Jar.
"Try it again, I rip it out. Got it?" she said, tightening her grip on the tongu
e. The Gungan yelped, and said something intelligible that Buffy took as an agre
ement, and released it. Qui-Gon appraised the young woman once more.
"It seems you must have Jedi reflexes as well." He remarked. Buffy gave him a bl
and smile.
"I got great hand-eye coordination. The benefits of too many videogames, I guess
."
Anakin looked up at the older man's face. "I...was wondering something..." he st
arted hesitantly. Qui-Gon nodded at him to continue. The boy took a breath, gath
ered his courage, and spoke. "You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?"
There was a moment of silence as the tow stared at each other. Finally, Qui-Gon
spoke.
"What makes you think that?"
"I saw your lightsaber." Anakin said, still a bit nervous. "Only Jedi Knights ca
rry that kind of weapon."
Qui-Gon continued to stare at him, then leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Pe
rhaps I killed a Jedi and stole it from him."
Anakin shook his head. "I don't think so. No one can kill a Jedi."
Qui-Gon's smile faded as a look of sadness crossed his face. "I wish that were s
o..."
"I had a dream that I was a Jedi." Anakin said eagerly. "I came back and freed a
ll the slaves. Have you come to free us?" he asked suddenly, his young face expe
ctant.
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not..." he started, but trailed off. Ana
kin took that moment to press on.
"I think you have," he insisted. "Why else would you be here?"
Shmi was about to say something, but Qui-Gon spoke first. "I can see there's no
fooling you, Anakin. But you mustn't let anyone know about us. We're on our way
to Coruscant, the central system in the republic, on a very important mission. I
t must be kept secret."
Anakin's eye's widened. "Coruscant? Wow! Hoe did you end up out here in the Oute
r Rim?"
"It's what happens when men drive. They never stop at the gas station to ask for
directions." Buffy quipped, drawing both curious and amused looks from Qui-Gon
and Padmè.
"Our ship was damaged," the girl answered. "We're stranded here until we can rep
air it."
"I can help!" Anakin announced quickly, anxious to help them. "I can fix anythin
g!"
"He's right. He's like a mini-MacGyver." Buffy added, drawing more confused look
s. The girl sighed. "Nobody gets me."
Qui-Gon smiled at the sibling's antics. "I believe you can, but our first task,
as you know from our visit to Watto's shop, is to acquire the parts we need."
"Wit nutten ta trade." Jar Jar added sourly.
Padmè looked at the Jedi speculatively. "These junk dealers have to have a weaknes
s of some kind."
"Gambling." Shmi said at once. She and Buffy both rose and started to clear the
table of the dishes. "Everything in Mos Espa revolves around betting on those aw
ful Podraces."
Qui-Gon rose and stood by the window, looking out at the swirling sand. "Podraci
ng. Greed can be a powerful ally, if it's used properly."
"I've built a racer!" Anakin declared, jumping to his feet, his face showing wit
h pride. "It's the fastest ever! There's a big race day after tomorrow, on Boont
a Eve. You could enter my Pod! It's all but finished-"
"Whoa! Down, boy!" Buffy said quickly, even as his mother said sharply, and not
without concern "Anakin! Settle down! Watto won't let you race!"
"The hell with Watto, I won't let you race!" Buffy added; concern on her face as
well.
"Watto doesn't have to know the racer is mine!" Anakin said quickly, working thr
ough the problems in his mind. He looked to Qui-Gon and smiled, the pieces falli
ng into place. "You could make him think it was yours! You could get him to let
me pilot it for you!"
Buffy glared at the Jedi. "He could also get that lightsaber shoved up his a-" B
uffy's threat was cut off by a sharp "Buffy!" from Shmi, who then turned to Anak
in. "I don't want you to race, Annie. It's awful. I die every time Watto makes y
ou do it. Every time."
Anakin bit his lip. "But mom, I love it!" He then gestured towards Qui-Gon. "And
they need my help. They're in trouble. The prize money would more than pay for
the parts they need."
Qui-Gon walked over and looked down at Anakin. "You're mother's right. Let's dro
p the matter." Qui-Gon smiled at the boy, and then looked back to Shmi. "Do you
know anyone friendly to the Republic who might be able to help us?"
Shmi was silent for a moment, then shook her head no. Buffy did the same.
"We have to help them, Mom, Buffy," Anakin insisted, knowing that he was right,
that he was meant to help these people. "Remember what you said? You said the bi
ggest problem in the universe is that no one helps anyone."
"Oh, god, not the guilt-trip..." Buffy muttered, shaking her head.
"But she said it, Buffy." Anakin shot back, refusing to back down from either of
them. Both of them remained silent, but the worry was evident on their faces st
ill.
"I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son in danger," Padmè interjected, tryi
ng to ease the tension they had brought between the family. "We will find anothe
r way..."
Shmi looked at the girl and shook her head slowly. "No, Annie's right. There is
no other way. I may not like it, but he can help you." She paused for a moment,
considering. "Maybe he was made to help you."
Buffy sighed and hung her head, obviously upset. Annie didn't notice; his face h
ad just lit up like a kid at Christmas.
"Is that a yes? That is a yes!" he yelled, clapping his hands in glee.
====BtVS====
Later that night, Qui-Gon Jinn stood in the doorway of the boy's bedroom and wat
ched him sleep. Padmè had taken Buffy's room, while Jar Jar was curled up on the s
mall sofa near the front door, and Buffy was sleeping near the back door of the
hovel in the kitchen.
But Qui-Gon found that sleep eluded him, as thoughts about the children, especia
lly the boy, invaded his mind. He had told the mother that the boy was special,
and of this he had no doubt. Neither did Shmi, from what he had observed. They b
oth knew that Anakin Skywalker was different.
Then there was the girl- he still didn't know what to make of her. At times, he
saw her as a kindred spirit, as special and unique as Anakin. At other times, sh
e put him on edge to such an extent that he wondered, albeit briefly, if she fol
lowed Sith teachings. He immediately discarded such thought- the Sith were dead,
wiped out a millennia ago from in-fighting and power struggles. Besides, she ob
viously cared about the boy. Such compassion alone would preclude her from becom
ing a Sith.
He knew what was spoken about him at the Council. That he was reckless, that he
spent too much time with his 'charity cases', or pointless distractions, as Obi-
Wan called them. That he spent too much time in the present, and not enough time
regarding the past of the future. That is where he and his Padawan differed- Ob
i-Wan was more adept on focusing on the larger issue, whereas Qui-Gon had a more
intuitive nature, which usually drew him to focus on individual beings, somethi
ng that Obi-Wan quite frequently disagreed with.
Qui-Gon sighed, putting such thought aside and once again regarding the boy. Cha
nce did not bring them here, he had said. It was not chance that brought them in
to contact with two gifted children. Only time would reveal the true reason for
their meeting, of this he was sure.
Qui-Gon turned and headed back to the kitchen, but stopped short when he saw Buf
fy staring directly at him. How long had she been watching me? He wondered. Deci
ding to ignore her for the moment, he continued into the kitchen and laid down o
n the floor on his back, stretching himself out. As he closed his eyes, he heard
her speak.
"I love my family, Jedi. And I'll do whatever I find is necessary to protect the
m."
Qui-Gon opened his eyes and turned his head, so that he was looking at the girl.
"I mean you or your family no harm, Buffy." He said evenly. Buffy nodded.
"You Jedi are supposed to be the good guys; guardians of the light, I suppose. I
can respect that. Just-" she stopped, then took a deep breath and continued. "D
on't get his hopes up. He's too innocent to have his drams shattered by someone,
or something, that he idolizes."
"I give you my word that I will do my best." Qui-Gon replied. Buffy heard the si
ncerity in his voice and nodded.
"Good. And Qui-Gon? When I said I'd do whatever I find necessary to protect my f
amily, I meant it. And may god have mercy on the poor schmuck that hurts either
of them," Her voice suddenly turned cold, her eyes became hard as stone, "becaus
e I won't." And with that, she closed her eyes and went to sleep. Shortly after,
Qui-Gon also closed his eyes, though he found sleep a little harder to come by
than the girl had.
====BtVS====
Chapter 3
Race Day
====BtVS====
The next day dawned as any other day would on Tatooine- bright, clear, and hot;
with the twin suns of the planet shining down on its inhabitants. Anakin, eager
to tell Watto about his plans for the upcoming Podrace, practically had to be re
strained by Buffy until their guests were up and ready to go. Buffy agreed with
Qui-Gon's approach- stay calm, don't let it seem like Anakin's idea, and let Wat
to's greed work to their advantage. So it was still a little early in the day wh
en Qui-Gon, Anakin and Buffy, followed by Padmè, Jar Jar, and R2-D2 closely behind
them.
The city was awake and bustling by the time they reached Watto's shop, with vari
ous shop owners sweeping away the mounds of sand that had been deposited at thei
r doors the night before. While Qui-Gon and his group stayed outside, Buffy and
Anakin went into the shop to approach Watto about the Podrace. After a while, Qu
i-Gon entered the shop, after leaving Padmè to look after the Gungan.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked the Jedi, doubt showing in her brown eyes.
"Trusting our fate to a boy we hardly know? The Queen would not approve." The ha
ndmaiden finished. Qui Gon met her gaze head on.
"The Queen does not need to know."
Padmè's eyes blazed. "Well, I don't approve."
The Jedi looked at her quizzically, then turned and headed back into the shop wo
rdlessly. He entered the shop to observe Anakin and Watto, who was fluttering ab
out, engaged in a heated conversation in Huttese. Buffy stood off to the side, o
bserving the argument with a frustrated look on her face. A look from Qui-Gon, a
nd she offered an explanation.
"A year here and I STILL can't understand what the heck they're saying."
Qui-Gon moved into the center of the shot, where Watto could see him clearly. On
ce the Toydarian did, he flew right up to his face.
"The boy tells me you want to sponsor him in the race tomorrow!" he shouted. "Yo
u can't afford parts! How can you afford to enter him into the race? Not on Repu
blic credits, I think!"
"My ship will be the entry fee." The Jedi advised, pulling a tiny holo-projector
out from beneath his poncho. He clicked it on, and a tiny image of the Queen's
ship appeared in the air. Watto hovered closer, studying the image.
"Not bad. Not bad. A Nubian."
"It's in good order, except for the parts we need." Qui-Gon let him study the im
age for another moment before turning it off and slipping the projector back int
o his poncho.
"But what would the boy ride?" Watto demanded. "He smashed up my pod in the last
race. It will take too long to fix it for the Boonta."
Qui-Gon glanced over to a clearly embarrassed Anakin and raised an eyebrow.
"Aw, it wasn't my fault, really. Sebulba flashed me with his port vents. I actua
lly saved the Podracer...mostly."
"It was a miracle you weren't killed." Buffy muttered under her breath, her clea
r dislike of the plan showing through. Watto merely laughed.
"That he did! The boy is good, no doubts there. But still..."
"I have acquired a Pod in a game of chance," Qui-Gon interrupted smoothly, then
added with a small wink to Anakin, "The fastest ever built."
"I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it!" Watto snapped, and then looked ov
er to Buffy with narrowed eyes. "And I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it
."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Do you think I WANT him to race?" she shot back indignan
tly, and then added "And for the last time, he put his hands where they didn't b
elong, so he lost them. And if I was trying to kill him, he would have been dead
! Sheesh."
Watto glared at Buffy, and then burst into laughter. "That's true, that's true!"
he remarked to the Slayer, then turned back to Qui-Gon. "So, you supply the Pod
racer and the entry fee; I supply the boy. We split the winnings fifty-fifty, I
think."
"Fifty-fifty?" Qui-Gon replied, and then shook his head. "If it's going to be fi
fty-fifty, I suggest you front the cost of the entry. If we win, you keep all th
e winnings, minus the cost of the parts I need. If we lose, you keep my ship. Ei
ther way, you win."
Watto spent a minute thinking about it, trying to figure out all of the angles.
A wise man once told him that if it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Bu
t thinking about it, he didn't see a way he could loose. After all, while Anakin
might be good, there was no way he could win...
Watto pounded his fist into his open palm. "Deal!" He then turned to face Anakin
. "Your friend makes a foolish bargain, boy! Better teach him what you know abou
t how to deal for goods!" The Toydarian's laughs resounded as Qui-Gon left the s
hop.
====BtVS====
Later that day, Qui-Gon, with the aid of R2-D2 and C-3PO, maneuvered the racing
pod and its two large engines into the courtyard behind Anakin's home. Anakin an
d Buffy arrived shortly thereafter, having been let go early by Watto. When Qui-
Gon questioned Buffy, she just shrugged.
"He said that Anakin should get the pod into tip-top shape. That way, even when
he looses, at least he'll loose in a decent-looking pod, and not some piece of g
arbage." Qui-Gon couldn't help but chuckle at that.
While Anakin and his friends were busy working on the pod, Qui-Gon took a moment
to contact his Padawan and appraise him of the situation.
"If all goes well, we will have our hyperdrive generator by tomorrow afternoon a
nd be on our way." He finished. There was a telling silence on the other end for
a few moments before Obi-Wan finally spoke.
"What if this plan fails, Master? We could be stuck here for a very long time."
"A ship without a power supply will not get us anywhere." Qui-Gon replied. "We h
ave no choice. And....there is something about this boy..." he finished quietly,
turning off the comlink and slipping it back under his poncho.
Shmi Skywalker appeared then, and stood next to the Jedi Master as they watched
the children work on the Podracer in the courtyard below.
"You should be proud of your son," Qui-Gon said, "He gives without any though of
reward."
Shmi nodded, a small smile passing over her worn face. "He knows nothing of gree
d. Only of dreams. He has..."
"Special powers." Qui-Gon supplied.
"Yes." Shmi said warily, nodding.
"He can see things before they happen. That's why he appears to have such quick
reflexes. It is a Jedi trait."
Shmi looked at the Jedi, hope shining in her eyes. "He deserves better than a sl
ave's life."
Qui-Gon said nothing, instead looking out into the courtyard. "The Force is unus
ually strong with him, that much is clear. Who was his father?"
"There was no father." Shmi replied after a long moment of silence. "I carried h
im, I gave birth to him. I raised him. I can't tell you anymore than that."
Qui-Gon did his best to hide his surprise to that revelation, though some did sh
ow through.
"And what of the girl?"
Shmi looked over to the Jedi. "I know nothing of her parents, or her past. She d
oes not like to speak of it."
"Then she is not yours?"
"Make no mistake, Master Jedi." Shmi warned. "In every way other than blood, she
is my daughter. When Watto bought her, she was-scared, both mentally and physic
ally. She was constantly terrified- for weeks, she would not sleep indoors- she
couldn't abide enclosed spaces. She was in constant terror of her collar being a
ctivated...in short, she was broken. It has taken some time, but I believe that
we helped her become the young woman she once was, before she was enslaved. And
during that time, she has become a part of this family." The older woman smiled.
"Anakin practically worships her. And she tempers him a bit, I think."
"And you know nothing of where she came from originally?" Qui-Gon pressed. Shmi
shook her head.
"She does not speak of the time before she came to us." She replied. "I think sh
e is ashamed of her enslavement. More than most, at any rate. And speaking of he
r past only makes it worse for her." She looked the Jedi dead in the eyes, and i
n a pleading voice she asked "Can you help them?"
Qui-Gon considered her question. Can you help them? Truthfully, he didn't know.
In the Core systems, Jedi were identified very early in life- usually within the
first six months after birth. Then they were brought to the Jedi Temple on Coru
scant and trained in the Jedi arts. Children Anakin's age were already assigned
to a Jedi Knight or Master as their Padawan. And children Buffy's age usually ha
d already reached the rank of Jedi Knight. There was little hope, even if he got
the children released, that they would be trained to be Jedi.
"I don't know." He finally said in a firm, yet gentle voice. "I didn't come here
to free slaves. Had they been born in the Republic, we would have identified th
em early, and they might have become a Jedi. They both seem to have the way. I'm
not sure what I can do for them."
Shmi nodded in acceptance, but Qui-Gon couldn't help but notice the glimmer of h
ope that remained in her eyes.
====BtVS====
Meanwhile, Anakin was busy wiring the inside of the pod when a group of his frie
nds came around. They stopped in their tracks when they saw R2-D2 working on the
pods left engine.
"Wow, a real Astromech droid!" the boy called Kitster exclaimed. "How'd you get
so lucky?"
"That isn't the half of it." He exclaimed proudly. "I'm entered in the Boonta to
morrow."
Kitster made a face and raised an eyebrow. "What? With this?"
"That piece of junk has never been off the ground," the boy called Wald said, nu
dging his friend Amee. "This is such a joke, Annie."
"You've been working on that thing for years," Amee said in a disapproving tone.
"It's never going to run."
Anakin started to say something, but Buffy chose that moment to step in.
"Oh, ye of little faith." She said in a slightly mocking tone. "You'll be singin
g a different tune when he wins."
Seek, a Rodian, laughed derisively. "Come on, lets go play ball." He turned back
to Anakin once more. "Keep it up, Annie, and you're going to be bug squash."
Seek, Wald, and Amee hurried off to play ball, but Kitster stayed behind. He alo
ne knew what Annie could do when he put his mind to it, and he had no doubt (wel
l, maybe a small doubt) that he would pull it off.
"What do they know?" he said quietly, but loud enough for Anakin to hear. The ot
her boy sent his best friend a grateful smile, before Jar Jar's antics caught hi
s attention.
"Hey! Jar Jar!" he shouted, getting the Gungan's attention, "Stay away from thos
e energy binders! If your hand gets caught in the beam, it will go numb for hour
s."
Jar Jar nodded and put his arms behind his back. In doing this, he dropped the s
panner he was using on the engine. As he bent down to pick it up, his bill got c
aught in the beam, causing him to jump back and yelp in surprise.
"Ist numm! Ist numm!" Jar Jar exclaimed, his long tongue flopping out of his mou
th. "My tongue os fat. Dats my bigo oucho."
Buffy, still snickering, leaned in close to Annie and Kitster. "Now the big ques
tion is this: if he stuck his head in the beam, would it make any difference?"
The two boys snickered, and then Kitster turned back to Annie.
"You don't even know if this thing will run, Annie." he noted with a frown. Buff
y sighed wistfully.
"We could always hope..."
"Buffy!"
"What!" she replied edgily. "Is it a bad thing that I worry about you? People di
e in these races, Anakin! People older than you! You're still a kid, for cryin'
out loud!" she finished sadly.
"And how old should I be before I can race, Buffy?" Anakin replied hotly.
Buffy frowned at him, thinking for a moment. "At least thirty." She replied. Aft
er a moment, she sighed and gave him a small smile "You can't blame us for worry
ing, Annie. It's my right as a sister. Kitster is right, though. We don't know i
f this will work."
"It will." Anakin said simply.
Qui-Gon appeared behind Anakin at that moment. "I think it's about time we found
out." He said, handing the boy a small cylinder. "Use this power pack. I picked
it up earlier in the day. Watto has less need for it than you." He finished amu
sement and embarrassment showing on his face. Buffy had to give him credit- it t
ook skill to lift something out of the Toydarian's shop without him noticing; es
pecially something as valuable as a new powerpack. Anakin knew its value as well
, and decided that the fewer questions asked the better.
"Yes, sir!" he exclaimed, plugging the powerpack into the racer and turning it o
n. Jar Jar, who had managed to get his hand caught in the engine, managed to pul
l it out before Anakin turned them on.
Flames exploded from the afterburners as the roar from the two huge engines buil
t up steadily until Anakin eased off of the thrusters, bringing the engines back
down to a loud, steady rumble. Cheers erupted from the crowd of spectators, the
loudest coming from Anakin.
On the porch of their home, Shmi watched with sad eyes. And on the ground, Buffy
watched as well, a feeling of foreboding filling her.
====BtVS====
Later that night, Anakin sat on the balcony rail of the porch as Qui-Gon cleaned
a wound on his arm that Annie hadn't even realized he had gotten. Annie was lyi
ng back looking at the stars as Qui-Gon cleaned the wound.
"There are so many! Do they all have a system of planets?"
"Most of them." The Jedi replied.
Anakin was silent for a moment. "Buffy likes to spend her nights out here, you k
now. She likes looking at the stars, trying to find one that looks familiar. She
hasn't been able to, yet." He paused again. "Someday, I'm going to find her pla
net for her, and take her home- ouch!"
Qui-Gon cleaned up the blood and applied some antiseptic. Placing a small bandag
e over the cut, he patted Anakin on the back.
"There, good as new." He said.
"Annie! Bedtime!" Shmi called from inside. Anakin yawned and got up. He then not
iced that Qui-Gon was smearing his blood onto a small collection plate. He frown
ed.
"What are you doing?" he asked curiously. Qui-Gon smiled.
"Checking your blood for infections." He replied easily.
"I've never seen-" Anakin started, but was cut off when his mother called for hi
m to come to bed again. Qui-Gon smiled.
"Go on," he urged. "You have a big day tomorrow." He placed the collection chip
back into his tunic and smiled. "Goodnight."
Anakin hesitated for a moment, curiosity nearly getting the better of him. Then
he decided he could always find out tomorrow, so he turned and ran back inside.
Qui-Gon waited for a moment to make sure he was alone, then slipped the chip bac
k out and slipped it into his comlink and called Obi-Wan.
"Yes, Master?" his Padawan responded.
"I'm transmitting a blood sample. I need a midi-chlorian count." He advised, gla
ncing around. His heart was pounding with excitement. If he was right...
"Master," Obi-Wan replied, interrupting his thoughts, "there must be something w
rong with the sample."
"What does it say?" Qui-Gon asked, trying to contain his excitement.
"They say the midi-chlorian count is twenty thousand. No one has a count that hi
gh. Not even Master Yoda."
"And what exactly does that mean?"
Qui-Gon spun to face the owner of the voice, and found himself staring back at B
uffy, whose eyes were narrowed in suspicion. Qui-Gon considered lying to her for
a moment, then realized there would be little gained from betraying her trust.
"Midi-chlorians are the reason the Jedi can feel the Force." He explained. "They
are a life-form that lives inside our bodies, and in return they allow us to fe
el and use the Force."
"Like a...symbolic relationship?" Buffy supplied unsurely. Qui-Gon chuckled.
"Symbiotic." He corrected. "The sample I took from your brother shows an unusual
ly high count."
"So that means he's a Jedi?"
Qui-Gon frowned. "It means he has the potential to become a Jedi." He replied. "
But it would be up to the Council if he was to be trained." He regarded the girl
in front of him for a moment, the wheels in his head turning. "If you would per
mit me, I would like to run a blood scan on you."
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "You didn't ask Anakin for permission." She pointed out
. Qui-Gon tilted his head in acknowledgement.
"I did not want to get his hopes up."
"So why ask me?"
Qui-Gon considered the question for a moment before answering. "Because I don't
believe I am getting your hopes up."
Buffy stood silently for a moment, considering. On one hand, she was worried abo
ut what his scan would turn up. But on the other hand, she had blood tests run b
efore on Earth, and nobody ever found anything different in her blood that would
indicate she was the Slayer.
What the hell, she thought. If he thinks I'm normal, maybe he'll get off of my b
ack for a while... Silently, she offered her arm to him, and he quickly and effi
ciently took a sample. Before he could run it, thought, Buffy turned and walked
back inside.
"Let me know how it turns out." She called back to him. "I'm going to tuck my br
other in."
Qui-Gon once again activated the comlink. "Obi-Wan, are you still there?"
"Yes, Master. What happened?"
"Just a minor interruption." Qui-Gon replied, inserting Buffy's sample into the
reader. "Please take a reading on this sample."
"Just a moment," Obi-Wan replied. A moment later he was back. "This is odd..."
"What is it?" the Jedi Master asked.
"Whose blood is this?"
"It belongs to a girl named Buffy Skywalker."
"Well, according to the sample, her midi-chlorian count is eight thousand- and c
limbing."
There was a moment of silence before Qui-Gon spoke. "That's not possible. Midi-c
hlorians stop multiplying after birth. The only reason the count would change is
if a person were to loose a part of their body- an arm or a leg. But there are
no circumstances where the count would increase. It's never been heard of."
"Well, I daresay we've heard of it now." Obi-Wan supplied. "Is there anything el
se?"
"No. I will contact you tomorrow. Qui-Gon out."
====BtVS====
The day of the race dawned, and Anakin stepped outside of his home to find Artoo
and Threepio finished painting the Podracer. Its sleek lines looked even sleeke
r with the silver paint job with the blue racing stripes. Looking over, he saw B
uffy standing quietly, sipping a mug of hot choca juice. Anakin saw the worry in
her eyes and moved to stand next to her.
"Don't worry, Buffy." He said, grasping her hand in his. "I'll be alright. And I
'll win"
Buffy smiled down on her brother. "I know, Annie. I know."
Qui-Gon entered the main hanger of the Mos Espa Podrace arena, glancing around a
t the activity in mild interest. The cavernous building held the dozens of Podra
cers, each on their own pad being tended to by their drivers and crew. He notice
d the Dug from yesterday lounging by his pod, being tended to by two Twi'leks wh
ile his crew serviced the massive engines that, when activated, formed a giant X
.
The Jedi master made his way down the hanger until he spotted Watto. When the To
ydarian noticed him, he made a be-line for the Jedi while Qui-Gon stood passivel
y.
"So it must be understood clearly that our bargain is sealed, outlander. I'll wa
nt to see your spaceship the moment the race is over."
"Patience, my blue friend. You'll have your winnings before the sun sets, and my
companions and I will be far away from here." Qui-Gon replied demurely.
Watto snorted. "Not if your ship belongs to me, I think!" his sharp eyes then fi
xed onto the Jedi's. "I warn you, no funny business!"
Qui-Gon continued to walk down the aisle in the hander, with the Toydarian hover
ing closely beside him. Casually he said, "You don't think Anakin will win?"
Watto snorted once again, and then looked over to Sebulba. "Don't get me wrong.
I have great faith in the boy. He's a credit to your species. But Sebulba there
is going to win, I think."
Qui-Gon looked over at the Dug once more, pretending to look him over. "Why?"
"Because he always wins!" Watto replied, laughing. "I'm betting everything on Se
bulba!"
"I'll take that bet." Qui-Gon replied immediately, causing the Toydarian to sudd
enly stop laughing.
"What?" he asked; astonished. "What do you mean?"
Qui-Gon moved to stand in front of the Toydarian, causing it to back off a step.
"I'll wager my new racing Pod against, say... the boy and his family."
Watto scoffed. "A Pod for slaves? I don't think so! No Pod is worth three slaves
."
"The boy is small, and so is the girl. I'd say it wagers out to two slaves...for
the fastest pod ever built."
Watto seemed to consider this for a moment. Then he shook his head. "No. No Pod
is worth three slaves. And the boy is not for sale."
Qui-Gon saw the children in question making their way into the hanger, followed
by the two droids, Padmè, Jar Jar, and their mother. Watto noticed his gaze and tu
rned to watch the group come into he hanger. The Jedi's offer resounded in his m
ind, and the wheels of greed started turning. Suddenly, Qui-Gon spoke.
"The boy and his sister, then."
Watto seemed torn, and then a sly grin formed on his face. Abruptly he reached i
nto his pocket and pulled out a small colored cube. "We'll let fate decide. Red,
it's the Girl and the Mother. Blue, it's the Boy and the Girl."
Watto tossed the cube onto the floor. As he did, Qui-Gon made a small gesture wi
th his hand, calling on the Force, and the cube stopped- on blue. Watto's eyes s
hot up to the Jedi's and narrowed.
"You won the toss, outlander! But you won't win the race, so it will make little
difference!"
"We'll see." Qui-Gon replied as Watto huffed off. As the Toydarian flew past Ana
kin, he shot out, "Better stop your friends betting, or I'll end up owning him,
too!"
Anakin looked quizzically at Watto as he flew past, and then turned back to Qui-
Gon.
"What did he mean by that?"
"I'll tell you later." Qui-Gon replied with a smile.
Kitster, who had been helping to drive the anti-grav sled that was pulling the P
od, pulled up next to his friend.
"This is so wizard, Annie! I'm sure you'll do it this time!" he exclaimed. Padmè l
ooked over to the boy.
"Do what?" she asked suspiciously.
"Finish the race, of course!" Kitster beamed innocently. The handmaiden paled, a
nd she spun to face Anakin.
"You've never even finished a race?"
Anakin blushed. "Well...not exactly. But Kitster's right. I will this time."
"Darn tootin'." Buffy said as the group headed out to the track. Padmè could only
follow, both terrified that their fate was in the hands of a boy whom had never
won a race, and baffled by a girl whose language so eerily matched her own siste
rs...
====BtVS====
The stadium was packed, with thousands of beings crammed into the stands cheerin
g for their favorite racer. Anakin and his group brought his pod into position,
and he got to work hooking up the power cables to the pod. He paused for a momen
t when they announced him to wave to the crowd, then finished hooking the two ma
ssive engines up. As the racers started to get into their pods, the group said t
heir good-byes.
"Be safe, Annie." His mother said, worry clearly evident on her face. Anakin smi
led warmly.
"I will, Mom. I promise."
Buffy squeezed his shoulder lightly. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Anakin r
olled his eyes.
"Geeze, Buffy. I just told Mom I'd be safe."
Buffy laughed and ruffled up his hair, much to his annoyance.
Unseen to any of them, Sebulba wandered over and started looking over Anakin's P
od. He glanced around and, when he was sure no one was looking, he banged hard o
n a stabilizer, almost breaking it off. He laughed evilly to himself.
Meanwhile, Padmè bent down and kissed Anakin on the cheek.
"You carry all our hopes," she said quietly and intensely, her eyes boring into
the young boys. He swallowed his nervousness and stared back.
"I won't let you down." He replied, and Buffy had to hide a smile behind her han
d. After a moment, they moved apart- her towards the observation platform, him t
owards his Pod. As he did, though, Sebulba sidled up to him and sneered.
"You won't walk away from this one, slave scum." He grinned. "You're bantha pood
oo."
Anakin glared stonily back at the Dug. "Don't count on it, you two-faced eopie l
over."
Buffy glanced at the Dug, and sniffed in disdain. "Now, now, Annie. He may be du
mb, mean, and arrogant, but he's definitely not two-faced." She paused, and a wi
cked grin came onto her face. "Because if he was, he'd sure as heck be wearing t
he other one now."
Qui-Gon approached, causing the Dug to back off before he could say anything. As
Jabba the Hutt opened the race, Qui-Gon helped the young boy into his Pod.
"Are you all set, Annie?" The boy nodded, causing the large helmet he had put on
to bob on his head. The Jedi Master smiled. "Remember, concentrate on the momen
t. Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts. He put a hand on the boy's shoulder
and smiled. "May the Force be with you, Annie."
"Good luck, little brother. And may the Schwartz be with you." She added, winkin
g.
And then he walked away, with Buffy right behind him, and Anakin was alone.
Qui-Gon moved towards the observation platform where everyone else was already w
aiting. He noticed that Buffy was standing outside the platform and frowned.
"Aren't you joining us, Buffy?" he asked the young woman, who shook her head, al
most violently, in response.
"No! I think I'll just stay down here, incase Annie makes a pit stop, or somethi
ng." She finished lamely. Qui-Gon's frown deepened, but he nodded at the girl an
d got on the platform and smiled at Shmi. "He's fine." He assured her.
Padmè shook her head disdainfully. "You Jedi are far too reckless," she said priva
tely to him. "The Queen-"
"The Queen trusts my judgment, young handmaiden." He interrupted, giving her a s
lightly condescending smile. "Perhaps you should, too."
Padmè scoffed. "You assume too much."
The platform started to rise, and Qui-Gon turned to Shmi. "Why didn't Buffy want
to join us?"
Shmi smiled sadly. "Buffy has a fear of heights." She explained. "While her numb
er of fears is few, the few that she has are great."
Qui-Gon nodded in understanding, then turned back to track to watch the race as
it got underway.
====BtVS====
Buffy stood at the base of the tower that held the observation platform, her eye
s focused solely on Anakin. In the background, she heard the ding of the countdo
wn, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the light turn green. All of the po
ds took off-
Except for two; one of which was Anakin's.
Must have flooded the engine. She thought to herself as she watched Anakin scram
bled to get his engines re-started. Buffy didn't know a lot about the technology
here, but one didn't stay ignorant for long with a brother like Anakin. While s
he doubted she would ever be as talented with machines as he was, she now knew e
nough to fix and pilot a landspeeder, though Anakin seldom let her drive. Like i
t was her fault those people got knocked down by her driving. Okay, maybe it was
her fault, seeing as how she was driving through their patio at the time...
Calm down, Annie, she thought, take your time, take your time...Maybe it was a t
rick of the light, but she could have sworn Anakin slowed down a bit, concentrat
ed a bit harder-
And he was off.
While Shmi and the rest had a dedicated vidscreen up in the booth, that followed
Anakin's pod specifically, Buffy had to rely on the big screen. This meant that
she got the highlights of the race, instead of just following her brother.
Of course, if you had just gone up there with them, a little voice in her head t
old her, you'd be able to see how he was doing all of the time.
Not a chance in hell, she shot back at the voice. No more high places. E-ver!
Really? And what kind of Slayer does that make you?
I'm not a Slayer. Not anymore...
Pushing that line of thought out of her mind, she watched on the big screen as S
ebulba took out another racer. And the crowd cheered.
Ain't civilization grand? She thought to herself. Welcome to Thunderdome...
Buffy watched as Anakin started moving up in the ranks, then winced as Tusken Ra
iders started taking potshots at him was he raced though a canyon. The action sw
itched back to Sebulba as he systematically either caused his opponent's to veer
into rock formations and crash, or did something to take them out. By the time
the first lap was over, Sebulba was in the lead, and Anakin was trailing behind.
The second lap, however, saw her brother start to move up in the race, even as m
ore racers were taken out by a combination of stupidity, bad luck, and Sebulba.
Buffy saw him flash one of the racers with his port vent, incinerating the other
racers starboard engine and causing it to explode. She covered her eyes as Anak
in raced straight through the debris, which knocked one of the long power cables
off the side of his Pod. Looking through her fingers which had moved to cover h
er eyes, she saw Anakin somehow stop his pod from spinning, then saw him stretch
out with his magnetic grappler, snagging the cable and re-attaching it back to
the side of the Pod.
Buffy saw them coming in for the third and final lap and, tired of Sebulba's che
ating tactics decided to take action. Reaching down, she grabbed a rock off of t
he ground. She tossed it in her hand, testing the weight, and nodded to herself
when it felt right. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, waiting for the right mo
ment-
And just as Sebulba passed, Buffy lobbed the rock, which struck the Dug square o
n the side of the head.
The impact rattled Sebulba, and nearly got him to crash, but the Dug managed to
recover in time to continue on. The slip up, however, caused him to slow down lo
ng enough for Anakin to nearly catch up to him, and the two raced on down the tr
ack.
"That's what you get for picking on my kid brother!" she yelled, laughing. She w
atched as they weaved in and out of rock formations, through the caves which one
is the stalagmites? Soon, they were shooting through the canyons (and the Tuske
n's were still shooting at them), and that was when disaster struck.
Buffy hollered at the screen in rage as Sebulba forced Anakin's Pod onto a servi
ce ramp, causing him to shoot nearly straight up into the air. While Buffy's min
d was screaming at her that, when he came back down, the crash would kill him; a
n inner part of her seemed to know that he could pull out of it.
And he did, taking the lead in the process.
The joy she felt didn't last long, however, as Sebulba quickly pulled up right b
ehind him, the energy binders from the large engines coming dangerously close to
Anakin. Things quickly got worse as Anakin's port engine started to smolder, an
d flames started pouring out of the open vents. Sebulba took the opportunity to
pull ahead of Anakin, leaving the boy and his flaming engine behind. Buffy held
her breath, dreading an explosion, and didn't let the air out until she saw Anak
in accelerated once more, having put the fire out.
Anakin pulled along side Sebulba once more, and this time the Dug tried to side
swipe him. In the process, he managed to hook his engines onto Anakin's, and for
a moment they were stuck together. Then suddenly Anakin hit the throttle and pu
lled ahead, severing several wires on the side of Sebulba's pod. Unfortunately f
or the Dug, those wires controlled the energy binders- which promptly shut off.
His engines then flew apart and exploded in a tremendous ball of fire, sending S
ebulba's Pod skidding across the desert floor.
Buffy cheered louder than anyone in the stands as Anakin crossed the finished li
ne, and became the youngest person ever to win the Boonta Eve race.
Chapter 4: Reunion (Part I)
Disclaimer: If I owned any of these characters, I'd be living the sweet life in
Chi-town, with a house in Hawaii for the winter monts, not living in St. Louis,
capital of Boredom. Needless to say I'm just borrowing these characters to play
with, no harm meant.
Author's notes and Review Responses at the bottom.
====BtVS====
The term 'and the crowd goes wild' didn't truly suit the mood, Buffy thought as
the crowd surged forward onto the track as Anakin brought his Pod to a skidding
halt. The crowd rushed forward to greet the new hometown hero, but Buffy reached
him first and hoisted her brother out of the Pod and onto her shoulders and par
aded him around. The two siblings were joined by their Mother, Padmè, Jar Jar and
Artoo as the observation platform lowered to the ground.
Meanwhile, Qui-Gon made his way up to Watto's private box, where the Toydarian w
as busy paying out all of his credits. As the last better left, Watto stared dej
ectedly out at the crowd as it swarmed around his slaves (well, his former slave
s) Pod.
Soon, he spotted Qui-Gon coming into his box, and he flew at him, shaking with u
ndisguised fury.
"You! You swindled me! You knew the boy was going to win! Somehow you knew it! I
lost everything!"
Qui-Gon gave him a bland smile. "Whenever you gamble, my friend, eventually you'
ll loose. Today wasn't your day." Suddenly the smile dropped away and his voice
turned hard. "Bring the hyperdrive parts to the main hanger right away. I'll com
e by your shop later so you can release the boy and his sister."
"You can't have them!" the Toydarian shouted, pressing his snout up against the
Jedi's face. "It wasn't a fair bet!"
Qui-Gon stared back at him with an icy stare. "Would you like to discuss it with
the Hutts? I'm sure they would be happy to settle the matter."
Watto jerked back as if he had been struck. "No, no!" he said, his eyes full of
spite. "I want no more of your tricks. Take the boy, and his sister! Be gone!"
With that, Watto turned and flew out of the box, leaving Qui-Gon alone with his
thoughts. He was so engrossed, as a matter of fact, that he failed to see the Si
th probe droid hovering just outside the box.
====BtVS====
An hour later, the arena had cleared out. The only things left on the track were
the many salvage droids, eagerly picking away at the wrecks of the crashed Pods
like vultures on a fresh carcass. In the hangar, most of the pilots had already
left for the day, whether by stretcher, or under their own power. Most didn't h
ave a reason to stay, as the bulk of the Pods had been too badly damaged to worr
y about salvaging.
Of all of the pilots that had raced, only Anakin remained as he gave his battere
d Pod a thorough look-over.
The boy looked a little worse for wear- his face was grimy with a mixture of swe
at, dirt, and grease; his clothes were tattered and splattered with his own bloo
d from a wound that had been opened during his battle with Sebulba, and his hair
was wind-swept and spiked from the high velocities, despite the fact that he ha
d been wearing a helmet. Qui-Gon observed the boy from across the bay as he, wit
h the help of his sister, Padmè, Jar Jar, and the droids started checking out his
port engine. Watching him, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. Could it
be possible? Could he be the boy of the prophesy?
And if he was, what did that make the girl?
Qui-Gon walked across the bay to the boy and kneeled down in front of him.
"You look a little worse for wear, Annie. But you did well." The Jedi smile warm
ly at the boy, then wiped a smudge of dirt off of his face. "There, good as new.
"
The Jedi ruffled his hair, messing it up even more, then moved to look over his
wounded arm. Shmi and Padmè came over and gave Annie another round of hugs and kis
ses, and Buffy observed that while Annie squirmed under his mothers caring embra
ce, he wasn't at all squeamish under Padmè's loving touch.
"Ah, gee...enough of this." Anakin mumbled in embarrassment. Buffy couldn't hold
back a chuckle as she came up behind him, wrapping him in a hug.
"Funny, you didn't seem to mind a minute ago..." she teased, causing Annie to sc
owl, then playfully slap her on the arm. Shmi smiled in amusement at the antics
of the two children.
"It's so wonderful, Annie- what you've done here." She said, still smiling. "Do
you know? You've brought hope to those who have none. I'm so very proud of you."
"We owe you everything." Padmè added as warmly as the look on her face. Anakin blu
shed.
"Just feeling this good is worth anything." He declared, smiling.
Soon the hyperdrive parts were loaded on an antigrav repulsor sled, harnessed to
a couple of eopies. Qui-Gon glanced around warily, as something tickled his Jed
i senses that something wasn't right. Abruptly he turned to his group.
"Padmè, Jar Jar, let's go. We've got to get these parts back to the ship."
The group moved over to the antigrav sled, laughing and talking all the way. As
they mounted the animals, Padmè hugged and kissed Anakin once more, causing the yo
ung boy to blush. Jar Jar tired and failed to mount his eopie, falling off on th
e opposite side. Artoo whistled encouragingly as Jar Jar tired again, and this t
ime managed to stick the landing. Goodbyes and thank-you's were exchange, but it
was an awkward moment for Anakin. He felt like he should say something to Padmè,
but he didn't know what. Instead, he moved up beside the handmaiden and stared u
p at her expectantly, but all he could manage was a sad, confused look.
Buffy saw the look on his face and sighed. She knew that look well- she had had
the same look when Angel had left the first time, when Angelus had been playing
with her mind. And she had had it again when he left for the second time, leavin
g Sunnydale for good. Buffy shook the memories away, rationalizing that she woul
dn't help Anakin by dwelling on the past.
Slowly, the group started to move off. Anakin moved over by his mother, Threepio
, and Buffy.
"I'll return with the eopies by midday." Qui-Gon called out over his shoulder.
Padmè didn't look back at all.
====BtVS====
The company rode slowly out of Mos Espa and into the Tatooine desert, moving car
efully so as to not disturb their precious cargo. As such, it was nearly midday
when the convoy, headed by Artoo, reached the Queen's transport.
Obi-Wan appeared as they came to a halt, coming down the ramp with a one of the
Queen's handmaidens in tow. Both had intense looks on their faces, though the ha
ndmaiden's was more full of worry and was directed at Padmè.
"I was getting worried." Obi-Wan said to his master, even as the handmaiden move
d to help Padmè dismount.
"He wasn't the only one." Rose remarked, giving them a cursory once-over. "Are y
ou okay?"
Padmè couldn't help but smile at her sister's concern. It was a welcome feeling- s
he hadn't smiled since she had left Annie back at the hanger. She found that she
was really going to miss his youthful exuberance, his innocence- two things she
hadn't had the luxury of having in a long time.
"I'm fine, Rose." She stated, placing her hands on Rose's shoulders to calm her.
"How is the Queen?"
"I haven't had the chance to speak with ther today, though I'm guessing that rig
ht now she's anxious to leave, and yet sad at the prospect at the same time."
Padmè gave her a small smile. "You always were good at reading people, Rose." She
said quietly. Rose gave her a small smile in return.
"It's a gift."
Meanwhile, Qui-Gon was busy talking business with Obi-Wan. Both Jedi's glanced o
ver at the two sisters, then looked back to each other.
"There's one mystery revealed- they are sisters." Qui-Gon said.
"Still doesn't explain how she curries such favor." Obi-Wan added. Qui-Gon nodde
d thoughtfully.
"Well, there will be time enough on our journey to Coruscant to figure it out. I
n the meantime, start getting the hyperdrive generator installed. I'm going back
. I have some unfinished business."
"Business?"
"I won't be long."
Obi-Wan let out a long sigh. "Why do I sense we've picked up another stray?"
Qui-Gon took him by the arm and led him away from the group. "It's the boy who's
responsible for getting us these parts. The Boy whose blood sample you ran the
midi-chlorian test on last night."
"And what of the other test? The girl?"
"Buffy will be joining us as well." Qui-Gon confirmed, causing his protégé to releas
e another long-suffering sigh. "There is something about them, Obi-Wan. Both of
them. They are both mysteries, convergences in the Force. It is something that m
ust be taken before the Council."
Obi-Wan gave his Master a long, hard look, then turned away and headed for the s
hip. Qui-Gon mounted his eopie, gathered the reigns of the other animals, and st
arted to head back into town.
And a short distance away, a Sith probe droid hung motionless in the air, sendin
g one final transmission to it's master before flying off.
====BtVS====
Anakin Skywalker was depressed.
As the euphoria of victory started to fade, he began to think once more about wh
at would
happen now. Watto was sure to be angry with him, since it was a sure thing that
he had bet everything on Sebulba. Heck, for that matter, he might not even belon
g to Watto anymore. All he knew about that was that Qui-Gon had told him that Wa
tto had relieved him of any further work for the day, which gave him plenty of t
ime to wander around the streets of Mos Espa's slave quarters.
Anakin sighed, because as he thought of Qui-Gon, he couldn't help but think of P
admè. He had wanted her to stay, he had wanted to ask her to stay, but when the ti
me came, he found that he couldn't speak. He knew that, even if he could ask her
, she wouldn't be able to. She was a Handmaiden for a Queen. That kind of duty w
asn't abandoned lightly, and it sure wasn't abandoned for a boy nearly ten years
younger than her that she had just met.
So he found himself wandering the streets of Mos Espa, surrounded by his friends
, waving to the people who called out congratulations to him as he made his way
through the town. Even with all of the good cheer, he couldn't shake the depress
ion that was threatening to swallow him whole. So when a rather large Rodian chi
ld named Greedo accosted him and accused him of cheating, saying a slave could n
ever win nothing, Anakin snapped.
Greedo never saw him coming.
Anakin may have been small, but he had a big sister that knew a lot about fighti
ng. As such, Buffy had taken the time to show him a few moves to use if he ever
got into a situation where he had to defend himself. Buffy's motto was simple- h
it 'em first, and don't give them a chance to hit back. Since he was so much sma
ller than the other boy, he still couldn't pull off some of the more advanced tr
ips or throws she had taught him, so he opted for the next best thing-
He tackled him.
Before the Rodian could react, Anakin was atop him, raining down blow after blow
. It wasn't that he was even that upset about being called a cheater; it was abo
ut the fact that he had lost Padmè.
Before the fight could get very far, Anakin found himself being pulled off of Gr
eedo by the returning Qui-Gon, who looked at him sternly as he asked what was go
ing on. Anakin told him the cause, and winced inwardly at the look of disappoint
ment that registered on his broad features. Qui-Gon asked Greedo if he still tho
ught Anakin had cheated, and Greedo said he did. Qui-Gon then placed his hand on
the glowering boy's shoulders and led him away. As they walked away, Anakin hea
rd one of the Rodian friends say "If you keep messing with people like that, Gre
edo, you'll come to a bad end."
Qui-Gon guided the boy down the streets back towards his house. "You know, Annie
, fighting didn't change his opinion." The Jedi said thoughtfully. "The opinions
of others, whether you agree with them or not, are something that you have to l
earn to tolerate."
The two continued on the way back to the boy's home, with Qui-Gon counseling him
on life and it's many mysteries. As they neared the hovel, Qui-Gon reached insi
de his cloak and retrieved a leather pouch that was full of credits.
"These are yours," he said, handing the pouch to Anakin. "I sold the Pod to a pa
rticularly surly and rather insistent Dug."
Anakin grinned broadly and accepted the bag, forgetting the fight and its cause.
He ran up the steps to his door and burst through, screaming "Mom! Buffy! Look!
" Qui-Gon smiled and followed the boy in silently.
"Guess what! Qui-Gon sold the pod! Look at all the money we have!"
Anakin handed the pouch over to his mother, who got a startled look on her face.
"Oh, my goodness!" she exclaimed, feeling the weight of the pouch. "Annie, that
's wonderful!"
"Yeah, shopping spree!" Buffy exclaimed, deftly lifting the pouch from her mothe
rs' hand. "Too bad there isn't a Nordstroms around here..."
Shmi playfully slapped Buffy's hand, and she handed the pouch back to her with a
sheepish smile. "Can't blame a girl for dreamin'..."
"There's more." Qui-Gon said, smiling at Shmi. "Both Anakin and Buffy have been
freed."
Anakin's eyes grew wide, even as Buffy's jaw dropped. They both reacted at the s
ame time.
"What?"
"Huh?"
"Neither of you are a slave any longer."
The look of shock and disbelief on Shmi's face was mirrored in the two children.
Anakin grinned madly.
"Mom? Did you hear that, Mom?" Anakin let out a whoop of triumph, then turned ba
ck to Qui-Gon. "Was that part of the prize, or what?"
"Let's just say Watto learned an important lesson about gambling."
Shmi was both elated and sadden by the news On the one hand, her children were f
ree. On the other, though, she may never see them again. Putting such thoughts o
ut of her head, she reached out for her son and drew him to her, hugging him tig
htly.
"Now you can make all of your dreams come true, Annie." She said. "You're free."
She then turned to face Qui-Gon.
"Will you take them with you? Are they to become Jedi?"
Up until that comment, Buffy had been in shock. The reality of her enslavement h
ad sunk in long ago. To suddenly find her self free once more... it was like a d
ream.
And then her mother's comment sunk in and ruined the moment.
"Whoa! Wait a minute!" she exclaimed. "I'm SO not Jedi material!"
Qui-Gon eyed the girl for a moment before speaking. "Our meeting was not a coinc
idence. Nothing happens by accident. Annie is strong with the force, Shmi. And B
uffy- well, she is unique. But neither of them may be accepted for training by t
he Council."
"Yeah, well considering my past experiences with Council's, that's not necessari
ly a good thing." Buffy said, defiantly raising her chin.
Anakin ignored this exchange, though. He had heard enough- he was free! And he w
as going to become a Jedi! "Does this mean I get to go with you in your starship
and everything?"
Qui-Gon knelt before the boy. "Anakin, training to be a Jedi will not be easy. I
t will be a challenge. And if you succeed, it will be a hard, lonely life." He s
aid somberly. Anakin just shook his head.
"But it's what I want! It's what I've always dreamed about!" He quickly turned t
o face Shmi. "Can I go, Mom?"
"The path has been placed before you, Annie." Qui-Gon said, glancing up at Buffy
at the same time. "The choice to take it must be yours alone."
Buffy desperately wanted to say something, to dissuade her brother from this pat
h. But she held her tongue. If this would make him happy, then so be it. She'd j
ust go along and try to keep him out of trouble.
Annie, meanwhile, had made up his mind. "I want to go."
"Then pack your things. We haven't much time" the Jedi master said.
"Yippee!" Annie yelled, jumping for joy. He ran towards his bedroom, but stopped
short of the door, and Buffy saw that Annie had just come to the same realizati
on she had.
Buffy had just realized that both she and Annie were free.
But Qui-Gon never said anything about Shmi.
Anakin turned back to Qui-Gon, a look of dread on his little face. "What about M
om? Is she free, too? You're coming, aren't you Mom?"
Qui-Gon looked at the boy with sad eyes. "I tried to free your mother, Annie, bu
t Watto wouldn't have it. It was a stroke of luck that I was able to free Buffy.
"
"But the money from selling the Pod..."
"Would not be nearly enough."
A hushed silence fell over the group, and then Shmi came over and sat down besid
e her son.
"Annie, my place is here. My future is here. It's time for you to let go...to le
t go of me. I cannot go with you."
Annie swallowed. He didn't want to be alone out there. He didn't want to leave h
is mother, or Buffy-
"You won't be alone, Annie." Buffy said quietly, derailing his line of thought.
"I'll be going with you. And I'll stay with you, as long as you want." The forme
r Slayer looked up at Qui-Gon, some of the old defiance shining through her eyes
. "And if your Council has a problem with that, then too bad."
"This is what was meant to be, Annie." Shmi said softly. "This is your destiny.
Listen to your feelings, Annie. You know what's right." With that, she pulled he
r son into a warm hug. When she finally pulled away, Annie's eyes were brimming
with tears.
"I'm going to miss you so much, Mom."
His mother nodded. "I love you, Annie." She finally stepped away from him. "Now,
hurry."
Annie gave her one more quick, hard hug, then ran from the room, tears staining
his face. Shmi turned to Buffy, who met her gaze with understanding.
"I'll keep him safe, Mom." She said. "I promise you that." And with that, Buffy
wrapped her arms around the woman she had come to know as a mother, then quietly
and quickly left the room to pack.
====BtVS====
Fifteen minutes later, Anakin, Buffy, and Qui-Gon left the Skywalker residence f
or the last time (though Annie ran back to give his mother one last hug, and he
promised that one day he would come back for her. Buffy heard that, and whole-he
artedly agreed.
I might just come back a whole lot sooner, she thought, though a small voice in
the back of her mind doubted that she'd be able to free her new mother anytime s
oon.
The trio made their way to Watto's shop first, where the Toydarian completed the
necessary paperwork to ensure Anakin's and Buffy's freedom, and then deactivate
d the transmitter that bound them both to slavery. But when it came time to remo
ve Buffy's control collar, however, Watto steadfastly refused to deactivate it.
Instead, he handed the controller over to Qui-Gon.
"You deactivate it, but only when you are far away from here!" the Toydarian exc
laimed. Buffy gave him a wicked smile.
"What's the matter, Watto? Scared of a little girl?"
Watto snorted. "You forget, 'little girl', I was there when you assaulted Abdull
ah the Hutt."
This time Buffy sorted. "Yeah, well, he shouldn't have touched me there. And he
didn't touch anybody for a long time afterwards."
Watto handed Qui-Gon the collar's remote, which Buffy eyed warily as he put it i
nto his poncho. Seeing her stare, the Jedi Master gave her a reassuring smile.
"I give you my word, Buffy, that I will remove the collar as soon as we are aboa
rd the ship."
After they left Watto's shop, Anakin insisted on going to visit Jira. He handed
the old woman a handful of credits to pay for a new cooling unit and said goodby
e.
As they started walking down the street towards the edge of town, Buffy's Slayer
-sense started going haywire. Quietly she started glancing around, trying to fin
d the source of her discomfort, when she caught a glimpse of something behind Qu
i-Gon.
The Jedi must have sensed it as well, for just as she was about to say something
he whipped around and ignited his lightsaber. The green blade deftly swiped dow
nwards, slicing through the object and causing it to fall to the ground. Just as
quickly as he had turned it on, Qui-Gon turned the lightsaber back off and knel
t down to inspect the device, which was still sparking and sending off acrid sme
lling smoke.
"What is it?" Anakin asked, peering over Qui-Gon's shoulder.
"Probe droid. Very unusual. Not like anything I've ever seen before." The Jedi g
lanced around worriedly, his eyes looking for anything else unusual.
""I've got a bad feeling about this." Buffy said, glancing around herself.
"Come on, you two." Qui-Gon ordered as they moved quickly away.
The three raced out of Mos Espa towards the Queen's transport. Qui-Gon and Buffy
, with their respective training and abilities, had no problems setting a fast p
ace. Anakin, however, was still a nine-year-old with rather short legs. As such,
he had a hard time keeping up.
They were nearly to the ship when Buffy's Slayer sense went crazy once more. Abr
uptly she came to a halt and spun around, and what she saw chilled her bones.
Some kind of being, with a red and black tattooed face was speeding towards them
. What's more, at it's current heading, it would run right into Anakin.
"Annie, get down!" she yelled, at the same time that Qui-Gon yelled for the boy
to drop. No sooner had he done so than the figure raced right over his prone for
m, then leapt off of the speeder. It ignited a crimson lightsaber in midair and
brought it down on Qui-Gon, just as the Jedi Master activated his own green blad
e. The creature flung out one of his hands, and suddenly Buffy found herself fly
ing backwards. She landed hard, only a few feet from Anakin. Scowling, she turne
d to face her brother.
"Annie, get to the ship. Tell them to take off and swing around to pick us up. G
ot it?"
"But what about you?" the boy cried, panic evident in his voice.
"We've discussed this, Annie." Buffy replied, a steely edge in her voice. "This
is what I do. Now go!" And with that, the Slayer was on her feet and heading tow
ards the two combatants. With one final glance, Annie pulled himself up and ran
towards the starship.
====BtVS====
Qui-Gon was a Jedi Master. He had spent hours training in lightsaber combat with
some of the most gifted duelists the Order had to offer, From Master Yoda, to M
aster Windu, to Nejaa Halcyon, a newly instated Knight of the Order. He himself
had come to be regarded as one of the best duelists in the Order, using a style
of combat that was as effective in deflecting blaster bolts as it was in parryin
g another lightsaber.
So the fact that this- demon- was not only holding his own against him, but was
winning- well, it was a tad disconcerting.
The two figures spun around each other gracefully, the demon on the offensive, r
aining down blows hard and fast on the Jedi Master. Soon he found himself being
forced backward as he continued to block- and then it happened. The beast thrust
out it's hand, and a powerful Force blast sent him sprawling onto the ground, a
nd his lightsaber flew out of his hand, landing just a few feet out of his reach
. The Demon howled triumphantly as he brought his crimson blade up to deliver th
e final blow. But just before he could, a blur of a figure leapt at him, hitting
him with a flying dropkick that sent him sprawling. He didn't stay on the groun
d for long, however, as he jumped back up to his feet-
Just in time to see Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, kip up.
"Okay, horny-boy, now I-" Buffy stopped suddenly as she realized what she had ju
st said, and her face screwed up in disgust.
"Okay, got to think of a better name for you..." But she had no more time for qu
ips as the figure attacked the unarmed girl.
====BtVS====
"I was so worried for you! What were you thinking, going out there like that?"
Padmè rolled her eyes. For the past hour, ever since Rose had cornered her in her
quarters, it had been the same argument. She had been reckless, it was too dange
rous, blah, blah, blah... Finally, she couldn't take anymore.
"Rose!" she yelled. The red-head stopped talking, opting to glare at her chosen
sister instead.
"I wanted to learn about this place. And I was with a Jedi Master the entire tim
e, so I was well protected. Plus, it didn't hurt that NOBODY KNEW THAT I'M THE Q
UEEN!" she finished, hissing the last sentence so nobody would here.
It was the oldest practice in the Naboo monarchy, as some liked to call it. In d
angerous situations, the Queen would switch places with one of her handmaidens,
so she would become a less-obvious target. It was the main reason that the Queen
had handmaidens.
Padmè didn't usually take part in this practice; she hated hiding behind her handm
aidens, and loathed putting them in undue danger. She preferred usually to deal
with matters herself, damn the consequences. Of course, there were times when th
e practice came in handy. Without it , she would never had been able to visit Mo
s Espa, never had met Anakin, or Buffy...
Just thinking about the Skywalker children sent a pang through her heart. She ha
ted having to leave them behind, still enslaved. She vowed that, once the threat
to her own planet had past, she would find a way to free them...
Shaking herself out of the reverie, she looked back up at her sister, who looked
like she was about to start the argument over again, and sighed. The life of a
politician...
A sudden commotion outside the room caught her attention, and she used the excus
e to end the argument.
Is never boring. she finished to herself as she opened the door. The sight that
greeted her startled her.
Anakin was on the ship, and telling Captain Panaka that Qui-Gon was in trouble,
and that they had to take off. A glance to Rose told her sister to get to the co
ckpit as she went to see to the boy.
Panaka was eyeing the boy with suspicion. "Who are you?" he asked.
"He's a friend."
Padmè came up to the tow and seized Anakin by the arm gently. She led him towards
the cockpit, calling out to Panaka Wan behind them. "Hurry, Captain."
Padmè led Anakin into the cockpit of the vessel. Inside, Anakin saw a small group
of people already occupying it. There was a man sitting behind the controls, wea
ring what appeared to be a pilots insignia on his uniform jacket. There was anot
her handmaiden with a pale face, green eyes, and shocking red hair. The third pe
rson appeared to be another Jedi, judging by his clothes and hairstyle.
"Qui-Gon's in trouble." Padmè announced to the group.
"We're supposed to take off and pick them up."
"Them?" Padmè asked in surprise. Annie nodded.
"My sisters out there, too. She was going to help Master Qui-Gon out..."
Obi-Wan was on his feet at once. "Where are they?" he demanded, then turned to l
ook out the cockpit windows. He scanned the horizon for a few minutes until he f
inally spotted them. "Over there!" he shouted, pointing off into the distance. "
Get us into the air and over there! Now! Fly low!"
The man in the uniform threw himself into the pilot's seat, while everyone else
scrabled to find a seat of their own. Ric closed the loading ramp and started th
e engines; with a low growl, the vessel rose up into the air and wheeled about,
heading for the combatants.
====BtVS====
Well, this was a brilliant idea. Buffy thought as she ducked another swing from
the demon's glowing blade. Again and again the warrior swung the crimson blade a
t Buffy; hacking, slashing, slicing through the air. But that was all it was sli
cing through- air. Buffy was ducking, bending, flipping and jumping with an almo
st inhuman grace.
In short, she was moving like a Slayer.
Of course, the downside to this was that she hadn't really had the chance to mov
e like a Slayer for nearly two years- asides from some fights she had gotten int
o on Tatooine, and the occasionally patrol she took through the streets on sleep
less nights, she had been mostly inactive. As such, she immediately noticed that
her reaction time was somewhat sluggish, her movements jerky. She knew she coul
dn't last too long, especially unarmed. As the Demon moved in closer, Buffy bobb
ed and weaved, slapping his arms or the long hilt of his lightsaber to the side,
throwing off his aim.
Buffy glanced around, looking for a weapon to use. She saw Qui-Gon's lightsaber,
lying just a few feet away, but clearly out of her reach. Then, out of the corn
er of her eye, she saw something that brought her hope- a sleek, silver vessel,
lifting off and heading their way. Her ride was coming! She only needed to last
a few more seconds- Buffy spun around to dodge another attack, then howled in pa
in as she felt a searing pain in her back as the demon finally landed a blow...
====BtVS====
Qui-Gon stared on in amazement as the mere slip of a girl held her own against w
hat he was beginning to suspect was a Sith warrior.
No mere girl could do that! He thought to himself. Even the Jedi of old couldn't
go up against a Sith warrior unarmed! In his amazement, he didn't even think ab
out helping; all he could do was watch the girl deftly outmaneuver the Sith- unt
il he saw her spin around, moving out of the way of the crimson blade, only to b
e struck by a glancing blow from another blade that briefly flashed to life at t
he bottom of his lightsaber. In an instant Qui-Gon leapt to his feet and summone
d his lightsaber to his hand. He was about to go assist Buffy when suddenly the
Sith took a wide swipe at her with the lightsaber. Buffy jumped up managing to b
oth flip over the blade and kick the Sith in his jaw, sending him sprawling back
wards.
Buffy landed somewhat inelegantly, then risked a glance over her shoulder. Seein
g the Jedi coming towards her, she shouted to him "Get on the damn ship, Jedi-bo
y!"
"What about you?" he called back. Buffy took a moment to sideswipe a downward sw
ipe from the Sith and deliver a right cross, followed by a left hook to it's fac
e. "I'll be along in a minute!" she yelled back.
On the ship, Obi-Wan watched as his Master was knocked down by the creature, onl
y to be aided by the girl that was with him. He was astounded how she moved! Put
ting it out of his mind for the moment, he concentrated on the distance to the t
wo figures.
"Captain, lower the ramp!" he said to Panaka as he rose from his seat. "I'll go
back there to great them." Obi-Wan left the cockpit to go to the ramp, and Anaki
n followed close on his heels.
Rapidly the ship closed in on the three figures. As it reached Qui-Gon it slowed
a bit, and the Jedi Master used the Force to leap up on the lowered walkway. Gr
asping one of the struts, he held on tightly, preparing to help Buffy up.
He need not have bothered.
As the ship reached Buffy, she did a backflip, grasping some loose dirt and rock
s in her hand. She landed in a crouch and threw the rubble into the demon's face
, blinding him momentarily, then sprang into the air again, executing a nearly f
lawless backflip that landed her on the ramp. If it had been flawless, like she
had planned, she would have landed ead center on the ramp.
As it was, she landed right on the forward edge.
Buffy waved her arms frantically, ignoring the burning pain in her back as she t
ried to keep her balance on the edge of the ramp. Just as she was about to toppl
e off, she felt an invisible force yank her back, and Qui-Gon's strong hand gras
ped her arm and pulled her into the ship. The ramp closed and the vessel rockete
d away.
Obi-Wan and Anakin reached the pair just as the ramp closed. Both figures looked
over the two warriors critically, assessing their injuries and seeing if they w
ere okay. The Jedi Master and the Slayer exchanged a look, and neither could hol
d back a chuckle.
"Are you two alright?" Anakin asked with concern.
"I think so. That was a surprise I won't soon forget." Qui-Gon replied, then loo
ked to Buffy. "But I believe your sister was wounded..."
"Not a problem." Buffy replied quickly. "Just a scratch. It'll be okay in a day.
..or two," she added quickly, then gave a nervous laugh. "What can I say? I heal
fast." She finished defensively.
Obi-Wan opted to ignore the mystery of the girl for one he found of greater impo
rtance. "What sort of creature was it?"
Qui-Gon shook his head. "I'm not sure. Whoever or whatever he was, he was traine
d in the Jedi arts. My guess is he was after the Queen.."
"Do you think he'll follow us?" Anakin asked. Qui-Gon considered this for a mome
nt before replying.
"We'll be safe enough once we're in hyperspace. But I have no doubt he knows our
destination. If he found us once, he can find us again."
"What are we going to do about it?"
By now, Obi-Wan was openly staring at the boy with a look that screamed 'What do
you mean, we?'. Anakin saw the look and looked back at him, his face blank. Buf
fy just raised an eyebrow at the two. Men, she thought.
"We will be patient." Qui-Gon advised. He then straightened himself up and looke
d between the three. "Anakin and Buffy Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Anakin reached out and grasped his hand, shaking it as firmly as a nine-year-old
could. "Pleased to meet you. Wow! You're a Jedi Knight, too, aren't you?"
Obi-Wan looked ot his Master and rolled his eyes in despair. Buffy caught the ge
sture and scowled slightly, then smiled brightly and stuck out her own hand. "Ni
ce to meet you, Benny."
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at the name, then grasped her hand and shook it. "Actu
ally, it's Obi-Wan." He said, then winced. By the Force, she had a grip!
"I dunno, you look like a Ben to me. Besides, too many weird names around here f
or my liking."
Anakin gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like 'Buffy!', then tried to hid a
grin. Buffy scowled, playfully this time, and ruffled his hair, oblivious to hi
s protests.
Qui-Gon hid his own smile as he led the way to the cockpit. None of them even no
ticed a handmaiden who had been headed out of the cockpit to the Queen's quarter
s; a Handmaiden with a pale face and wide, green eyes.
====BtVS====
It was several hours later when Padmè, just after seeing Annie in the situation ro
om, made her way to the room she shared with her sister. She was frowning, deep
in thought about the conversation she had just had with the sad little boy as sh
e fingered the small carved japor snippet he had given her. She reached the door
to her room and pressed the control to open it, but she stopped suddenly when s
he saw who was inside.
Rose was sitting on the edge of the bed. She was shaking, and it appeared as it
had been crying. Worriedly, Padmè rushed inside and closed the door, then after a
moments thought, locked the door and raised the privacy shield.
"Rose? Rose, what's wrong?" the younger woman asked, kneeling in front of her ch
osen sister and grasping her hands. Seeing the lack of response from the red-hea
ded girl, Padmè decided to try a different approach. "Willow? Tell me what's wrong
."
Willow looked up at Padmè, shocked that she would use her true name. Of course she
knew it- Padmè and her family, which had become Willow's family, found out her tr
ue story only a few days after she was found by them. But it was agreed between
them all that Willow Rosenberg, for her own safety, must be thought to be dead.
That was why she chose the name Rose, part in honor of her former name, part as
a disguise for herself. The surname Naberrie came shortly thereafter, when they
had adopted her into their family. So the fact that Padmè used her true name here
and now got her attention.
"Willow, what's wrong?" Padmè asked, concern evident in her voice. Willow stared a
t her sister for a moment, then took a shuddering breath and spoke.
"Tell me about the Skywalkers."
====BtVS====
Buffy walked into the situation room and found Anakin huddled down on the floor
next to a bulkhead. He had wrapped himself in a red and gold blanket and looked
to be dozing off. Buffy smiled to herself.
My little Gryffindor. She thought to herself. Buffy leaned against the bulkhead
and slid down to the ground next to her brother, wincing slightly as the burned
skin on her back stretched. Anakin, who noticed the wince, glanced at her pained
expression.
"Are you okay?" he asked, then yawned. Buffy affectionately ruffled his hair.
"I'm fine, Annie. Remember, we discussed this? This is what I was born to do. So
metimes, I get hurt. But I'll always come home."
Anakin let out a small chuckle, then looked away. Buffy eyed him suspiciously. "
What's wrong, Annie?"
Anakin sighed. "But you won't be coming home anymore, will you?"
Buffy's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"We're free, Buffy." Annie started in a sad voice. "And I'm going to be trained
as a Jedi, I hope. But if I am, what's going to happen to you? And will I..." hi
s voice chocked on the rest of the sentence, and Buffy looked at him in understa
nding.
"Will you ever see me again?" she finished for him. Taking a deep breath, she lo
oked down at him and smiled. "Okay, Annie. Since you look like you're about to p
ass out from exhaustion, let me tell you a bed time story- stop me if you've hea
rd this one before. And don't roll your eyes at me, you'll see the relevance in
a minute.
"Once upon a time, there was a girl named Buffy. And Buffy was the Vampire Slaye
r. One girl in all the world, blah, blah, blah, The Chosen One, blah, blah, blah
... chosen to fight the vampires, the demons, the yadda, yadda- you get the pict
ure. At first, Buffy hated her new calling. But after a while, she kind of grew
into it. You want to know how? Because she had a family- her mother Joyce, her W
atcher Giles, her annoying little sister Dawn, and her best friends Xander and W
illow With them by her side, she faced her calling, and thrived."
Unbeknownst to Buffy, at that moment, a lone handmaiden stood just outide the ro
om. The handmaiden, know by most as Rose, and by only a few as Willow, listened
to the bedtime story as tears started to run down her face.
And on the opposite side of the room, just outside, Obi-Wan Kenobi stopped short
, listening intently to the story, hoping to gleam some information on the myste
rious girl.
"Anyway, over the years, Buffy's family grew. Her friends grew up, and son fell
in love. Buffy fell in love too, but, well...we're not going to talk about that.
"Xander fell in love with a girl named Anya, who was very...colorful. Willow, me
anwhile, fell in love with a beautiful, shy witch named Tara.
"Tara was an interesting person. You see, the people who were supposed to be her
family spent most of her life telling her that she was part demon, and on her 1
9th birthday, the demon would come out. And then all of her friends would see wh
at she really was and hate her, and the only people who could control her were h
er 'family'.
"Well, Tara didn't like that one bit. So she went away to college, and ended up
in Sunnydale, where she fell for the above mentioned, up-and-coming witch named
Willow. But every free moment she had she spent looking for a way to get rid of
the demon she thought she had in her, and on a couple of occasions, it led to he
r lying to Willow and others to protect her secret.
"Well right before her 19th birthday, her 'family' showed up to take her home. B
ut she didn't want to leave her new friends, or Willow- she wanted to stay. So w
hen her 'family' told her that, if she didn't come with them, they'd tell her fr
iends her secret, she took drastic action. She cast a spell on her friends, a sp
ell that made it so they wouldn't be able to see the demon aspect in her.
"But what she didn't realize was that her spell made it so they couldn't see dem
ons at all. So when a group of demon assassins came to kill her and her friends,
she was in a bit of a bind. Buffy tried to fight back, but she couldn't see wha
t she was fighting! Things were looking grim for our heroine."
Outside the door, Obi-Wan listened on in confusion. Witches? Demons? Vampire Sla
yer? The only two words that struck any sort of chord with him was 'Chosen One',
but didn't Master Qui-Gon believe it was Anakin?
What was going on?
And outside the other door, Willow was doing her best to stifle her sobs as tear
s ran freely down her cheeks.
"Well, once Tara realized what she had done, and how much danger she had put her
friends in, she came back and lifted the spell. Buffy, being the bad momma that
she was, took out the demons, then confronted Tara, who told them everything. H
er 'family' took that moment to come in and try and take her away, citing that o
nly they could control the demon.
"But then a rather annoying pain in Buffy's...err... rear, named Spike, asked wh
at kind of demon Tara was supposed to be. And when they couldn't answer, he took
matters into his own hand. You see, Spike had a chip in his head, kind of like
the chip we had in us. Only his chip just caused him pain when he tried to hit a
human, but did nothing when he hit a demon. So, to see if what her 'family' was
saying was true, he hit her. And then screamed in pain.
"Realizing everything she had been told about her and the women in her family, s
he refused to go with them. And then they told her that they would force her to
come home. Do you know what Buffy did then?"
Anakin shook his head, engrossed in the story.
"Buffy stood up for her. Even after nearly getting me killed, I stood up for her
. We all did. I actually think Dawn scared them more than I did, come to think o
f it. And do you want tot know why?
"Because she was family. My family. And I never abandon my family."
Willow had slid down the door, sobbing uncontrollably. Oh, god Buffy, she though
t, I'm so sorry....
Buffy gently cupped Anakin's jaw and brought his face up so she could look right
into his eyes.
"Annie, I promise you this. If the Jedi train you, I'll be there for you. If the
y don't like it, well, I've faced bigger bad's than a bunch of glow-stick wieldi
ng monks with attitudes.
"If they don't train you, then we'll find a place to settle down. Maybe we could
swing a favor with Padmè to get us set up somewhere on Naboo.
"If I find a way to get home, and you're not being trained, I'll take you with m
e, if you want. Then you, me, and Dawn can be a family. If you're being trained,
then I promise if I find a way home, I won't go until I can find a way to come
back as often as I want to see you.
"You're my brother, Anakin. Maybe not by blood, but by everything else that matt
ers. And I will NOT leave you alone in this galaxy. I swear I won't."
Buffy gathered Annie in her arms and gave him a hug. All to soon, Annie murmured
a 'Love you, Buffy." and fallen asleep. Smiling, Buffy laid the boy back down o
nto the deck and wrapped the covers around him tightly. Suddenly sensing a prese
nce behind her, she poke over her shoulder, "You know, it isn't polite to listen
in on private conversations, Benny."
Smoothly Buffy stood, hiding the pain she felt as the burn on her back pulled an
d twisted slightly. She turned to face the Jedi, who was doing his best to hide
the surprise on his face.
"That was a most unusual, if not enlightening, bedtime story you told him." Obi-
Wan said. "And now I find myself curious as to exactly what a 'Vampire Slayer' i
s? Or how you know about the Chosen One?"
Buffy stared back defiantly at the Jedi, with a small sneer on her face. Unconsc
iously the two started to circle each other.
"Listen up, Jedi-boy. The only thing you got to worry about is getting the Queen
to Coruscant, not about fairy tales. So you can just forget about Slayers, and
Chosen Ones, or me sharing anything with you."
"The Council will be most interested in both you and your brother, Buffy." Obi-W
an said. "Both of you are enigmas..."
Buffy let out an annoyed sigh. "And they want answers, is that it? Well I'll tel
l them what I told the last Council that wanted me to answer to them, and that w
as to go fu..." Buffy's voice trailed off as her eyes grew wide and fearful. She
slowly started to back away, her hands raised in a defensive position.
"P-p-please, you d-d-don't need to use t-t-that," she stammered out fearfully. "
I promise I'll be good..."
Obi-Wan's brow furrowed in confusion to this sudden change in the girls demeanor
. Noticing where her eyes were fixed, the Jedi looked down at his hand- and he r
ealized he was still holding the remote for Buffy's collar.
Qui-Gon had asked him to go and remove the collar from the elder Skywalker. He h
ad mentioned to him Buffy's seeming fear of the device, but Obi-Wan had dismisse
d it out of hand. The girl had met a Jedi-trained warrior in combat, unarmed, an
d survived. How could she possible fear something like a control collar?
Of course, seeing her reaction now kind of put it into perspective.
Keeping the device by his side, Obi-Wan lifted his other hand up in a calming ge
sture. Subtly, he sent some of the Force to the girl in an effort to calm her do
wn. "Buffy, listen to me," he said in a soothing voice. "I'm not going to use th
is on you. Qui-Gon asked me to find you and take the collar off. I need the cont
roller to deactivate it."
Buffy looked at the Padawan, While the fear was still evident in her eyes, he sa
w a flash of something else there- hope. "You're not going to use it?" ked in a
small voice. "You're really going to take it off?"
"Yes, Buffy. I give you my word as a Jedi, I will not harm you." Obi-Wan approac
hed the Slayer cautiously. Buffy stiffened, but let the Jedi bring the controlle
r up to her neck. Setting the end of the controller into a small slot set into t
he collar, just below her left ear. There was a brief hum, and Buffy tensed, exp
ecting the device to activate, then expelled a breath she didn't realize she was
holding when the device shut down. With a click, it opened, and Obi-Wan removed
it from around her neck. Buffy sagged visibly; the one thing she had feared mor
e than anything else was gone, she was truly free.
Obi-Wan examined Buffy's neck, looking over the damage. "It looks like there hav
e been some very serious burns, and a decent amount of scarring. I should go get
some antiseptic..." The Jedi's voice trailed off as Buffy stiffened once more.
Looking at her face, she saw the girls eyes were wide once more, but this time w
ith shock.
"Willow..." she whispered. Obi-Wan spun around to see Rose standing in the doorw
ay, tears streaming down her anguished face.
"Oh god, Buffy..."
Chapter 5:
Reunions (Part II)
Disclaimer: Hey, yo! Survey says; these characters ain't mine! All characters be
long to either George Lucas or Joss Wheedon, to modern geniuses of our time.
Special thanks to my Beta, Megan 'Katilwen' Gravel whom I don't thank nearly eno
ugh. Or at all so far, to my everlasting shame. And don't worry about lateness-
I know full well how much work can sap out of you.
====BtVS====
Previously in 'The Phantom's Menace'
Obi-Wan examined Buffy's neck, looking over the damage. "It looks like there hav
e been some very serious burns, and a decent amount of scarring. I should go get
some antiseptic..." The Jedi's voice trailed off as Buffy stiffened once more.
Looking at her face, she saw the girls eyes were wide once more, but this time w
ith shock.
"Willow..." she whispered. Obi-Wan spun around to see Rose standing in the doorw
ay, tears streaming down her anguished face.
"Oh god, Buffy..."
====BtVS====
Buffy stared on in shock as Willow, her best friend, her confidante, her last su
rviving link to her home world, and one she had thought dead, came staggering to
wards her. The red headed witch had tears streaming down her face, her mouth was
moving silently, as if she was trying to say something, and yet couldn't find t
he words.
Buffy silently walked past a confused Obi-Wan. As the two came within a few inch
es of each other, Buffy gently, hesitantly, raised her hand to her friends face.
She touched her cheek, as if to insure Willow was really standing right in fron
t of her. Finding she was real, Buffy gave a small smile, while tears ran down h
er own cheeks.
"Hey, Will..." she choked out before the two girls collapsed into one another's
arms. The two girls held each other, crying for the lives they had lost, the tim
e that had been stolen away from them. However long they held each other they di
dn't know, but neither noticed Padmè and Qui-Gon entering the Situation Room, nor
did they notice Anakin once again waking up to the commotion.
"What did I miss?" the young boy asked, looking at the crying girls in confusion
. Obi-Wan could only shrug.
"Apparently, the same thing I missed. And I was standing right here."
Gradually, the two girls pulled apart, each still holding each other, so as to m
ake sure the other didn't disappear. Each blinked and looked around at the audie
nce they had, and then both girls blushed. The Buffy, ever the mistress of the u
nderstatement, summed up the situation in two words.
"Well, shit."
====BtVS====
When it became apparent that everyone wanted answers, and nobody was leaving unt
il they got them, Padmè took charge of the room. Clearing off the table in the mid
dle of the room (and asking Jar Jar politely to leave), the young girl sat Buffy
and Anakin down together on one side, herself and Willow across from them, and
had the two Jedi sitting between each pair, one on either side of the table. As
they all settled down, Buffy eyed the Jedi warily.
"Don't suppose you'd just like to drop all of this and let us catch up in peace,
would you?"
Qui-Gon shook his head. "I'm afraid not. There are too many mysteries here for u
s to just ignore. Chief among them- what do you know of the prophecy of 'The Cho
se One', and why Rose curries such favor with the Queen."
Buffy's eyes narrowed at the mention of the word 'Prophecy', but Willow couldn't
help but let out a snort of amusement.
"What, do you think I'm trying to take over or something?" she asked incredulous
ly. Padmè placed a calming hand on her arm, and then turned to Qui-Gon. "I assure
you, Master Jedi, that Rose has the Queen's utmost confidence."
"Perhaps Rose does, but how about Willow?" Obi-Wan shot back.
"Even more so." Padmè answered.
"Why?"
Willow took a breath, and then looked at Anakin, then Buffy. "How much does he k
now?" she asked.
"Everything." Buffy replied instantly. Then the Slayer looked to Padmè. "How much
does she know?"
"Everything."
Buffy eyed the girl with narrowed eyes, and then squared her shoulders. "If Will
ow told you everything, than she trusts you. Therefore, I trust you. So answer m
e this- should I trust these two yahoos?" she asked, pointing her thumbs at each
of the Jedi. Padmè hesitated only a moment before answering.
"I've never met any Jedi before, Buffy. But what I know of them tells me that yo
u can trust them with your life."
"I give both of you my word," Qui-Gon stated plainly, "That any secret you have
will be safe with me."
"I give you my word, as well." Obi-Wan supplied.
Buffy and Willow looked at each other, and then sighed. "This is going to take a
while." Buffy said, and then gestured to Willow to kick things off.
"All right, I'm going to start at the beginning. And I MEAN the beginning, so be
ar with me for a few minutes. As you have probably already guessed, Buffy and I
are not your normal people. The reason for that is that we're not from around he
re- at all. I'm not from Naboo. Buffy's not from Tatooine. Heck, we're not even
from this galaxy. Were from a planet called Earth, in a dimension that's probabl
y far, far away."
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both rocked back in their chairs, stunned beyond belief. It
had never been heard of- extra-dimensional beings! Their amazement increased whe
n, with a wave of her hand, an image formed into view over the table. Almost lik
e a hologram, yet more life-life, the picture was three-dimensional and showed a
small blue and white planet hovering in space. The Jedi and Anakin watched wide
-eyed as the picture zoomed into the planet, showing a hellish landscape with fi
re, brimstone, and large monsters walking about.
"Our planet, millions of yeas ago, was ruled by demons. Evil, soulless creatures
that lived for nothing more than personal gratification and total domination of
the world. Kind of like politicians. For centuries they ruled, unopposed, until
finally they were forced out o our dimension. But they didn't leave entirely- t
he last demon mixed with a human and created a race called vampires. Them, and a
n assortment of other demons, remained on Earth to prey on the human population.
"Around this time, and we weren't entirely sure how, the Slayer was created."
"Giles always loved to say this part." Buffy said, smirking. Willow chuckled and
continued her story.
"'Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One
.
One born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, the demons, and the f
orces of darkness.' The current 'Chosen One' is Buffy."
The scene showed Buffy slaying various demons back in Sunnydale. The Jedi were a
mazed by the seeming ease of how she defeated foes that were, sometimes, nearly
three times larger than her.
"Well, technically it's Faith." Buffy clarified. Willow nodded her head in agree
ment, and the scene showed Buffy and a dark haired girl about the same age as Bu
ffy slaying in tandem.
"Okay, well then Buffy was one of the two current Slayers."
"I thought there could be only one?" Obi-Wan interrupted, causing Buffy to sigh.
"There was this whole deal where I died for a minute. But let's just move on for
now, 'kay?"
"Anyways, about two years ago, a Hell god came to Sunnydale- the town we lived i
n, which was also on top of a Hellmouth, which is another lecture altogether, an
d not at all important..."
"Willow!" Buffy shouted, laughing. "You're babbling!"
"She seems to do that a lot, I've found." Padmè supplied. Buffy nodded in agreemen
t. Willow gave both girls a scowl, and then continued.
"Anyways, Glory came to Sunnydale looking for something called 'The Key', a myst
ical artifact that could open a portal between all dimensions which would allow
her to return to her own home hell dimension. What she didn't realize, at first,
was that an order of monks had transformed the Key into a human being- Buffy's
sister, Dawn."
The images now showed a young, thin girl with long, dark hair. Anakin took a spe
cial interest; this was the first time he had seen Dawn, a girl he had once thou
ght of as a rival for his sisters' affections. He had later realized, after a ve
rbal beat-down of sorts by Buffy, that his sister loved them both equally. Now,
if Buffy could ever get home, Annie found that he really wanted to get to know t
his other sister.
"After a lot of intrigue, and a rather unusual Winnebago chase, Glory managed to
get her hand on Dawn. Her plan was to bleed her in a ritual to open the portal-
and if she did that, the fabric between realities would collapse, all realities
would bleed into ours, and Earth would be destroyed. Things were looking grim i
n Mudsville.
"Buffy managed to beat Glory, but not before one of her minions cut Dawn and ope
ned the portal. The only way to close it was if the blood stopped- if Dawn died.
But Buffy realized that the monks had made Dawn from her blood, so Buffy's bloo
d could close it. So she did what she thought was the best thing to do- she jump
ed.
"At this point, the portal was throwing off wild tendrils of energy, transportin
g everything it touched into other dimensions. The moment Buffy jumped, a stray
tentacle of energy lashed out, nearly striking my Tara. I pushed her out of the
way, and got hit by it instead."
The image changed, from the makeshift tower where Buffy had fought Glory to a he
llish-looking landscape. The ground was covered in ash and igneous rock, and riv
ers of lava flowed freely in their beds. In the sky there was a bright flash of
light, and then two figures fell nearly 15 feet to the ground, where they hit ha
rd.
"And then Buffy and I were transported to a true hell world. I'm talking fire, a
nd ash, and rivers of lava flowing freely like water. The fall nearly killed us;
and the portal itself sapped us of all of our energy. That proved to be the big
ger bummer, as not long after we arrived a group of slavers found us. They had s
et up camp on the planet to avoid the authorities, and were busy peddling there
slaves. Buffy and I became their latest catch. They put the chips in us and chai
ned us up at the camp. They beat us, barely fed us, did everything they could to
keep us alive, but compliant.
"After a few weeks, Buffy started getting stronger, so she did what any Slayer w
ould do- she led a revolt. But she was still weak, they captured her easily. The
y slapped the collar on her, turned it on full, and threw her into a metal coffi
n near the river. She was in there until I was sold a few days later. After that
, I thought..." Willow trailed off, tears in her eyes. After a moment, she final
ly looked up at Buffy. "I thought you were dead."
Buffy looked past her friend with haunted eyes. "I was as good as dead. I still
don't like enclosed spaces. And the collar..." Buffy stared past her friend, a h
aunted look in her eyes. She let out a shuddering breath, and then looked to her
friend. "What happened to you?"
Willow smiled sadly. "Don't worry, Buffy. It's worse than you think."
"It usually is." The Slayer replied deadpan.
"I was sold to a guy named Xiazan. He used me on one of his pleasure boats."
The scene showed a large Corellian ship, then a young, green-skinned Falleen wit
h dark, penetrating eyes.
"I know of Xiazan." Qui-Gon said. "He's a Falleen, and a member of their royal f
amily. He has his hand in gambling, prostitution, illicit drugs, smuggling and p
iracy in over two dozen sectors in the Outer Rim. His reach is far; some say it
even extends into the Core worlds. It's also rumored that he is a part of the Bl
ack Sun group"
"Yeah, he's a bad man." Willow said sarcastically. "He's not someone you mess wi
th; let's just put it like that. Anyways, I was put on one of his pleasure ships
, as one of his 'working girls.'"
"He tried to make you-"
"Tried- and failed." Willow said with a satisfied smile. "Every time a guy picke
d me, as soon as we got in the room, I put the whammy on him. Thirty minutes of
doing nothing, and he thinks he just had the best time of his life."
"Way to go, Will." Buffy said, and then noticed her friend's look. "What?"
"It worked- until the guards saw me do it. When they realized what I could do, I
got promoted. I'd go with Xiazan himself on certain negotiations to get him mor
e favorable deals. I'd work the patrols so they'd forget we were there. I became
his cash cow."
"Why?" Buffy asked. "Why bother? Why not just put the whammy on him and get him
to let you go?"
"Because of the other girls he owned, Buffy." Willow replied in a pained voice.
"Not just on my ship, but on all of his ships. Every time I defied him, they got
punished. I couldn't just disappear- too many people knew who I was in his orga
nization. But every time I did what I was told, the girls were treated fairly, d
ecently. I did what I did so they wouldn't have to suffer."
"If you were so valuable to him, how were you able to escape?" Obi-Wan asked. "E
specially in light of the facts you just brought to bear."
"I got lucky." She said simply. "I was on my ship, the Silver Bullit, when it wa
s attacked by pirates. I managed to get to an escape pod and eject, but before I
could cloak it with my magic, it was hit by a glancing blow. Pretty much everyt
hing went off-line then, and life support was at a bare minimum. My pod managed
to make it to the closest planet to the Bullit's position- Naboo."
"She crashed just about a mile from my family's home." Padmè continued as the scen
e shifted to three concerned faces looking down. One was immediately recognized
as Padmè's, the other two, a woman and man both older in appearance, were apparent
ly her parents. "She was badly dehydrated and was suffering from hypothermia. Ou
r home is remote- set fairly far out of the main city, and we couldn't risk movi
ng her to far. So we brought her back to the house and tended to her.
"For the first few days, she didn't speak much. She wouldn't tell us her name or
anything about where she was from. When I went back to the pod to see if there
were any personal effects, I discovered what ship it came from. After some resea
rch, I found out that the Silver Bullit was raided and destroyed by pirates abou
t a week and a half earlier, and that there were no survivors. When I told her a
bout that, she broke down."
"I was devastated that all of my friends were dead- but at the same time I was e
lated that I was finally free. Padmè knew my real name, because she had seen my pi
cture in the crew manifest of the Bullit. I told her that I was a slave on the s
hip, and if they knew I was alive, they'd come for me. So she helped me. I picke
d a new name, and she and her parents took me in, going so far as to adopt me."
"The mystical images died away, and Padmè leaned forward over the table, her finge
rs steeped. "A few months after that, Queen Amidala was elected, and I was chose
n as one of her handmaidens. At my insistence, she took Willow, as well. A few m
onths later, disgruntled spice miners on one of Naboo's moons tried to assassina
te the Queen- an attack that Willow almost single-handedly thwarted. After that,
all of the Handmaidens, and some of the Queen's most trusted advisors, have kno
wn about what Rose is capable of. But there are only three people in our governm
ent who know the whole truth-myself, Willow, and the Queen herself."
"This is why she trusts you so much." Obi-Wan supplied with a dawning realizatio
n. Willow smiled.
"Yup." Looking over at her friend, Willow's smile fell away. "What about you?"
"Got locked in a box for about 10 months, was beaten, starved and shocked. Then
I got sold to the Hutts, got won by Watto, and got adopted by the Skywalkers." B
uffy stated simply. Willow raised an eyebrow.
"Did you take lessons from Oz, or something?" she asked. There was a moment of s
ilence, and then both girls busted out into a fit of giggles. Anakin stared at t
he two, and then rolled his eyes.
"Girls." He sighed.
====BtVS====
Several hours later, Qui-Gon headed up to the cockpit. He wasn't surprised to fi
nd Buffy there, sitting in the co-pilots seat- indeed; it seemed that with each
passing hour, he felt her grow stronger in the Force. It was a phenomenon that h
e had never encountered before; and even after the revelations earlier, he was s
till confounded by the girl.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked gently as he took a seat besides her at the communica
tions station. The Slayer shook her head.
"No, not really. And for once, it wasn't claustrophobia, either."
"Then why?"
"I'm excited." Buffy replied earnestly. At his slightly confused expression, she
smiled. "Ever since I got here, I've been in one hell or another. Now I get to
see some of that wondrous universe Annie is always going on about." She chuckled
, the let out a small sigh. "Plus, aside from the time alone I spent with Annie
and Shmi, I've never really had a chance to be...well, me. Now, I don't have to
hide anymore. At least among friends."
"Buffy," Qui-Gon started in a tone that put the Slayer on edge, "I want you to k
now that I plan on doing everything in my power to get Anakin accepted into the
Jedi Academy. However, I don't know how they are going to react to you, or if th
ey would even allow you to remain in contact-"
Buffy gave him a wicked smile. "I'd like to see them try and stop me."
"Buffy, a Jedi's life is a solitary one..."
"And so was the life of a Slayer." Buffy shot back. "And you know what? They all
died young. The only reason, and I mean only, was that I had friends and family
to support me.
"For normal Jedi; sure, I can see a lonely life. From what Annie's told me, you
all get 'em when their still very young, so the Jedi themselves become their fam
ily. But Annie's got a mother he knows and loves, and he's got me. If you want h
im to succeed, and I think you do, you're going to have to bend the rules. Even
more than you already are."
While the Jedi pondered that thought, Ric made the ship-wide announcement, stati
ng that they were coming up on Coruscant. Soon Willow, Padmè, and Anakin crowded i
nto the cockpit top catch a glimpse of the planet. What they saw didn't fail to
impress them.
The entire planet was covered in skyscrapers that would put New York to shame. E
ven from a high orbit, Buffy could see where the incoming lanes of space traffic
merged into aerial traffic lane that criss-crossed over the planet.
"I never thought I'd see a highway in space." Buffy remarked, her eyes wide. Wil
low nodded.
"I've seen the traffic get as bad as anything we saw in California." Willow rema
rked. At Buffy's confused look, Willow explained. "I've been here a couple of ti
mes, with Xiazan. There's a restaurant on the last mountain range, up near the n
orthern hemisphere. Very exclusive, very expensive. Sometimes, he liked to bring
'clients' there to wow them."
Buffy nodded at his explanation then turned her attention back to the view port
and watched as the Nubian slipped seamlessly into a lane of traffic headed down
to the surface. Or so she thought. Ric glanced over to Anakin and noticed his ex
pression, and smiled.
"Coruscant, capital of the Republic, an entire planet evolved into one city." He
winked at the boy. "A nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there."
"Jut like L.A." Buffy said wistfully. Willow raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, Buffy? You DID live in L.A."
"Yeah. And then I moved to the mouth of hell. Doesn't that tell you something?"
The Nubian slipped out of the traffic lane and started to slow. Buffy saw they w
ere heading for a floating platform that seemed to hang in mid air- a couple of
hundred feet from the ground. Buffy got a sinking feeling.
"Please tell me that thing lands, too." She said in a slightly desperate voice.
Ric shook his head.
"There's no room to land on the surface. They have landing platforms like these
all over the planet."
Anakin, realizing what was wrong, grabbed his sister's hand. "It's okay, Buffy.
I'll be right next to you the whole time. I won't even let go of your hand!"
Buffy was shaking her head, moving back towards the cockpit's exit. "There is NO
WAY I'm going out of that thing!"
By now Qui-Gon and Padmè realized what was wrong. Willow, however, was still cluel
ess. "What is it, Buffy?" she asked, truly puzzled by her friends reaction. Padmè
turned to her.
"Buffy is afraid of heights." She stated quietly. Willow's eyebrows shot up, and
then she turned to face her friend, and incredulous expression on her face.
"Since when?"
Buffy looked at Willow in exasperation. "Since I took a flying leap off of a tow
er and landed in hell." She replied sarcastically. "I'm NOT going out there. No
way. Uh-uh."
"Well, we have to go out there." Qui-Gon said. "The Supreme Chancellor of the Re
public is waiting for us, as is Senator Palpatine."
"Good for them. Hope they have fun."
"Buffy, you and Anakin will be going with the Queen, until it is time for the tw
o of you to go before the Council. You have to go with them."
"Can't they beam me over there or something?" At his blank expression, Buffy sig
hed. "Great! Uber-advanced civilization and no transporters. Xander would be so
upset..."
"Come on, Buffy!" Annie whined. "You won't be up here for long! Besides," he add
ed, putting on his best wounded puppy face, "I thought you said you'd stay with
me?"
Buffy let out a groan. Annie's puppy-face was as effective as Willow's resolve f
ace, and it didn't help that he was throwing her own words back in her face. Sud
denly, Willow snapped her fingers, an idea forming in her head. She deftly reach
ed down and took a long strip of cloth off of the edge of her gown. Moving quick
ly behind Buffy, she pulled the piece of cloth over her friends' eyes and tied i
t behind her head, effectively blindfolding her.
"There. If you can't see it, it won't bother you!"
Buffy's lips were pressed into a thin line. "Yes. Brilliant. And as long as nobo
dy hands me an anvil when I walk off of the edge..."
Willow grabbed her left hand, and Annie grabbed her right. "Annie and I will be
with you the entire way. It's only short cab flight to the Senator's office at 5
00 Republica."
Buffy looked like she was about to argue, but then she let out an aggravated sig
h. "Fine. Have it your way. But if I fall and die, I'm SO coming back to kick yo
ur ass."
And so a few minutes later the Queen and her entourage, consisting of her handma
idens, two Jedi, a droid, a Gungan, and a blindfolded girl being led by her best
friend and brother, exited the ship and headed towards the group of politicians
assembled on the landing platform. After a few steps, both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan
stopped, watching he group walk on. Anakin looked back, but Qui-Gon motioned for
him to continue with the group.
The Queen came to a stop before the assembled group, and the Queen's emissary to
the Republic, Senator Palpatine, greeted her with a warm smile and a polite bow
.
"It's a great relief to see you alive and well, Your Majesty." He offered, the g
estured to the stately gentleman standing beside him. "May I present Supreme Cha
ncellor Valorum."
Valorum was a tall, silver-haired man of indeterminate age, neither young nor ol
d in appearance, but something of each, his bearing and voice strong, but his fa
ce and startling blue eyes tired and worried.
"Welcome, Your Highness," he said, smiling faintly. "It is an honor to finally m
eet you in person... why is that girl blindfolded?"
"I've been asking myself the same question for the past few minutes." Buffy murm
ured, before being silenced by an elbow to her ribs from Willow.
"My companion has a small fear of heights." The Queen said simply, and the Chanc
ellor nodded in understanding.
"I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation on Na
boo. I have called for a special session of the Senate so that you may present y
our request for relief."
"I am grateful for your concern, Chancellor." The Queen replied quietly.
Buffy tuned out the pleasantries, instead concentrating on keeping her breathing
even and fighting the growing panic within her. I refuse to be hampered by this
. She thought to herself. I was never afraid of heights before, and I'll be damn
ed if keep letting this get to me! Practicing one of the meditation techniques t
hat Giles had taught her, she strove to calm the growing fear inside her- and wa
s startled when she realized not all of it was fear.
There was something on that platform with them. Something that didn't feel right
. Something that felt almost...
Evil?
====BtVS====
A short while later, the group was at the Senators office at 500 Republica, the
massive building just a short trip from the mushroom-shaped Senate building that
housed all of the Senators who lived on-planet. While the Queen discussed Naboo
with Palpatine, Anakin crouched by the doorway, listening in to the conversatio
n. Willow stood by the window, staring out at the city, seemingly lost in though
t, while Buffy hunkered down in the far corner of the room, well away from the w
indows.
"So, what are they talking about, Annie?" Buffy asked. Annie sat back away from
the door before answering.
"Naboo was invaded by the Trade Federation. Palpatine says they need to make an
appeal to the Senate. I don't think the Queen wants to wait that long."
"That guy gives me the wiggins." Buffy said, shuddering. Willow turned to look a
t her with a small frown.
"Who, Senator Palpatine?" at Buffy's nod, Willow shook her head. "He's human. He
was born on Naboo. He's been a Senator for many years, now. Nothing to outstand
ing on his record, though he's always been fair and just. Maybe you don't like h
im because he's a politician?"
"No. It's something else. Something about him that just... I don't know." The Sl
ayer sighed. "I just need some rest, before we go to the Jedi guys."
"You'll do fine, Buffy. And so will you, Annie."
"I hope so." Anakin replied, a wistful look on his face. "I wonder when they'll
come for us?"
====BtVS====
Near the Senate build, the Jedi temple stood. A massive pyramid, with four tall
spires rising from its flat top, the Temple was unique among the massive skyscra
pers that surrounded it. At the top, the Jedi Council chambers stood, a massive
circular room opened to outside. Inside the chamber were twelve seats; one for e
ach of the Council members. And in the center of the rooms stood Qui-Gon and Obi
-Wan, who were giving their report to the Council.
"My conclusion is that the one who attacked us on Tatooine is a Sith Lord." The
Jedi Master finished quietly, watching as the assorted Masters pondered over his
story.
"A Sith Lord?" Mace Windu repeated, leaning forward in his chair, doubt evident
in his voice.
"Impossible!" Ki-Adi-Mundi exclaimed irritably. "The Sith have been gone for a m
illennium."
"Threatened, the Republic is, if the Sith are involved." Yoda observed.
The masters murmured to themselves for a moment, mulling over Yoda's words. Fina
lly, Mace spoke.
"This is difficult to accept, Qui-Gon. I do not understand how the Sith could ha
ve returned without us knowing."
"Hard to see, the dark side is." Yoda said. "Discover who this assassin is, we m
ust."
"Perhaps he will reveal himself again." Ki-Adi-Mundi suggested, nodding to Qui-G
on.
"Yes," Mace agreed. "This attack was with purpose that much is clear. The Queen
is his target. Since he failed once, he may try again."
"With this Naboo Queen, you must stay, Qui-Gon." Yoda said, pointing one diminut
ive finger at the Master. "Protect her, you must."
"We shall use all of our resources to unravel this mystery and discover the iden
tity of your attacker." He raised one hand in dismissal. "May the Force be with
you, Qui-Gon Jinn."
The rest of the masters repeated the salutation, and Obi-Wan turned to leave. He
stopped in his tracks, however, when he saw that Qui-Gon was still standing in
front of the Council. Obi-Wan held his breath, knowing what was coming.
Yoda looked at the Jedi master, curiosity ion his eyes. "More to say, have you,
Qui-Gon Jinn?"
"With your permission, my Master, I have encountered a vergence in the Force."
Yoda's eyes widened. "A vergence, you say?"
"Located around a person?" Mace asked.
Qui-Gon nodded. "A boy. His cells have the highest concentration of midi-chloria
ns I have ever seen in a life form." He paused. "It is possible he was conceived
by mind-chlorians."
"You refer to the prophecy, of the one who will bring balance to the Force. You
believe it is this boy." Mace stated. Qui-Gon held his hands up in a placating g
esture.
"I don't presume-"
"But you do!" Yoda snapped. "Revealed, your opinion is!"
"With you permission, there is more. An even bigger mystery. There is a girl, wh
o claims to be 'The Chosen One.' And what's more, her midi-chlorian count is sti
ll rising."
Mace rocked back in his chair at that. "Impossible."
"There is much more to her story, more than I could relate adequately. She fough
t the Sith warrior, unarmed, and came away with only a scratch." There were shoc
ked murmurs all over the Council at that, and Qui-Gon pressed on. "I request the
boy and his sister be tested."
"To be trained as a Jedi, you request for them?" Yoda asked softly. Qui-Gon nodd
ed.
"Finding them was the will of the Force. I have no doubt of it. There is too muc
h happening here for it to be anything else."
Mace Windu held up a hand to stave off further debate. "Bring them before us, th
en. The Council will test the boy. I will see to the girl personally."
Yoda nodded in agreement. "Tested, they will be." Yoda suddenly looked up at the
door. "Enter, Jedi Halcyon."
Nejaa Halcyon entered the Council chambers and stood before them in deference. O
nly a few years older than Obi-Wan, Halcyon had recently been appointed as a Jed
i Knight by the Council. Barely into his twenties, with a kind, squared face and
long, brown hair, he had already proved himself to be one of the most promising
Jedi to come out of the temple in some time. Already in his young career he had
helped settle several minor disputes in the Outer Rim, as well as bring several
pirates to justice. Balancing a sense of fairness with prowess with his lightsa
ber, Halcyon was well liked by many of the masters, from Cin Drallig to Mace Win
du himself. Qui-Gon also liked and respected the young man- while he held true t
o the Jedi teachings, he also knew the values of occasionally bending the rules;
something that appealed to the free-spirited Jedi Master. Though he also realiz
ed that one day, that attitude may get him in trouble, as it had gotten him in t
rouble on more than one occasion.
"Masters, I bring new from the Senate." He started without preamble. "The Naboo
Queen made her case before the Supreme Chancellor. However, when the Chancellor
bowed to the bureaucrats, The Queen called for a vote of no confidence. It is be
ing put through even as we speak."
There were excited murmurs all around at the news, as the Masters discussed what
this would mean for the Republic. Yoda's voice brought them all back to attenti
on.
"Escalating, this crisis is." The diminutive Jedi turned his hard gaze onto Qui-
Gon. "Before us, the Skywalkers you must bring at once."
"As you wish, Master." Qui-Gon said reverently, bowing in respect, than turning
to stride out of the door, Obi-Wan following closely behind.
====BtVS====
Soon, a Jedi Knight, whom Buffy learned was named Halcyon, came to collect her a
nd her brother and take them to the Council. Before they could leave, however, A
nakin insisted on saying good-bye to a certain handmaiden.
So it was just a few minutes later when Anakin burst into the Queens room- to fi
nd not Padmè, but Queen Amidala looking out the window. Chagrined, Anakin bowed hi
s head awkwardly in respect.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty." He said. The Queen nodded silently, and Anakin took t
hat as his cue to continue. "I was looking for Padmè. Buffy and I are being taken
in front of the Jedi Council. I wanted her to know."
The Queen smiled at the boy in front of her. "Padmè isn't here, Anakin. I sent her
on an errand."
"Oh." Anakin replied, dejected.
"But I will give her your message."
"Maybe I'll be a Jedi Knight!" Anakin exclaimed, unable to contain his enthusias
m.
Amidala nodded. "Perhaps you will."
"I think Padmè would like that."
"I think she would, too."
Anakin, realizing what he was saying, and who he was saying it to, blushed furio
usly. Amidala let out a small chuckle. "Anakin, know this: I hope that you do be
come a Jedi Knight, and do big things. But if, for some reason, the Council deci
des not to train you, than you and your sister, will always have a home for you
on Naboo."
"Thank you for that, your highness." Buffy said, coming in to fetch her brother.
Amidala nodded at the Slayer. "The Council has also requested that Rose come wit
h you, to show them what she showed Master Jinn and his Padawan. Please watch ou
t for her- there are many on this world who would gladly risk angering the Jedi
by trying to capture her."
"I'll look out for her. I promise."
And with that, the two Skywalkers left the Queens chambers and headed to the lan
ding platform, where a certain red-headed handmaiden awaited Buffy with a blindf
old in her hands. Buffy sighed and put it on, then let herself be led to the wai
ting air taxi.
====BtVS====
A short while later the small group arrived at the Jedi temple. Upon seeing it f
or the first time, Buffy summed up her feelings for the impressive palace in one
word.
"Sweet."
As Halcyon led them to the doors to the temple, he nodded as a Youngling came ou
t to meet them.
"This is Zett Jukassa. He will take Anakin and Willow to the Council chambers."
Buffy eyed the Jedi suspiciously. "And what about me?"
Halcyon gave the girl a warm smile, trying to defuse her growing suspicions. "I'
ve been asked to show you directly to our training room. Master Windu will be te
sting you personally.
"Sounds like fun."
"Buffy?" Anakin asked, looking worriedly up at his sister. Buffy saw the look an
d frowned.
"What?"
"Please don't hurt him too badly." Anakin pleaded.
"And what makes you think I would do something like that?"
"He's known you for more than five minutes?" Willow jokingly answered, which ear
ned her a playful swat on the arm from Buffy. Halcyon chuckled at the interactio
n, then gestured with his had.
"Shall we go?"
The five parted ways, with Anakin and Willow following the 7-year-old Jedi up to
the Council's chamber. Meanwhile, Halcyon led Buffy down a different corridor t
o where the training room was located. During the journey, he couldn't help but
continue to cast sideways looks at the girl, mentally sizing her up. The looks w
ere not lost on Buffy.
"See anything you like?" she asked, deadpanned. She was shocked when she heard h
is answer.
"A couple of things actually." Halcyon laughed outright at the shocked expressio
n on her face. "No offense meant, Miss Skywalker."
"None taken. I was just surprised to find a Jedi with a sense of humor."
"Well, we are rare." Halcyon replied in mock seriousness. Buffy couldn't help bu
t laugh at the Jedi's antics. "The Council is seldom pleased with me, or my atti
tude. But I am a good Jedi, and they know it. Plus, I'm good with the Younglings
. I think that is one of the very few reasons they haven't kicked me out."
"You seem like you would be good with kids." Buffy remarked. Halcyon sighed wist
fully.
"I always wanted kids..." he shook his head to clear out the forbidden thoughts.
"But the life of a Jedi is meant to be a lonely life."
"Ah. The old 'one warrior, alone against the odds' deal?" Buffy remarked. They s
topped in front of a closed door, and Buffy turned to face the Jedi. "If there i
s one thing I learned, it's that a lonely life gets you killed quicker than if y
ou have someone you're fighting for. Something to keep in mind."
Halcyon nodded at the Slayer. "I will. Keep it in mind, that is." With that, the
Jedi gestured at the door, and it hissed open. "Here we are."
"So this is a Jedi training room?" Buffy said, talking as she walked through the
door. As son as she saw the room, she froze, staring around her in disbelief. "
Of course, this would be the training room, what with the high ceiling and walls
of columns that give a great view of the city, several hundred feet below!" Buf
fy let out an aggravated yell. "What is it with you people and high places? Can'
t you keep your gorram feet on the ground?"
"There is much fear in you, I sense."
Buffy whirled around to fix her glare on the Jedi Master who had spoken to her.
She looked him over- tall, well built, his dark brown head cleanly shaven, causi
ng the sun to glint off of its smooth surface. He spoke with intelligence and in
ner strength that Buffy automatically respected- she knew this guy was a warrior
.
Still, he had mouthed off to her. Couldn't let that slide...
"Can you sense what I'm thinking now, Mr. Clean?" she growled, filling her mind
with particularly nasty images. The black man quirked an eyebrow.
"And much anger, as well." He responded drolly. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"No shit."
"I am Master Windu. I was told that you had great potential to become a Jedi."
"That's what they're telling me." Buffy replied.
"Normally, I'd dismiss you outright as being too old."
"HEY!" Buffy screamed, outraged. "Doesn't a smooth operator like you know it's n
ever wise to bring up a girl's age?"
"However," he said, interrupting her tirade, "Master Qui-Gon tells me you held y
our own against creature trained in the Jedi arts. I'm curious to see how good y
ou are." With that, Mace produced a small spherical object from his robes. He pr
essed a button on the side, and it came to life, shooting up into the air and ho
vering just about a foot above and away from Buffy, who eyed the device warily.
"This is a Jedi training sphere. We use it to perfect our concentration and focu
s."
"What does it do?" Buffy asked, warily eyeing the ball.
"It moves around the person, emitting a low-level electric blast that stings its
target. The object of the exercise is to deflect the bolts with this," Mace exp
lained as he produced a small, tubular device that Buffy instantly recognized as
a lightsaber. "This is a training model. The blade is only strong enough to def
lect the blasts, and though it will burn you if you touch it, it won't cut throu
gh you." He handed the device over to Buffy, who took it with glee.
"Finally, I get my own fancy glow-stick thingee!" she exclaimed, thumbing the po
wer switch to 'on', causing the pale blue beam to emit from the hilt. She gave i
t a few practice swings, trying to get a feel for it. "Now wha-" she started to
say, but stopped mid-sentence as her world went dark. "What in the frilly heck i
s this!" she demanded.
"I couldn't help notice how fond you were of blindfolds." Mace replied deadpan.
Buffy growled at the Master. "The purpose of the exercise is to use the Force to
deflect the bolts. To do that, you must let go of your conscience self, and lea
rn to trust your feelings. You may begin when ready."
Buffy growled once more in agitation, and then reluctantly brought her blade up
to a ready position. She was almost immediately greeted by a sharp stinging pain
in her thigh as the device landed a hit.
"OW!" she screamed, more in surprise than in pain.
"Use your feelings, Skywalker." Mace advised. "Let go of the now."
"Let go of this." Buffy muttered under her breath as she raised the blade once m
ore. She strained with her senses, trying to pinpoint the tiny sphere by the sou
nd its repulsors were emitting.
She screeched again as it landed yet another hit, this time to her left shoulder
. She heard Mace sigh in disappointment, and that fueled her desire to prove she
was as good as he heard even more. Buffy closed her eyes, and reached out with
her feelings, using every meditation technique that Giles had taught her over th
e years. Gradually, she began to feel the remote's presence, and she started dar
ting out of the way of the bolts, looking for an opening. She heard Mace tsking
in disapproval.
"Your reflexes are good, but the point of the exercise was to-" he stopped sudde
nly as Buffy twirled out of the way of yet another bolt, but then brought the bl
ade up, then down again in a beautiful arc that sliced clean through the remote.
Which it shouldn't have been able to do, seeing as it was just a training saber.
The Master and Knight stared down at the two halves of the remote that lay on th
e ground, still sparking. Buffy pulled off her helmet and smirked.
"You see, where I'm from, if there's a threat, I don't just block it. I take it
out."
Mace shook his head. "That wasn't the point of the test."
"Yeah, well I never was really good at tests." Buffy replied. "Look, lets cut th
e crap. You want to see how a little girl like me could hold her own against som
e kind of evil Jedi? Then stop all of this dancing around and just bring it."
"What?"
"You heard me. Whip out your glow stick and..." Buffy stopped, realizing what sh
e had just said in mounting horror. "Oh, god, that SO sounded wrong..."
"I believe she wants to spar with you." Qui-Gon observed as he led Anakin, Obi-W
an and Willow into the chamber. The council was done with them, for now; now the
y needed to talk amongst themselves and figure out what to do next. Qui-Gon felt
that it would be a good idea to see how the elder Skywalker was doing, and had
led them all down here to watch her testing.
Halcyon stepped forward, towards the Slayer. "Miss Skywalker, I don't believe th
at would be such a good idea." He started, a worried look on his face. "Master W
indu was one of the Masters who taught me how to wield a lightsaber; his skills
are legend in the temple. Taking him on..."
"Will show him exactly what I can do." She finished, her eyes never leaving Mace
s'. "So what do you say? You want a shot at the title?"
"You're trying to appeal to my pride." Mace reasoned. "What you don't realize is
that a true Jedi would never succumb to such an obvious ploy. I will, however,
take you up on your offer, to see how skilled you truly are." With that, he disc
arded his heavy brown robes, and unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. He acti
vated it with his thumb, and the long purple blade flared to life. Buffy took on
e look at the blade's color, and had to work hard to stop a laugh.
"Purple?" she snorted. "Oh, god...I think I'm going to call you Barney from now
on..."
Mace ignored her comments and adjusted a dial on the side of the hilt, powering
down the blade considerably.
"I've now set my blade to a training-level power setting. The blades will be eve
nly matched, even if we are not." Mace then brought the lightsaber up to a ready
position over his right shoulder, the blade pointing out towards Buffy. "Prepar
e yourself."
Buffy just smirked and re-activated her own blue blade, and held it casually by
her side, pointed down. They stood, eyes locked on each other for several minute
s, before Mace spoke.
"I believe I told you to get ready."
Buffy snorted. "I am ready, Windex. I'm just waiting for you."
Maces' eyes narrowed, and then he attacked. A quick thrust, slash, upwards slash
, downwards thrust... Buffy managed to block all of his early moves literally si
ngle-handedly, with seeming little effort. Mace's respect for the girl went up-
she obviously had some experience with swords and knew how to use them. Realizin
g that, Mace stepped up the attack, raining blow after blow, not letting up at a
ll.
Buffy, for her part, was shocked at how well she seemed to be doing. She knew ho
w to handle swords- part of the Slayer package, she had been told, was the abili
ty to learn to use almost any type of weapon at an accelerated rate. Plus, there
had been the whole deal with Angel and Acathla, and the deal on the Winnebago w
ith the Knights Who Said Knee, but that was neither here nor there. Still, she s
eemed to almost instinctively know who to wield the lightsaber, as if it was an
extension of her won body. Soon she had grasped the hilt with both hands and was
busy parrying Windu's shots.
They got into a rhythm, back and forth, back and forth. There were no fancy aeri
al moves, no flips, just plain old blocking and swinging. It got to a point wher
e it was almost repetitive- back and forth, back and forth. The assembled group
watched in awe as Mace, one of the top Lightsaber specialists in the Temple, was
put on guard by a mere slip of a girl. Then suddenly, Mace swung around, and us
ing one hand to hold his lightsaber to block Buffy downward slash, he thrust out
his other hand and send a Force-wave at the girl, knocking her back onto the fl
oor. Mace immediately came to attention, his lightsaber on medium guard. Buffy g
lared at the Master.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded.
"That was using the Force." Mace replied. "Something that only Jedi can do."
Buffy got back up and renewed her attack, slashing and thrusting at Windu with a
ll she had. Once again, he blocked with one hand, and used the other to send her
sprawling.
"You have skill, Skywalker. But without the Force on your side, you have no busi
ness at this temple."
Glaring at the Jedi, Buffy sprang to her feet once more, determined to win this
fight. The rained blows on one another once more, until at the same time they bo
th broke away and spun around. Mace swung his lightsaber for Buffy's midsection
with one hand, hoping to land a blow. His other hand he thrust out, sending fort
h yet another Force-wave.
Buffy, meanwhile spun around in time to swing her blade so that it was pointing
down, effectively blocking mace's swing. Her other hand she thrust out instincti
vely in front of her, under her lightsaber arm, right in front of Mace's hand. S
uddenly, she felt a tremendous pressure on her hand, as if it was being pushed b
ack by a mighty wind. Determine not to get thrown on her back again; she concent
rated with all of her might, willing the wind to flow the opposite direction, ba
ck at Mace.
There the two stood, as the onlookers looked on in shock, as Mace tired to once
again use the Force against Buffy, and Buffy tried to use the Force against Mace
.
And suddenly the power became too great, and it exploded, sending both fighters
sprawling backwards.
Mace landed in a heap on the floor, but quickly got back to his feet. Not quite
quickly enough, however, for Buffy had managed to turn her backwards momentum in
to a reverse somersault and had landed on her feet. She instantly sprang back to
wards Mace, who was just getting up. Her lightsaber raised high over her head; s
he brought it down at the rising Master with all of her considerable strength. M
ace just barely got his blade up in time to block it.
An interesting fact about lightsabers: for all of their wondrous technology, the
y still run on the Galactic Republic version of a couple of 'AA'-Batteries. Ever
y time the blade is used, say to deflect a blaster bolt, or to block another lig
htsaber, a little bit of energy is sapped out of the batteries. Of course, these
batteries can last for decades before even showing the first signs of wear and
the Jedi always took great pains in maintain the lightsabers so that the batteri
es never failed.
So it was quite a shock to all that, when Buffy brought her blade down onto Mace
s', the blades flared for a moment, then suddenly winked out, the tell-tale sign
that the batteries energy had been spent.
And while that amazed the spectators, what really got them was when Buffy's ligh
tsaber hilt, whose momentum had barely been slowed by the blades' final collisio
n, connected with the left side of Mace's jaw, nearly breaking the delicate jaw
bone and sending blood spraying onto the floor.
There was a moment of shocked silence as they all registered what happened- the
stunned looks on the Jedi's faces, the horrified look on Buffy's face, the disma
yed look on Willow's face, and Anakin's simple pronouncement.
"Aw, Buffy! I asked you not to hurt him too badly!"
Chapter 6
Return to Naboo
====BtVS====
"I can't believe you broke his jaw!"
Buffy sighed, then looked at her brother with pleading eyes. "For the last time,
I didn't break it." In a smaller voice, she added, "I fractured it."
"Lucky it was just a fracture." Willow noted, a small smile on her lips. "I'm st
ill wondering how you managed to break the lightsabers."
The three outcasts were seated just outside the Council chambers, awaiting the C
ouncil's decision on them. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Halcyon were meeting with the C
ouncil reporting on what happened in the training room. Master Windu would have
given it, but he was currently immersed in a Bacta-tank to heal the broken jaw a
nd cracked skull Buffy had given him.
Hey, she thought to herself, he wanted to spar, he has to deal with the conseque
nces.
The three young people each had different reactions to what had happened. Anakin
was torn between being awed by his sisters ability, and being upset that she us
ed it on a Jedi Master. Willow wasn't very surprised- she had seen Buffy take do
wn bigger, badder things than a lone Jedi with a lightsaber. Buffy, however, was
aghast that she had lost control so easily. Had it been so long, had her emotio
ns been so suppressed, that the slightest provocation brought the Slayer in her
out so easily? Before she could dwell on it anymore, the door opened and Obi-Wan
appeared.
"The Council will see you all, now."
====BtVS====
The three moved into the Council chambers and took their places beside the two J
edi. Buffy looked at the members of the Council, and reflected on what Anakin to
ld her of his testing. According to him, they could see the deepest, darkest fea
rs of his soul, and could quite possibly read his mind. That in mind, Buffy auto
matically cleared hers, using meditation techniques Giles had taught to her. She
then turned her eyes on their two Jedi guides, and could practically feel the t
ension between them.
Must have had a fight. She thought as she finished clearing her mind and turned
her attention back to the Council.
"Finished, we are, with our examination of the boy." The little green guy, Yogur
t or something, was saying. "Correct, you were, Qui-Gon."
Cone-head, who was sitting off to the gremlin's left, nodded his head. "The Forc
e is strong in him."
"He is to be trained, then." Qui-Gon declared triumphantly.
For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence in the room as the 12 Council m
embers looked at one another.
"No." Ki-Adi-Mundi stated simply. And with that one word, Anakin's face crumpled
and tears formed in his eyes.
"No?" Qui-Gon repeated in disbelief.
"He is too old. There is already too much anger in him." The Master replied.
If they thought Anakin had anger in him, then it paled in comparison to the ange
r Qui-Gon briefly felt. He quickly dismissed the anger, let it flow out of him,
and turned his full concentration on the obstinate Council before him.
"He is the Chosen One! You must see it!"
Any attempts Buffy had made at clearing her hind went out the window with that s
tatement. Her head whipped around and she stared at Qui-Gon in shock, which quic
kly turned to anger as she put the pieces together in her mind.
The Chose One...a prophecy...and everybody's wigging because Anakin's got a lot
of midi-whatever's in his system. Her face darkened at the implications. He want
s Annie to be their Slayer.
I'm SO going to kick his ass...
"Clouded, this boy's future is." Yoda replied. "Masked by his youth."
Qui-Gon looked at the faces of the Council member, searching for help. Finding n
one, he straightened, then put his hands on Anakin's shoulders. "Very well. I wi
ll train him then. I take Anakin Skywalker as my Padawan apprentice."
Buffy saw Obi-Wan stiffen in shock, and knew that this hadn't been planned betwe
en them. Her heart went out to the young Padawan- Qui-Gon was the closest thing
he knew to a father, and here it seemed he was abandoning him for someone younge
r.
Buffy had some experience in that field.. Except her father abandoned her and he
r mother for his secretary.
Buffy continued to listen, her anger building in her as she watched Anakin being
passed along like a pawn on a chessboard. Willow seemed to sense her agitation
and laid a calming hand on her forearm; Buffy felt her friend's magic as it flow
ed into her and helped calm her down. Soon enough, the Council dismissed the gro
up, assigning Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to accompany the Queen back to Naboo and prote
ct her. Qui-Gon told he Council that Anakin would be accompanying him, as the bo
y and his sister were technically his wards now. Yoda agreed, but only after tel
ling the Jedi Master, in no uncertain terms, not to train them. As the group tur
ned to leave, Buffy stood resolute, rooted to the spot in the middle of the spea
ker's dais. Yoda raised a small green eyebrow in surprise. "Something to say, ha
ve you?"
"I do, yes." Buffy replied sarcastically, and then tossed over her shoulder, "Do
n't wait up. I'll be along in a minute."
Qui-Gon's eyes widened in surprise at the obvious dismissal from the girl. He st
arted to say something, but was stopped when Willow put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't bother. She won't leave until she's had a chat."
Qui-Gon considered the girl for a moment, then nodded. "Very well." And with tha
t, the group left Buffy alone with the Jedi Council.
"Much anger, I sense in you." Yoda observed, eyeing the girl. Buffy snorted.
"Very observant you are, Kermit. Almost as observant as Barney. And look where h
e ended up." Buffy looked around to the assembled members of the Council, who we
re all eyeing her in equal states of disbelief and outrage. "And don't even try
it, with those so-called intimidating looks. I've faced down master vampires, si
xty-foot snakes, and Frankenstein monsters. You all don't rate. And if any of yo
u want to step up, I'll line you up next to your buddy in the infirmary." She cl
apped her hands together and rubbed them briskly "I guess you want to know why I
wanted to have this little chat?"
"Yes, we do." Aayla Secura said.
"Well, it's a little something like this." Buffy started. "Willow told you about
us. What's more, she SHOWED you what are lives were like. So you all know that
I know a little something about how Council's treat their 'Chosen Ones'.
"Now, you all say that you won't train Anakin. That he's too you, too angry. Mea
nwhile, I know that's a load of bullshit, because I know you got some kind of pr
ophecy. And I know, from experience, that prophecy's have a way of coming true.
And I'm betting that, in order for that to happen, Anakin needs to be trained. A
nd so, whether you like it or not, he'll be trained. Well, here's the rub.
"When you take him, and you will, you're going to get me. And I'm going to look
out for him."
"We don't appreciate being told what to do." Ki-Adi-Mundi said in a hard tone. B
uffy turned her steely gaze on him.
"And I don't give a rats ass about what you appreciate." The Slayer shot back. "
Slayers are taken from their families when they are very young, as soon as they
can be located by the Watcher's Council. Once in the council's 'care', they are
trained a potential Slayer to a Watcher. And when these Slayers are called, thei
r maximum life expectancy is 18. Heck, most only live to 16!" She tuned back to
Yoda and eyed him critically. "You know why I lived as long as I did? I wasn't f
ound by the Council until I was called. And by then, I had friends. I had family
. I had something to fight for, something to care about. Anakin and I, we're ver
y similar. We both found we had a calling much later than we should have. But fi
nding out late kept me ! alive, and I'm going to make sure he stays safe as long
as I can.. Think about that while you're making you decision."
====BtVS====
Buffy found her way out to the Jedi Temple's landing platform, where Halcyon awa
ited with a small transport.
"Everyone else was told to go on ahead." He explained to the Slayer, who stood a
t the doorway. "Master Jinn asked me to escort you to the Queen's platform." He
looked on at the scared girl with concern. "Would you like me to blindfold you?"
He asked the question sincerely, and Buffy recognized it. That was probably the
only reason she didn't knock his teeth out. Buffy took a deep breath, then start
ed shakily walking out towards the waiting Jedi. Halcyon smiled. "That's right.
One step at a time." Not soon enough for Buffy, she arrived at the transport and
gingerly climbed in. Once she was seated, she closed her eyes.
"To the ship, Jeeves." She said. Halcyon just chuckled one more and got in, and
in a few moments, they were off.
====BtVS====
Buffy arrived at the platform just a few minutes later. Saying farewell to the y
oung Jedi guide, she made her way across the platform towards the ship. Before s
he reached it, she witnessed Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan having a brief fight, then Obi-
Wan stalking off into the ship. She then heard Anakin apologizing to Qui-Gon for
being a bother, while the Jedi brushed it off. Before she could interrupt them,
Willow came to her side.
"Hey, look at you. Eyes wide open girl!" Willow exclaimed, giving Buffy a playfu
l punch on her arm. Buffy gave her a weak smile in return.
"This is a lot harder than it looks." She replied, hen looked over to the Jedi w
ho was still talking with Anakin. She nodded in his direction. "What's up with h
im and Benny?"
"Difference of opinion."
"Over Anakin and I?"
"Yeah. Especially Anakin- I'm not sure he likes him that much." Willow replied w
ith a lopsided grin. "It's like siblings fighting over a parents affections."
Buffy chuckled. "Yeah, Dawn and I...." Buffy trailed off, and then sighed. "God,
I miss her. I miss all of them."
"I do, too." Willow replied quietly.
There was a moment of silence between the girls. Then Buffy spoke. "So, did the
Council test you, too?"
"I think I kind of shocked them with the light show." Willow replied as they hea
ded towards the ship. "They asked what I could do, I demonstrated some stuff- co
njuring fire, levitating..."
"What did you- you levitated Kermit, didn't you?" Buffy suddenly exclaimed, then
squealed with delight at Willows nod of affirmation.
"Kind of surprised him, there. I don't think they know what to make of me."
"Well, maybe they'll take you in, too. It may not be the Force, but you could pr
obably learn a lot from them."
"Ooh! Plus, Qui-Gon says that the Jedi archives have so much information in them
, there's bound to be a way for us to get home in them!"
Buffy smiled as they walked up the ramp into the Nubian. "We can always hope."
"So," Willow started, glancing sideways at her friend, "What did you say to them
?"
"Oh, nothing, just the usual..."
"So you threatened them." Willow stated. Buffy put a hurt look on her face.
"Willow! Really, do you think I'd do something like that..."
====BtVS====
Later on during the flight, while Anakin was in the cockpit learning about the c
ontrols, Buffy stood near Willow in the Queen's chamber as she addressed the ass
embled people.
"When we land on Naboo, it is my intention to act on this invasion at once. My p
eople have suffered enough."
"When we land, Your Highness" Captain Panaka seethed, anger showing clearly on h
is face, "the Trade Federation will arrest you and force you to sign their treat
y!"
"I agree." Qui-Gon added, nodding thoughtfully. "I'm not sure what you hope to a
ccomplish by this."
"The Naboo are going to take back what is ours."
"Well, THAT certainly is a comprehensive plan..." Buffy muttered, but was silenc
ed by Willow's elbow impacting with her midsection. Panaka, however, seemed to s
hare Buffy's feelings.
"There are only twelve of us! Your Highness, we have no army!" the Captain snapp
ed. The Queen's gaze traveled over to the Jedi, who shook his head.
"The Jedi cannot fight a war for you, Your Highness. We can only protect you." Q
ui-Gon responded to the silent question. Buffy bit back a retort on how effectiv
e the Jedi seem to be in battle, much to Willow's relief. Then she had to stifle
a moan when the Queen's gaze fell on the next person in line.
"Jar Jar Binks!"
The Gungan stiffened, clearly caught off guard. "Me, Your Highness?"
The Queen nodded in affirmation. "Yes. I have need of your help."
"I got a bombad feeling about this." Buffy said under her breath, earning anothe
r elbow from Willow.
====BtVS====
Soon the Nubian had landed next to the swamp on Naboo that led to the Gungans ho
me city. Jar Jar made his way down to the underwater city while the Queen and he
r entourage waited. And while Anakin found himself quietly looking at Padmè, who h
ad changed from the cumbersome red and orange hooded robes to more functional tr
ousers and tunics, Buffy found herself entertaining some serious doubts about th
e Queen's plan.
"Well, at least Anakin found something nice to look at." Buffy commented dryly,
before turning to Willow. "I thought you said this was a beautiful planet?"
"The swamps have their own beauty, too, Buffy." Willow calmly replied with a sma
ll smile. "But believe me, this is just the warm-up act."
Buffy released a sigh and shook her head. "Even if we get what's bound to be the
clumsiest army ever, if Jar Jar is any example, I don't see how we're going to
take out the droid army!"
"Yeah. It's almost as ludicrous as a bunch of high school seniors taking on a si
xty-foot snake demon and his vampire lackeys at their graduation."
Buffy shot Willow a withering glare, who smiled sweetly in return. "Point taken,
Ms. Rosenberg. Still doesn't mean we aren't going to get our asses kicked."
Buffy looked around at the assembled group. He saw Padmè and Anakin talking; judgi
ng by the sadness in her eyes, and the worry in Anakin's, she must be telling hi
m that she was going off to war. Her eyes then moved over to the two Jedi, who h
ad remained distant with one another during the flight back to Naboo. Judging by
their postures, she could see there was still a little hurt and resentment ther
e, but both were doing what they could to patch things up with each other.
Fathers and sons. Buffy mused. The Slayer looked out at the water, and spotted a
dark shape heading towards them. She tensed, ready for an attack, and relaxed o
nly when Jar Jar broke the surface.
"Tis nobody dere! Deys akk gone!" the Gungan exclaimed as he pulled himself out
of the swamp and shook off the excess water from his clothes. "Some kind of figh
t, deys have. Maccaneks, mebbe. Very bombad. Otoh Gunga empty. All Gungans gone.
All gone."
"Do you think they have been taken to the camps?" Panaka asked. Obi-Wan shook hi
s head.
"More likely they were wiped out." He said in disgust.
Jar Jar shook his head. "Me no think so. Gungans too smart. Go into hiding. When
dey in trouble, go to sacred place. Maccaneks no find them dere."
"Can you take us there, Jar Jar?" Qui-Gon asked. The Gungan sighed.
"Here we go again."
The group traveled through he swamp for some time, guided by Jar Jar. They skirt
ed around the edges of the lake, then proceeded into the forest, the massive tre
es dwarfing the group as they traveled on. Soon they emerged into a clearing, su
rrounded by thick-rooted trees and tall marsh grasses. Jar Jar stopped and looke
d around, sniffing the air. After a moment, he nodded.
"Dissen it." He said, then lifted his bill and made a series of chittering sound
s. After a moment Captain Tarpals, head of the Gungan army, emerged in the clear
ing with a squad of his soldiers, who fanned out and surround the group. Jar Jar
waved cheerily.
"Heydey ho, Cap'n Tarpals." He greeted. The Gungan leader sighed in disbelief.
"Binks! Notta gain!"
The guards rounded them all up and led them deeper into the forest, where they e
ntered yet another clearing. This one was again surrounded by thick trees, with
pieces of ancient statues depicting Gungan mythological figures littering the gr
ound. On top of a head of one of the figures, that was lying on its side, stood
Boss Nass, ruler of the Gungans
"Jar Jar Binks," he intoned, "whadda yous doen back? Yous suppose ta take dese o
utlanders and no come back! Yous pay good dis time!" The Gungan swiveled his hea
d to look upon the rest of the group. "Who yous bring here ta da Gungan sacred p
lace?"
The Queen took a step forward. "I am Amidala, Queen of the Naboo."
"Naboo!" Boss Nass roared. "No like da Naboo! Yous bring da maccaneks! Dey drive
us all out! Yous akk bombad! Yous all die, mebbe!"
Buffy stiffened at that, and moved surreptiously in front of Anakin to protect h
im. She tensed her muscles and prepared to spring at the first threat that prese
nted itself. The Slayer also noticed the Jedi moving to flank the queen, though
they kept their arms at their sides; and Panaka and the rest of the guard lookin
g around nervously, their hands moving slowly towards their blasters. She knew t
hat if a fight broke out, it would most likely be due to them shooting first. Ou
t of the corner of her eye, she saw Willow's lips moving subtly, and she felt th
e magic start to build.
Amidala pressed on, trying to salvage the situation. "We wish to form an allianc
e with you,.."
"We no form nutten wit da Naboo!" Boss Nass thundered.
Suddenly, Padmè detached herself from the guard and stepped in front of the Queen.
Boss Nass peered curiously at the girl.
"Who dis?" he snapped. Padmè straightened.
"I am Queen Amidala. This is Sabè, my decoy, my loyal bodyguard." She added noddin
g to the woman in the royal robes. "I am sorry for the deception, but given the
circumstances, I am sure you can understand."
Anakin was staring at Padmè in shock, as was Buffy. The Jedi looked to be torn bet
ween surprise and amusement, though Qui-Gon looked as if he had been expecting t
his for some time. Buffy's shock gaze swiveled swiftly onto Willow, who smirked.
You could have warned me, she thought, hoping her friend would pick up on her th
oughts. She didn't disappoint.
And what, ruin the surprise? Willow replied glibly. Besides, you of all people s
hould know not to underestimate a strong-willed girl like Padmè. She chided.
"Although our people do not always agree, Your Honor," Padmè continued, her voice
softening, "we have always lived in peace. Until now. The Trade Federation, with
its tanks and it 'maccaneks,' has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to
build. The Gungans are in hiding, and the Naboo have been imprisoned in camps. I
f we do not act quickly, all that we value will be lost forever. I ask you to he
lp us, Your Honor. No, I beg you to help us." She abruptly dropped to one knee a
nd bowed her head, much to the astonishment of both the Naboo and Gungans presen
t. "We are your humble servants, Your Honor. Our fate is in your hands. Please,
help us."
One by one, her hand-maidens, Panaka, and the rest of the Naboo dropped to their
knees, then the Jedi, Anakin, Buffy, and finally Willow joined them, though Wil
low did so that she fell just behind Padmè, so she could shield her quickly if nee
ded. For a moment, no one said anything. Then slowly a deep, resounding laughter
rumbled from the leader of the Gungans.
"Ho, ho, ho! Me like dis! Dis good! Yous no think yous greater den da Gungans!"
Boss Nass storde forward and extended a hand to Padmè. "Yous stand, Queen Amidoll.
Yous talk wit me, okay? Mebbe we gonna be friends after all!"
====BtVS====
"Stop smiling."
"Sorry."
"It wasn't funny."
"Sure it was, from a certain point of view."
"I got your point of view right here... you should have told me!"
"And miss the look on your face? Are you kidding?"
Buffy and Willow were arguing playfully at the edge of the forest while they wai
ted for Captain Panaka to return with his scouting party. The Queen, or as Buffy
found herself calling her mentally, 'The Queen formerly known as Handmaiden Pad
mè', was busy discussing the upcoming fight with Boss Nass. The Jedi were helping
the Gungans keep a look out for any incoming Trade Federation forces, and Anakin
... well, he had gone off by himself as he tried to process the fact that the gi
rl he had a crush on was, in fact, royalty.
He sure does know how to pick 'em. Buffy mused.
"At the very least, you could have told Anakin." Buffy pressed on. "It's a lot t
o take in that the girl of his dreams is a freaking Queen."
"If it's any consolidation, I think she kind of likes him, too." Willow responde
d quietly, with a small smile on her face. Buffy couldn't help but chuckle., but
she soon turned serious.
"Do you think this plan will work?"
Willow shrugged her shoulders. "Did you really think a bunch of teenagers could
take on the Mayor? The odds are slim- I'll admit that. But we've pulled off bigg
er victories against badder foes. We'll find a way. We always do." The young wit
ch looked off into the horizon and saw the approaching speeders. "They're back."
====BtVS====
"I think we got through without being detected, Your Highness." Panaka was sayin
g as the Slayer and the Witch joined them.
"What is the situation?" Padmè inquired.
"Most of our people are in the detention camps." Panaka replied. "A few hundred
officers and guards have formed an underground movement to resist the invasion.
I've brought as many of the leaders as I could find."
"Good." Padmè nodded at Boss Nass. "The Gungans have a larger army than we imagine
d."
"Very, very bombad!" the Gungan chief rumbled.
Panaka sighed "You'll need it. The Federation army is much larger than we though
t, too. And stronger." He shot the Queen a considering look. "I do not think tha
t this is a battle that we can win."
"Oh, ye of little faith." Buffy muttered.
Padmè was undeterred. "I don't intend to win it, Captain. The battle is a diversio
n. We need the Gungans to draw the droid army away from Theed, so we can infiltr
ate the palace and capture the Neimoidian viceroy. The Trade Federation cannot f
unction without its head. Neimoidians don't think for themselves. Without the vi
ceroy to command them, they will cease to be a threat." She paused for a moment
to let them consider her plan, then she turned to Qui-Gon. "What do you think, M
aster Jedi?"
"It is a well-conceived plan." Qui-Gon replied. "It appears to be your best poss
ible move, Your Highness, although there is great risk. Even with the droid army
in the field, the viceroy will be well guarded. And many of the Gungans may be
killed."
The Gungan leader snorted. "They bombad guns no get through our shields! We read
y to fight!"
"We could nock out the droid control ship." Willow suggested. "When we hit the p
alace, we free as many pilots as we can, and send them to take it out."
"Agreed." Padmè said.
"But if the viceroy should escape, Your Highness," Obi-Wan pointed out, "he will
return with another droid army."
"That is why we must not let the viceroy escape." Padmè retorted. "Everything depe
nds on it. Cut off the head, and the serpent dies. Without the viceroy, the Trad
e Federations collapses."
"What about us?" Anakin quietly asked Qui-Gon. The Jedi placed a hand on his sho
ulder.
"You two stay close to me, Annie, Buffy. Do as I say, and you'll be safe."
"You're half right." Buffy replied. "Annie, you stick close to Qui-Gon. As for m
e," she turned her steely gaze on the Jedi, "I need a weapon."
====BtVS====
"Can't I have a lifesaver?" Buffy whined quietly to Qui-Gon as they slunk throug
h the deserted city, avoiding the droid patrols.
"Lightsaber." The Jedi corrected automatically, momentarily reminding Buffy of G
iles. "And we don't carry spares around. Besides, you're not trained in how to u
se it."
"Yeah, 'cause it's not like I could use one to kick some Jedi's ass-oh, wait..."
"A blaster is a perfectly acceptable weapon for this campaign."
"I don't like guns." Buffy replied emphatically, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
"They're...uncivilized."
"Says the girl who used to swing a mace around." Willow quipped, earning her a g
lare from the Slayer.
"Do you two mind?" Obi-Wan interrupted, "We ARE trying to remain undetected."
Padmè's small force stopped in the shadow of a tall building across from the main
hanger in Theed. In the middle of the square was a small droid patrol. Padmè was d
ressed as a handmaiden, and was surrounded by Willow, Panaka and Eirtaè, a fellow
handmaiden. Padmè waited in the shadows of the archway of the building, looking fo
r the signal from the resistance to move. Quietly, the young Queen turned to her
sister.
"Rose, the time may come when we will have need of your gifts," she stated. Will
ow/Rose looked back at her, never flinching, never backing down.
"Then when that time comes, Your Highness, my gifts will be at your disposal." S
he leaned in and lowered her voice. "You just watch yourself out there."
Padmè gave her a small smile. "You too, Rose. Mom would never forgive me if someth
ing happened to you."
The two girls exchanged a brief smile, then Padmè saw what she had been waiting fo
r- a small, blinking light from one of the resistance leaders. Buffy also saw th
e light, and turned to Anakin.
"When we get in there, you find a nice, safe place to hide away. Got it?"
"But what about you?"
"This is my job, Annie. Trust me- I'll be fine. But only if I know you're safe.
Got it?"
"Got it." Anakin replied sullenly.
And with that, all hell broke loose.
====BtVS====
The Band rushed into the main hanger of Naboo, blasters firing and lightsabers s
winging. As the Jedi deflected bolts back to their owners, Anakin scampered in b
ehind them and ducked behind a large pallet of crates. Buffy came in last, takin
g aim with her blaster and firing- and missing every single droid she aimed at.
"God, I HATE guns!" she screamed in frustration. Taking the initiative, she pull
ed her arm back and then hurled the blaster with all of her considerable strengt
h at the nearest droid. The blaster sailed through the air, knocked the head off
the droid, then continued to fly, knocking out two more droids. She then let lo
ose a flying snap kick that took down another droid, landing in a roll and comin
g up besides another pallet of storage crates. She winced in pain- kicking the d
roid had damn near broken her ankle. Knowing she couldn't fight the droids hand-
to-hand, she searched around frantically for a weapon of some kind- and found it
on the pallet next to her- a piece of pipe, about five feet long and two inches
thick. It was hollow, but it should stand up to some damage if she used it corr
ectly Silently sending her thanks to Giles and his insistence on teaching her ho
w to use a quarter staff, Buffy grabbed the pipe and rushed back into the battle
.
It only took a few more moments to clear the hanger of the droids. Freed pilots
frantically scrambled up to their small, twin-engine fighters and took off. One
was hit by a tank that had been stationed outside and crashed down into the vall
ey far below. Anakin scrambled into an empty fighter in an attempt to get out of
the way, and soon Artoo joined him, pulled into the fighter by its automated sy
stems. With the pilots away, the group started to move towards the main doors th
at led to the palace.
"Hey, where are you going?" Anakin asked.
"Annie, you stay there!" Qui-Gon shouted. The boy shook his head.
"But I want to go with you!"
"Annie, stay in the cockpit!" Buffy shouted, her hair wild about her face. "Any
bad guys come, blast 'em!"
Buffy had been so intent on Anakin, she hadn't even realized the group had stopp
ed until it was almost to late. As it was, she still slammed into the back of Ob
i-Wan, who in turn was forced into the back of Qui-Gon. The two Jedi gave her a
quick glare before turning back to the doors, and Buffy gave a hiss of surprise
when she saw what had brought them up short.
A black-cloaked, hooded figure stood in the doorway, blocking their path. Slowly
it raised it's head and threw back the hood, revealing his horned head and red-
and-black tattooed face. Qui-Gon gave a signal to Padmè, and her and her group rus
hed to a side exit, leaving the Jedi and Buffy to face the new threat.
The dark warrior dropped his cloak and brought his long-handled lightsaber out i
n front of him, as if presenting it for inspection. Suddenly, twin red blades er
upted from both ends, forming a lethal, dual-bladed weapon. Buffy looked at the
weapon and raised an eyebrow.
"Well, it looks like he brought a spare..."
Chapter 7
Duel of the Fates
Disclaimer- The Usual: Star Wars is owned by Lucas, Buffy is owned by Wheedon, a
nd my soul is owned by my creditors, so don't even bother suing me.
====BtVS====
Padmè ran with her small group towards the side exit, but came up short when three
destroyer droids rolled into the room from behind the door and unfurled themsel
ves, then let loose with blaster fire. The queen quickly ducked behind a pillar
and returned fire, which was deflected by the droids shields.
"ROSE!" she yelled to her sister, who was a pillar behind her. "Can you take the
se droids out?"
Before Willow could answers, the first droid was blasted away by twin beams of g
reen energy. Padmè looked behind her, and saw the damndest thing- Annie in a fight
er, letting loose with the ships blaster cannons and clearing the way for them.
Then, much to her chagrin, the fighter shot forward and out of the bay. Putting
her worry for the young boy aside, she let out a rallying cry and led her troops
through the door towards the palace.
====BtVS====
Buffy, however, had not noticed her brothers rather spectacular departure. "You
guys go with the Queen. I got horn-boy here." And with that, much to the Jedi's
chagrin, the Slayer charged forward. Ignoring Qui-Gon's shouts for her to stop,
she swung her makeshift staff over her head and brought it down with all of her
strength at the demon's head-
And the Sith warrior sliced it cleanly in two with his dual-bladed lightsaber. T
hen taking advantage of her shock, she thrust out his palm, sending a powerful F
orce wave hurtling at the Slayer. The blast sent Buffy sailing clear across the
hanger, where she impacted against the far wall. Her head cracked against the wa
ll, and she slid down to the floor, unconscious.
====BtVS====
It only took a few minutes for Padmè and her group to reach the main palace. They
moved quietly and cautiously through the hallways, moving inwards towards the th
rone room. They didn't get far before an entire patrol of droids rounded the cor
ner and opened fire.
"Take cover!" Padmè yelled, ducking behind a pillar and returning fire. Willow too
k up position beside her and fired her weapon as well, scoring several quick hit
s. But the droids kept coming in endless waves, and the Queen grew aggravated.
"Captain!" she yelled across the hall to Panaka, "We don't have time for this!"
The captain nodded, then turned his blaster on the tall window beside him and op
ened up, blasting it out. Everyone climbed out on the edge of the window and att
ached grapple lines to their guns, then fired them, sending the climbing lines s
traight up to he under hang of the roof. They then activated the ascension mecha
nism and rose off the ledge, landing just outside the top floor of the palace, a
nd a moment later, they were inside, racing once more to the throne room.
"We're almost there!" Rose shouted, but then was forced to skid to a stop when t
wo Destroyer droids rounded the corner ahead of her and instantly switched to at
tack mode. Rose spun around, but found two more Destroyers blocking the hall.
"They're not just droids, they're transformers..." Rose murmured, raising her we
apon and quickly going through the spells she knew for one to use. Padmè's voice b
rought her up short, though.
"Throw down your weapons," the Queen ordered, "They win this round."
"But, Your Majesty, we can't-"
"Captain," Padmè repeated, her voice like steel, "I said to throw down your weapon
s."
Panaka looked at her as if she had lost her mind, then dejectedly threw his weap
on to the ground. The rest of the soldiers and hand-maidens followed suit. As th
ey did that, Padmè glanced at Rose and nodded; the red-head returned the nod then
briefly closed her eyes. As the droids rounded them up, Padmè looked to Panaka.
"Have faith, Captain," was all she said to the bewildered head of the security a
s the droids took them captive.
====BtVS====
Buffy lay slumped on the floor. The two Jedi and the Sith had moved into the mas
sive power transfer room off of the main hanger; Anakin had joined the battle ov
er Naboo, desperately putting his considerable flying talents to the test in an
effort to help destroy the droid control ship. The Queen and her attack group we
re making their way to the throne room. And Buffy lay, slumped on the floor. Aft
er a few moments, she stirred and strained to sit up. Rolling over onto all four
s, she struggled to pull herself into a sitting position-
FLASH
Qui-Gon and the Sith were fighting in a round room, a large, endless shaft in th
e middle, and blocked off from the power distribution plant by a long corridor w
ith five glowing containment fields. Obi-Wan was stuck behind the final field, w
aiting for it to drop, as his Master valiantly fought the Sith. But Qui-Gon was
desperately over matched; his years of experience nothing against the raw fury o
f the demon warrior. Their blades crashed against each other, until finally the
Sith, Darth Maul, Buffy knew instinctively, pushed the Jedi's blade up and away,
butted him in the face with the handle of his lightsaber, then spun around and
buried the bottom blade of the lightsaber deep into the Jedi Masters gut as his
Padawan screamed...
NOOOOOOOO!
FLASH
Buffy gasped and staggered to her feet. She briefly leaned against the wall and
shook her head.
What in the frilly heck was that? She thought to herself, before the icy cold re
ality filled her.
Qui-Gon was going to die.
The Powers that Be a pain in her ass must have given her a heads up or something
, but she knew that what she had seen was real. If she didn't go help, Qui-Gon w
ould die.
Without a second thought, Buffy raced across the now-deserted hangar. For a mome
nt, she wondered where Anakin was, but that though, along with all rational thou
ght, were pushed from her mind when she entered the cavernous Power distribution
plant. She reeled with vertigo as she caught a glimpse of the endless drop belo
w her; then she reeled again as she saw the multiple levels of catwalks above he
r. Her mind shutting down, Buffy collapsed against the doorway, curling up into
a ball and rocking herself while silently saying "No, no, no....."
====BtVS====
Nute Gunray and Rune Haako stood with four other members of the Trade Federation
Occupation Council as the Queen, Captain Panaka, half a dozen of his troops, an
d one of the Queen's handmaidens were marched into the throne room.
"Your Highness." Gunray greeted as the Queen was led to him.
"Viceroy." She returned coldly.
"Your little insurrection is at an end, Your Highness. The rabble army you sent
against us south of the city has been crushed. The Jedi are being dealt with els
ewhere. And you are my captive." The Viceroy said in a smug voice. Padmè raised an
eyebrow.
"Am I?" she asked quietly. Her tone unnerved the Viceroy; there was a challenge
in her voice, as if she was daring him to call her on her unspoken challenge.
"Yes, you are." Gunray continued, pressing ahead in his threats. "IT is time for
you to put an end to the pointless debate you instigated in the Republic Senate
. Sign the treaty now."
A sudden commotion outside the room caught everyone's attention, as suddenly sev
eral Naboo soldiers appeared, led by-
The Queen?
"I will not be signing any treaty, Viceroy!" the second Queen shouted, firing he
r blaster and taking down a droid. Gunray was astounded- a second Queen! He whee
led around to six of the Destroyers. "You six, after her!" he yelled. "Bring her
to me!" He gestured at Padmè, standing quietly by the throne. "This one's a decoy
!"
The Six Destroyers moved out into the hall after the retreating form of the Quee
n, leaving just four to guard the rest. As soon as they were out, Padmè looked at
Rose and nodded.
Rose raised her arms, her palms facing outward and pointing to two of the droids
. Her eyes darkened till they were pitch black, and her voice lowered.
"Tempestas of dea , nisi vestri rabies!" she intoned. Steams of mystical energy
flowed thoruh her, emerging from her fingers and lashing out at the droids, dest
roying them utterly. The mystical lightning then flew on to the two remaining dr
oids, destroying them as well. Rose then gestured at each door in turn, causing
them to slam shut. Then she turned her gaze, both beautiful and terrible, onto t
he Viceroy and his companion.
"Vincire!"
A band of green energy formed around the two, freezing them in place. Rose smile
d grimly.
"It is done, Your Highness."
Padmè nodded. "Thank you, my sister." She then turned her attention onto Gunray. "
Now, viceroy, we will discuss a new treaty..."
====BtVS====
Dammit, Buffy! You're a Slayer!
The thought came unbidden into her mind, and it slowly pulled her back into real
ity. There was something she had to do...
The containment room. Qui-Gon and Maul. Qui-Gon getting killed...
NO!
Suck it up, Slayer. Besides, it's not like a portal's going to open up and drop
you into hell again, Buffy.
Slowly, so slowly, Buffy drew herself up until she was standing once again. Her
eyes still closed, she took a deep, calming breath, and opened them. Looking aro
und, she instinctively spotted the catwalk she need to get to reach the containm
ent room, and moaned. Even with her Slayer abilities, it was to high...
Buffy cleared her mind. If she didn't try, Qui-Gon would die. Buffy giggled to h
erself at the rhyme she made, then shook it off. Taking a deep breath, Buffy con
centrated on reaching the catwalk, in putting everything she had into the leap..
.
It was then that she really felt it around her. The Force, so alive and energizi
ng and aware and it was around her an in her...
Buffy leapt, placing her trust in her abilities and the Force.
And she nailed the landing.
Not even pausing to congratulate herself, Buffy took off at a sprint, racing tow
ards the containment room. She spotted the Jedi then. Obi-Wan was about 10 feet
ahead of her, but Qui-Gon and Darth Maul were already in the containment corrido
r. Buffy picked up the pace, but by the time she reached them, Qui-Gon and Maul
were already in the containment room, with Obi-Wan right behind the last contain
ment field. Buffy slid to a stop just as the last containment filed activated, a
nd watched in horror as her vision came true.
It was frustrating- a Slayer was supposed to protect people, but here she was, h
elplessly cut off from the one person, she felt, she was meant to help in this u
niverse. She watched as Maul attacked relentlessly, never backing down, never gi
ving Qui-Gon a chance, never a chance...
And there it was. Shut of the blade upward, blow to the face from the handle, th
e spin, the reverse thrust, the blade buried in the Jedi Masters gut, the Padawa
n's anguished scream.
"NOOOOOOOO!"
As Obi-Wan stared in shock at the body of his fallen Master, Buffy stared at the
smirking face of his killer, and for one brief moment, felt true HATE. The rage
she felt at Maul; the pain he had caused her and her new friends, the injustice
of her imprisonment, her ENSLAVEMENT, the torture she had endured...
She felt the hate, the rage. She felt the POWER it gave her. For one, brief inst
ant, she thought of using it, of taking that power and striking down the monster
in front of her, she thought how good it would feel to take his life in her han
ds and crush it...
Visions of Faith, of her loosing herself to the blood lust, filled her mind. Vis
ions of Angelus, who thrived on hate and pain, of the Master, The Mayor... They
were all filled with hate, and they used it, to devastating results.
I will NOT become like them. Buffy thought. She let go of her hate, of her anger
, and instead concentrated on the situation at hand. Maul was evil. He would kil
l Obi-Wan, then go after her, Anakin, Padmè, Willow...he needed to be stopped.
The containment fields dropped.
And now was her chance.
Buffy sprinted through the corridor. Obi-Wan was already facing off against Maul
, their lightsabers clashing against each other so rapidly that no human eye cou
ld follow them. Just a few more feet, and she'd be in the room. Together, her an
d Obi-Wan could take him-
Just as she stepped into the room, the first containment field activated.
Buffy felt a searing, white hot pain shoot down her back as the field came to li
fe just as she passed through. The pain was so intense, it block everything else
out of her mind. She stumbled forward and collapsed onto the ground, writhing i
n pain. The distraction of her entrance was all Darth Maul needed to catch Obi-W
an unprepared, and the Sith sent a Force blast at the Jedi that through him over
the edge of the exhaust vent. Buffy turned her head and saw that Ben had manage
d to grab onto a sensor node, and was desperately hanging on for dear life. Maul
left him dangling and walked over to Buffy, straddling the Slayer. He raised hi
s lightsaber, which had been cut in half by Obi-Wan.
"Time for you to die, little girl." He growled, as he brought the lightsaber dow
n on Buffy.
====BtVS====
With a snarl, Darth Maul brought his remaining red blade down at Buffy's head wi
th all of his might. Buffy reached out towards Obi-Wan-
And his lightsaber leapt into her hand.
In an instant, she activated the blue blade and brought it across her face, bloc
king the Sith's blade and causing him to gape in surprise. Taking advantage of h
is confusion, she kicked her leg up into the Sith's back, sending him sprawling
over her head. The Sith rolled and came up to his feet in an instant, spinning a
round to face Buffy as she kicked up. She turned to face him and brought the lig
htsaber up to a mid guard position, eyeing the Sith critically.
"Your first words, and that was it! Lame!"
"Jedi!" Maul hissed angrily. Buffy shook her head.
"No. I'm the Slayer, you're the slayee." She held out her left hand, palm up, an
d motioned with her fingers. "You want some? Come get some."
Maul rushed the Slayer then, his single blade slicing through the air before imp
acting on Buffy's blue blade. They treaded blows, back and forth, as fast as he
and Obi-Wan had, faster, even. Maul brought the blade around at her head, and Bu
ffy blocked it, pushing his blade down before bringing hers back up, nearly slic
ing his chin. Maul quickly backed up and spun away, but Buffy managed to bring h
er blade swiftly down, scorching his back. Maul hissed in pain and spun around a
gain, bringing his lightsaber back up. Buffy smirked.
"Payback's a bitch, ain't it?"
Obi-Wan heard the fight going on above him, and he desperately fought to get out
of the pit.
Calm yourself, Obi-Wan, he thought to himself. You must not give in to your fear
.
Letting his emotions drain out of him, Obi-Wan concentrated on the moment, letti
ng the Force fill him. Gripping the sensor node tightly, bracing his feet agains
t the slick walls of the exhaust tube, Obi-Wan pushed and pulled at the same tim
e-
And leapt out of the pit, landing just a few feet from his fallen master, and ju
st across the way from the two combatants. And what he saw astounded him.
He had witnessed the ending to Buffy's fight against Mace, and her accidental us
e of the Force. At that time, he had realized that perhaps she had some potentia
l, but at this moment, he SAW her potential. It was in the way she moved, effort
lessly blocking and parrying Darth Mauls swings and thrusts. He saw a fluidity i
n her motions that could only be brought about by the Force, and he saw that, at
least on a subconsience level, she had some mastery over it.
And then he saw it. Buffy's eyes flickered to his for just a moment, but that wa
s all it took to convey her intentions. As she pressed her attack against him, O
bi-Wan summoned his Masters lightsaber to his hand.
Buffy pressed her attack, backing Maul towards a waiting Obi-Wan. Fast and furio
us were her strokes now, and it was everything Maul could do to keep deflecting
them. Down, up, across- she varied the pattern to her strikes, never giving him
a clue as to where she would strike next. Another swing brought the red blade up
to defend Maul's head, and put the lightsaber in the exact position Buffy wante
d it. And then, for the second time that week, Buffy brought her blue blade down
, using every ounce of her Slayer strength, and even pouring some of the Force i
nto it. Her blue blade crashed against the red so violently, that it would have
driven both blades deep into the Zabrak's skull, had not the same results occurr
ed that had happened in her duel with Master Windu. The backlash of energy into
the crystal was so great, this time it didn't short the saber's power generator
out-
It destroyed them.
Both of them.
Violently.
The blades snapped out of existence at the same instance the hilts of the sabers
exploded. Buffy yelled in pain as the energy released in the explosion burned h
er hands, and the exploding metal of the hilt was driven into them. Maul cried o
ut in similar pain, and turned away from the Slayer, in order to gain some dista
nce and try to recover-
And at that moment, Obi-Wan activated Qui-Gon's lightsaber and swung around, swe
eping the green blade out in a wide arc that caught the Sith Lord across the wai
st. Surprise flickered across the Sith's face- Wasn't he supposed to be dead? -
but it only lasted a moment as both halves of the Sith Warrior fell into the exh
aust pit, falling silently down into the darkness below.
"Goodnight, Irene." Buffy muttered, then looked down at the fallen form of Qui-G
on. Obi-Wan had already raced to his side.
"Master!" he whispered, tears falling from his eyes. Buffy moved to his side and
knelt besides him.
"Too late, my young Padawan."
"No!"
"Now you must be ready, whether the Council thinks you are or not." Qui-Gon rasp
ed. "You must be the teacher. Obi-Wan, promise me you will train the boy."
Obi-Wan nodded at once, eager to ease his Master's pain. "Yes, Master."
Qui-Gon's eyes moved to Buffy's whose were also clouded in pain.
"I'm sorry, Qui-Gon. I couldn't get here in time. I couldn't save you..."
"You did what you could, Buffy. You would make a fine Jedi." His eyes moved back
to Obi-Wan. "The boy is the Chosen One. He will bring balance to the Force. Tra
in him well..." with that, the Jedi let out a shuddering breath, the breathed no
more.
Obi-Wan hugged the body of his Master close to his chest, crying softly. "Master
..." he repeated over and over. Buffy felt all of the pain and exhaustion finall
y overtake her, and as Obi-Wan cried over his Master, Buffy slid down to the flo
or into blissful unconsciousness.
Chapter 8
Across the Stars
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Nothing. Nadda. Special thanks to
George, for Star Wars; Joss, for Buffy; and Terry Brooks, for writing he novel o
f the first Episode.
====BtVS====
Buffy awoke, lying on the cool dark ground. Groaning in pain, Buffy staggered to
 her feet. She looked down on herself, then gasped again, this time in surprise-
all of her injuries appeared to have been healed, and she was dressed in a flow
ing white gown. Looking around, she saw that she was on a street- where exactly,
she couldn't tell, as it was completely enshrouded in fog.
"Where the hell..."
"Not quite, Blondie."
Buffy whirled around, instantly slipping into a fighting stance as a man appeare
d out of the fog. The man raised his hands, showing that he was unarmed.
"Easy there, Blondie. I'm not here to hurt yea."
Buffy stared at the man, a memory trying to break through in her mind. She recog
nized the man- a chiseled face, short, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes, dresse
d in the gaudiest clothes she had ever seen...
"I know you... you're..." she started, then trailed off, desperately searching f
or his name. The man smiled a rather roguish smile at her.
"Doyle." He supplied. "We met briefly when you came to visit Angel in L.A. I als
o saw you in a vision, but that's another story."
"But, you died!" Buffy exclaimed, then realizing what she had just said, and wha
t it implied, her breath hitched. "Am I dead?"
"You?" Doyle said incredulously, then shook his head. "No, nae yet. And nae for
a long time. I'm just here to give you a message, from the Powers that Be."
Buffy narrowed her eyes at the Irishman. "Why you?"
"Because they wanted to explain some thing to yea, but they wanted to do it in p
rivate. Plus, the guy they were gonna send wouldn't do it- something about not w
anting ta wear his ribcage for a hat."
"Guess Whistler was smarter than he dressed." Buffy quipped, then turned serious
. "So, what did they want to tell me?"
"All right kid, here's the story. The Powers that Be can't send you home. They h
ave very little real power in this universe, and even though they want to send y
ou back, if only ta reward yea for everything yea've done, they canne do it. The
only thing they can do is give you a fighting chance in this universe- you see
where I'm going with this?"
Buffy thought back to the last few days, and all of the strange things she had d
one- fighting against Windu, Maul, using the Force, the vision of Qui-Gon...
"They made me a Jedi?" she ventured, more certain of that fact then her voice ca
rried. Doyle nodded. "Can they really do that?" she asked, and the Irishman chuc
kled.
"Actually, midi-chlorians are in every living being, in every universe and dimen
sion, just usually in such small numbers that it doesn't make a difference. Ther
e rare people on Earth who have moderately high counts, and can do wondrous thin
gs..."
"Like witches?" Buffy asked hopefully, then frowned when Doyle shook his head.
"Nae, witches rely on magic. Anyhoo, the Powers were able to jump start your mid
i-chlorian thingies, and the next thing you know, you're powered up faster than
if you'd had a pint of Guinness."
"And the vision?"
"Consider it an extension of your Slayer powers." Doyle responded carefully. "Yo
u're still a Slayer- there's no changing that. But you're recent-changes- have a
ffected your powers in certain ways. Visions are a part of the Slayer package. T
hey also come with studying the Force. You'll learn how to use them to your adva
ntage. Buffy..." he started, then trailed off for a moment. Then, taking a deep
breath, he continued. "Magic doesn't exist in this dimension, and the Power's th
at Be cannae send yea home, but that doesn't mean that you won't be able to find
a way yourself. Don't give up hope, Buffy. And in the mean time," he finished,
gesturing to the end of the street, where the fog had! started to lift, "The Pow
ers wanted to grant you one last favor. A real chance to say goodbye."
Buffy's face screwed up in confusion, but when she looked to the end of the stre
et, she gasped.
It was her house.
"They won't see yea." Doyle told her as she stared longingly at her house. Only
one person in there will. Go- tell her goodbye, one final time."
====BtVS====
Buffy silently walked up the steps onto the front porch of her house. Gingerly,
she reached out and touched toe door handle, then turned. The door swung silentl
y open, and Buffy walked into her house; possibly for the last time. Stepping in
side, she looked around quietly.
Xander sat on the couch, his arm around Anya, whose head rested on his shoulder,
Buffy saw it was wrapped in bandages Next to them sat Giles, who held a sobbing
Tara in his arms, quietly whispering words of comfort to the near-inconsolable
girl. Buffy could only guess how she felt- driven insane by Glory, finally given
her sanity back by Willow, reunited with her soul-mate, only to loose her once
more mere minutes later. She wished that she could tell her that Willow was okay
, that they were searching for a way home, but she knew that was impossible. Onl
y one would hear her tonight.
She looked around for her sister, but didn't see her anywhere. For a brief momen
t, she was afraid that Dawn had run away, but she dismissed that notion- why wou
ld the Powers tell her that she would see her sister one last time, only to pull
a bit-and-switch?
Thudding footsteps coming down the stairs caught her attention, and she turned a
round to see Spike descending the stairs, pulling on his long, leather duster. G
iles noticed and stood, then quickly walked over to the door where Spike was wai
ting.
"Spike! Where do you think you're going?"
The blond vampire turned to face the former Watcher and looked him straight in t
he eye.
"I promised Buffy I'd look after Dawn, Rupert." He stated, pain of the loss of B
uffy evident in his voice. "But I can't, not yet. I've some things to do, and wh
en I get back, I intend to honor my promise."
Buffy looked at the two curiously, wondering both what Spike was talking about,
and what Giles was going to do. After a few moments of staring, Giles sighed, th
en pulled off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Very well, Spike." He relented. "But do come back soon. I don't know why, but D
awn seems to be rather attached to you. And to loose yet another person-"
"When she asks tomorrow, tell her I'll be back in a month, two tops." Spike pull
ed out a fag and lit it up. "I got to go." He said, then turned and opened the d
oor, and walked out of the house into the night. Giles sighed once more and clos
ed the door behind him. Buffy watched as he walked back into the living room, th
en turned her gaze up the staircase.
Slowly, the Slayer ascended the staircase to the second floor of her house, then
turned down the hall and headed towards her sister's room. Reaching the door, s
he quietly opened it and stepped inside.
Dawn was sitting on her windowsill, her knees pressed up into her chest, looking
out the window to the night sky. Tear stains ran down her cheeks, and every now
and then she gave a small sob. Buffy's heart broke seeing her sister looking so
sad. For a few moments, she merely observed her sister, memorizing every detail
and burning it into her mind.
After all, it could be the last time she ever saw her.
Finally, when she could take the silence no longer, she spoke.
"Quite the view, huh?"
Dawn's head whipped around, and her jaw dropped in shock as she took in her sist
er standing in the middle of her room.
"Buffy?" she whispered, disbelieving what she was seeing. Tentatively, she walke
d forward, reaching out with her hand, hoping against hope...
Her hand touched Buffy's cheek.
"Buffy!" Dawn cried, wrapping her arms around her sister, hugging her with all t
he strength she had. Buffy returned the hug, with only slightly less strength on
her part.
"Oh, god...Dawnie...." Buffy sobbed, holding her sister tight.
"Buffy, I thought I'd never... I thought you were..."
"I'm not dead, Dawnie." Buffy said softly, pulling away slightly and cupping her
sister's face in her hand. "Neither is Willow. We're both alive..."
"But not here." Dawn finished quietly, realization dawning. "You're not really h
ere, are you?"
Buffy shook her head sadly, and stroked Dawns hair. "No, sweetie. I'm not."
"This is a dream?"
Buffy nodded, tears starting to form in her eyes. "But I'm really here, in your
dream, Dawn. A gift from the Powers They wanted me to be able to see you one mor
e time." Buffy avoided using the word 'last'; Dawn didn't need to get any more u
pset tonight. "I don't have a lot of time, though, so I need you to listen to me
."
"Willow and I, we're all right. We're trapped in another dimension, one without
magic, so there is no magical resources when can turn to too look for a way home
. But there are other resources, and we're going to find them. And we'll be comi
ng home, I promise.
"Tell Tara that Willow is alright, and that she's always thinking of her. Promis
e me you'll tell her."
"I promise." Dawn sobbed, drawing closer to her sister once more and hugging her
with all of her might.
"And Dawn, don't worry about Spike. He had to take care of some stuff, but he'll
be back soon. He'll look after you; they all will. He hasn't abandoned you- he
never will." Buffy let out a small sob. "Oh god, Dawn... I don't want to leave y
ou again..."
"Then don't!" Dawn cried. "Stay here!"
"I can't!" Buffy sobbed. "I wish I could, but all I can do is tell you this- I m
eant what I said on the catwalk, Dawn. You need to be brave, now more than ever.
You need to help keep everybody together." Buffy suddenly looked up and around,
a frantic look on her face. "NO! Damnit, I'm not ready to go yet!"
"Buffy!" Dawn cried. "Please, don't leave me again!"
Buffy sighed, resigned to what was coming. She leaned in and gently kissed Dawn
on her forehead. "I'll always be with you, Dawn, here," she pointed to her heart
, "and here." She finished, touching her head. "Never forget that I love you. Li
ve, Dawn." Buffy said, as she started to fade away, "Live, for me..."
"Buffy!"
====BtVS====
"Buffy!" Dawn screamed, snapping awake from where she had fallen asleep on her w
indowsill. She frantically looked around for her sister-
And found nothing.
Dawn stumbled over to her bed and sank down on it, quietly sobbing. That was how
Tara found her a few moments later as the blond witch came into her room.
"Sweetie?" she asked the girl softly, "Are you okay?"
Dawn looked up at Tara; the witch saw the tears streaming down her face. Instant
ly Tara went to Dawn, sitting down next to her and wrapping her in a motherly hu
g.
"I know the words seem hollow, Dawn, but it's going to be..."
"I saw Buffy."
Dawn's words brought Tara up short. W-what?"
"I had a dream. Buffy came to me- said it was a gift from the Powers."
Tara wanted to dismiss Dawn's dream as just that- a dream, with no basis in real
ity. But something in her told her that Dawn's dream was more than that. "What d
id she say?"
"That they were alive, and safe. And that Willow thinks of you all of the time,
and that they're looking for a way home." Dawn's eye's narrowed. "And if they ca
n't find a way, I will." She whispered to herself, but Tara didn't hear her. Tea
rs had started to stream down Tara's face at the mention of her love. She pulled
Dawn in for another hug, and that was how they stayed- two women grieving for t
he loved ones they had lost- until they fell asleep.
====BtVS====
"Buffy?"
Buffy's eyes snapped open, and soon the blurred surrounding came into focus. She
was lying in a bed in the palace infirmary. She felt the bandages wrapped aroun
d her chest and hands, protecting the burns on her back from the laser containme
nt field and the exploded lightsaber respectively. There was a bandage on her he
ad, covering up where her head had impacted against the wall of the hanger. She
felt the soreness in her muscles, as result of them being put to use in a way th
ey hadn't in far to long. And she felt the tears as they started to run down her
face, a result of seeing her sister for one last time.
"Buffy?"
Buffy turned her head towards the source of the voice, and saw Anakin, standing
right beside her bead, a worried look in his young face.
"Buffy? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. Buffy looked at her brother for a mom
ent, numerous emotions coursing through her. Finally becoming too much, Buffy di
d the only thing she could do. She let out a small sob, which led to more sobs.
Buffy cried- for the life she lost, for the sister she would never see again. As
Buffy cried, Anakin crawled into the bad and wrapped his small arms around his
sister, trying to do anything to comfort the sobbing girl.
And in the darkened doorway of the infirmary, two figures watched the siblings w
ith interest.
====BtVS====
It was two days after the battle for Naboo, and tomorrow was the day that a plan
et-wide celebration was to be held, headed up by a parade and presentation in fr
ont of the palace. Those who had fought for the planet were to be recognized, an
d a lasting truce with the Gungans was to be solidified.
And Buffy wanted no part of it.
She sat on the roof of the palace, looking out over the city as the people start
ed milling about, preparing the streets for the parade tomorrow. In about an hou
r, though, there was to be a funeral for Qui-Gon. The Jedi Council had come to N
aboo from Coruscant, as had the newly named Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
Buffy wasn't particularly thrilled with that.
She knew that in a few hours, she would be going to the funeral of the man she h
ad failed to save. In the meantime, she chose to find a quiet place to organize
her thoughts, which were many and jumbled.
"This is the last place I expected to find you."
So much for a quiet place to think...
"My fear of heights cost Qui-Gon his life, so I decided enough was enough. No be
tter way to get rid of your fears, than to face them head on."
"Anakin tells us you're afraid of hospitals, as well."
Buffy let out a long-suffering sigh. "One at a time, Barney. One at a time."
Mace Windu stepped out onto the roof from the high, open window of the palace. "
You didn't cause Qui-Gon's death."
'If I hadn't choked, I would have got there in time to save him."
"You don't know that."
"I saw it happen." Buffy responded, and Mace raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I g
ot a vision of what happened. If I hadn't choked, I would have got there in time
to stop it."
Mace was silent for a moment, digesting this new bit of information. Now, more t
han ever, he was certain that the decision the Council had made was the correct
one, despite the reservations of Master Yoda. He decided it was time for her to
hear what he had to say.
"The Council has made its decision."
Buffy gave a small, knowing smile. "So, who's going to train Annie?"
Mace gave the girl a piercing look. "So certain we're going to train him, are yo
u?"
Buffy sighed, and returned Mace's gaze with one of her own. "Cut the crap, Winde
x. You and I both know what you came to tell me. So, who's training him?"
Mace decided to be forward with the girl, lest he incite her ire again. "Obi-Wan
will train your brother."
There was a pause as Buffy mulled this over. "Is that allowed?" she finally aske
d, confusion evident on her voice.
"After Obi-Wan's performance against the Sith Lord, the Council has bestowed upo
n him the rank of Jedi Knight. It is now his duty, and privilege, to take on a P
adawan of his own. Anakin will be that Padawan." He paused for a moment. "It has
 also been decided that you shall be trained as well."
Buffy chuckled. She had been expecting this, and while part of her bristled that
they would presume to tell her what to do, a larger part realized that this was
her new destiny and, even more, an opportunity that she could not pass up. "Rea
lly?" she said coyly. "So tell me, Windex, what sorry schmuck drew the short str
aw and has to- it's going to be you, isn't it?" she finished with a sigh as she
saw the look of smugness on Windu's face.
"Indeed I will, my not-so-young Padawan." Mace replied with a small smirk. Buffy
's eyes narrowed.
"Oh my god. You? Making jokes?" she shook her head in mock sorrow. "I must have
broken something loose up there when I rattled your brains."
Mace let out an uncharacteristic chuckle, then turned serious. "The Council disc
ussed this at length, Buffy. Your age is an issue, as is the anger and pain I se
nse in you. And yet, when you had the opportunity to use them against the Sith l
ord, you did not. That shows a strength of character that a Jedi needs to surviv
e in this galaxy. Add to that the training you received from your world, and the
trials you faced as the Slayer..." Mace looked dead into her eyes, "I believe y
ou will become a great Jedi. Though I warn you- it may take some time for me to
fully train you."
Buffy ignored the last part of his statement, instead focusing on the real reaso
n behind her new appointment. "Plus, I can keep an eye on Anakin." Buffy reasone
d out. "that's the big reason, isn't it? To keep your 'Prophecy Boy' in check?"
Mace nodded. "The bo- Anakin's," he corrected quickly, "his future is clouded. T
oo many unknowns, and his feelings are conflicted due to the loss of both his mo
ther, and now Qui-Gon. We believe that, with you by his side, it will help bring
some-stability- to Anakin."
"Why is he so important to you? What is this prophecy, anyway?"
"The prophecy has been in the archives of the Jedi for a millennia. It basically
speaks of one who will bring balance to the Force. All the signs point towards
Anakin. And if he is to do this, I believe he needs a steadying force in his lif
e."
Buffy nodded. "Cool. So, me and Annie, the Jedi wonder kids. How about Willow?"
she asked suddenly. "Who's going to train her?"
"Willow is not to be trained."
Buffy looked at Mace in shock. "What?"
Mace looked back unapologetically. "Willow is not a Jedi. A powerful girl, yes,
but not a Jedi. It is not our responsibility to train her."
Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Not your responsibility? Don't you
realize how powerful she is? What she can do?"
"Yes. But I also know that her power is something we don't understand, and could
n't possibly hope to train her in."
"It doesn't matter if you understand it! Jedi training is probably just the thin
g she would need in order to learn enough about her own internal magic! If the J
edi don't train her, someone else will! And her in those fancy archives of yours
..."
"You will have access to the archives, Buffy. Unlimited access, which is somethi
ng that is usually only reserved for Masters. But our decision on Willow is fina
l." And with that, Mace turned and walked back towards the window. He was about
to step back inside when Buffy's voice brought him up short.
"Master Windu!"
Mace turned once more to face his new Padawan.
"This decision is going to come back to bite you in the ass one day, Master." Bu
ffy said in a cold voice. "And when it does, I'll be there to say 'I told you so
.'"
Mace stared at the girl for a moment, then inclined his head. "The funeral will
be in two hours. I suggest you prepare yourself." And with that, Mace stepped ba
ck inside. Buffy watched him leave, then turned back around and faced the settin
g sun of Naboo, her hands clasped behind her back.
====BtVS====
The Funeral was a somber affair.
Qui-Gon's body was lain out on a pyre, according to Jedi traditions. After the a
ppropriate words were spoken by Master Yoda, the pyre was lit, and Qui-Gon's bod
y was consumed by the flames. As the fire roared, Willow moved besides Buffy.
"So, I hear congratulations are in order." She said. Buffy gave a small smile.
"Yeah. I get to wear robes and meditate..."
"Yeah, but you get a cool glow stick!"
"I'm sorry I couldn't talk them into accepting you, Wills."
There was a moment of silence, then Willow took a deep breath.
"I can't say I'm not disappointed- all of those books...or whatever the informat
ion is stored on...just out of my reach- but at the same time, they'll be in you
r reach. And at the same time, I'll be free to scour the galaxy, looking for a w
ay home."
"We'll get back to Earth, Wills." Buffy said, putting a hand on her friends shou
lder.
Across the way, Masters Yoda and Mace watched the exchange with interest.
"Buffy seems to think it is an unwise decision not to train young Naberrie." Mac
e observed. Yoda's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Noted, her concerns are. But dismissed, they will be. Not a Jedi is Willow Nabe
rrie."
Mace nodded, then turned to look at Obi-Wan and Anakin as the new Jedi Knight pu
t his hand on his Padawan's shoulder.
"One life ends and a new one begins in the Jedi Order." He remarked quietly. Yod
a nodded grimly.
"Not so sure of this one as of Qui-Gon, do I feel. Troubled, he is. Wrapped in s
hadows and difficult choices."
"Obi-Wan will do a good job with him." Mace replied. "And with Buffy near his si
de, much of his troubles shall be put to rest." He pause for a moment, studying
Kenobi. "Qui-Gon was right. He is ready."
"Ready this time, he was." Yoda acknowledged grudgingly. "Ready to train the boy
, he may not be."
"Defeating a Sith Lord in combat is a strong test of his readiness for anything.
There is no doubt. The one who tested him was a Sith."
Yoda nodded. "Always two, there are. No more, no less. A master, and an apprenti
ce."
"Then which was destroyed?" Mace asked, "The master, or the Apprentice?"
Yoda didn't have an answer for him, and their eyes moved back onto the burning f
orm of the fallen Jedi.
And across the way, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine watched all with great interest
.
====BtVS====
The following day was the parade. People from all over Naboo- both human and Gun
gan, lined the streets up to the Theed Palace. On the landing in front of the pa
lace stood the Queen, once more in her ceremonial robes, along with her honor gu
ard; Boss Nass, the Supreme Chancellor, and the Jedi. Among the Jedi were both B
uffy and Anakin, and both looked decidedly uncomfortable. Obi-Wan looked over to
the two new Padawan's and gave them a small smile.
"Qui-Gon never liked these functions, either. But he understood their need."
"I must have saved my world a dozen times, and I never got a parade." Buffy mumb
led. Anakin smirked.
"True. But you did get a new haircut out of it this time." He quipped. Willow, w
ho had heard the jibe at Buffy's new short 'do, quickly brought her hand up to c
over her smile. Buffy, however, wasn't amused.
"Annie, I haven't begun to chew you out for that stunt you pulled in the fighter
, so I am the LAST person you want to taunt."
"But you told me to stay in the cockpit..."
"Children, behave." Obi-Wan said quietly as Padmè presented the Sphere of Peace to
Boss Nass, signifying their bond of friendship. As Boss Nass cried out 'PEACE!"
, Padmè looked over at Anakin, who gave her a rakish smirk.
Buffy looked at the two's interaction, then looked to Willow and gave her a smal
l smile, which her friend returned.
Buffy didn't know what was going to happen next. She didn't know how often, if e
ver, she was going to see Willow, or how long it would take to find their way ho
me. But she did know that they would find a way home; that she would see Dawn ag
ain, that she would get to introduce Anakin to her family, and they would all be
a family together. Sure, the odds did seem impossible.
But she was the Vampire Slayer. And beating impossible odds was her specialty.
====BtVS====
To be Continued in Star Wars- Episode II: Attack of the Chosen.
A Long Time Ago In a Galaxy Far, Far Away.....
Star Wars
Episode II:
Attack of the Chosen
Ten years after the events in Episode I, The Republic is beginning to splinter u
nder the corruption in the Senate. Meanwhile, an unknown party is trying to assa
ssinate Senator Amidala, and at the behest of the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine,
the Jedi appoint Obi-Wan, and Anakin to watch over the Senator, and Padawan Buff
y is sent to work with Junior Senator Willow Naberrie in both uncovering the plo
t against Padmè, as well as finding a possible way home. As events unfold, new all
egiances will be made, lives will be lost, and one of the party begins their dec
ent to the Dark Side.....
Dramatis Personae
Buffy Skywalker; Jedi Padawan, Slayer (female human)
Willow Naberrie; Junior Senator from Naboo (female human)
Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Padawan (human male)
Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Knight (human male)
Mace Windu; Jedi Master (male human
Yoda; Jedi Master (male your guess is as good as mine)
Zett Jukassa; Jedi Padawan (human male)
Serra Keto, Jedi Knight (human female)
Nejaa Halcyon, Jedi Master (human male)
Count Dooku; Dark Lord of the Sith (male human)
Palpatine/Darth Sidious; Dark Lord of the Sith, Supreme Chancellor of the Republ
ic (male human)
Nute Gunray; Viceroy of the Trade Federation (male Neimoidian)
Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by George Lucas and Lucas Arts, Buffy the Vampire
Slayer is owned by Joss Wheedon and Mutant Enemy. Dialogue from Star Wars- Epis
ode II: Attack of the Clones is taken both from the movie and from the novelizat
ion written by R.A. Salvatore. I own nothing except for part of the plot, the co
mputer I work on, the TV I watch, and the Car I can barely afford to put gas int
o now (Thanks for that, George!), so please don't sue me.
Chapter 1: Reunions
====BtVS====
It was daytime on Coruscant when the Naboo Royal Cruiser arrived with its two sm
all escort fighters. The massive ship was an impressive sight- twice as large as
the previous model, with great, sweeping wings and four engines. The ship grace
fully made its way to one of the Senate landing platforms and set down gently, i
ts ramp lowering as soon as the engines had died down. Its fighter escorts lande
d on two outlying platforms that were connected to the main platform. The two fi
ghter pilots climbed out of their ships and headed towards the larger cruiser, w
hose passengers were just starting to come out.
And then the cruiser exploded.
The explosion tossed the two fighter pilots backwards, and both covered their he
ads as debris pelted the area around them. In an instant, though, one of the pil
ots was up and running towards the prone figure lying on the ground, her dark ce
remonial gowns burned and her face covered in blood. The pilot knelt down beside
s the fallen figure and pulled off her helmet, revealing the anguished face of P
admè Amidala, former Queen and now Senator of Naboo. Padmè gathered up the body of h
er friend and bodyguard up in her arms.
"Cordè!" she whispered to her. The decoy opened her eyes and stared up at her frie
nd.
"I'm sorry M'Lady," she gasped out, "I'm...not sure I... I've failed you." Her v
oice trailed off and her head slumped to the side, then she was dead.
"Cordè!" Padmè cried out again, softly this time. Then she frantically started looki
ng around, trying to get a glimpse of the one person she knew she could not loos
e.
"M'Lady, you are still in danger!" Captain Typho, her new head of security calle
d out, but Padmè paid him no heed.
"Willow!" she cried out, desperately searching the wreckage for her sister...
And suddenly, there was another explosion as a large section of wreckage blasted
upwards and outwards, and then Willow rose out of the hole she had created. Sil
ently she hovered herself away from the wreckage and landed next to her sister.
Padmè gave her a quick look-over- aside from some burn spots in her clothes, singe
d hair, and the dirt and grime that covered her face's he appeared to be alright
. Padmè had to suppress a shudder at the sight of her eyes- no matter how many tim
es she saw them turn all black when Willow used her powers, it never failed to u
nnerve her somewhat.
"Okay, that was SO not in the travel brochure!" Willow exclaimed, then seeing Co
rdè lying motionless on the ground, she quickly knelt beside her and placed a hand
on the decoy's forehead. She closed her eyes and concentrated, then let out a d
isappointed sigh.
"I'm sorry, she's gone." Willow said sadly. Padmè nodded. Both girls stood, and Ca
ptain Typho came up beside them. "Senators, please!" he cried. "Would you so dim
inish Cordè's death as to stand her and risk your own life? What good will her sac
rifice be if¬-"
"Enough, Captain." Padmè interrupted, as she and Willow started to make their way
towards the entrance to the Senate building. Typho took point, while R2-D2 detac
hed himself from Padmè's starfighter and took up the rear.
====BtVS====
A few hours later, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine stood in his office, staring out
of the window to view the city of Coruscant. Behind him, seated in front of his
desk, were representatives from the Jedi Council, whom he had asked to his offi
ce to advise him on the coming vote for the creation of an army for the Republic
.
"I fear this vote." The Chancellor remarked, looking out over his city.
"It is unavoidable." Mace Windu replied from his seat in front of the desk. Mace
was a tall, dark, and muscular human; his bald head and penetrating eyes lent h
im a commanding presence that wasn't to be ignored by anyone. Next to him sat Ki
-Adi-Mundi and Yoda, two of his fellow Masters on the Jedi Council.
"And it could unravel the remainder of the Republic." Palpatine replied. "Never
have I seen the Senators so at odds over any issue."
"Few issues would carry the import of creating a Republic army," Jedi Master Plo
Koon remarked from his place behind Yoda. His dark, shadowed eyes seemed reflex
ive over his black mask. "The Senators are anxious and afraid, and believe that
no vote will ever be more important than this one now before them."
"And this way or that, much mending must you do." Yoda remarked. "Unseen is much
that is here."
"I don't know how much longer I can hold off the vote, my friends." Palpatine co
ntinued. "And I fear that delay on this definitive issue might well erode the Re
public through attrition. More and more star systems are joining the separatists
."
Mace nodded in understanding. "And yet, when the vote is done, if the losers do
break away-"
"I will not let this Republic that has stood for a thousand years be split in tw
o!" Palpatine declared. "My negotiations will not fail!"
"But if they do," Mace replied evenly, keeping his voice calm, "you must realize
that there aren't enough Jedi to protect the Republic. We are keepers of the pe
ace, not soldiers."
Palpatine took a few calming breaths, then turned to face the diminutive Master.
"Master Yoda, do you really think it will come to war?"
Yoda closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to concentrate. What he saw, or ra
ther didn't see, unnerved him somewhat.
"Impossible to see, the future is. The Dark Side clouds everything. But this I a
m sure of," he said, opening his eyes and staring directly at Palpatine, "Do the
ir duty, the Jedi will."
Before Palpatine could respond to that statement, a hologram of one of Palpatine
's aids appeared on his desk.
"The loyalist committee has arrived, my Lord." The aid said.
"Send them in."
Palpatine rose from his chair, as did the seated Jedi as a group of Senators ent
ered the Chancellors office. The group was made up of Senator Padmè Amidala, who w
as followed by her Junior Senator and sister Willow Naberrie; Jar Jar Binks, Cap
tain Typho, and Padmè's handmaiden Dormè brought up the rear. Behind them walked Sen
ators Bail Organa and Horox Ryyder.
Yoda pointedly walked up to Padmè and tapped her lightly with his cane.
"With you, the Force is strong, young Senator." Yoda told her warmly. "Your trag
edy on the landing platform, terrible. To see you alive bring warm feelings to m
y heart."
'Thank you, Master Yoda." The young Senator replied. "Do you have any idea who w
as behind this attack?"
Mace Windu stepped forward. "Senator, we have nothing definitive, but our intell
igence points to disgruntled spice miners on the moons of Naboo."
Padmè shook her head. I've seen the frustration of the spice miners, she thought,
but I don't think they'd go this far.
Nor do I, Willow thought back, they would have nothing to gain from it.
Padmè mentally concurred with her sister, then turned hard gaze onto Master Windu.
"I do not wish to disagree," she said, "But I think that Count Dooku was behind
it."
There was a small murmur that spread throughout the office at that suggestion, a
nd the Jedi Masters looked at one another with expressions that ranged from disb
elief to disapproval.
"You know, M'Lady, Count Dooku was once a Jedi." Mace pointed out in a calm, res
onating voice. "He wouldn't assassinate anyone. It's not in his character."
"He is a political idealist, not a murder." Ki-Adi-Mundi added, his large cone-s
haped head towering over the other masters. Willow let out a derisive snort.
"Characters can change in a heartbeat. If you don't believe me, then just ask Bu
ffy about her first boyfriend." Willow thought briefly back to the whole Angel-A
ngelus incident. "And I have found that sometimes political ideals can lead one
into the realm of murder, however distasteful a person may find it."
It seemed as if an argument that could rival anything in the Senate was about to
break out, but then Yoda tapped his tiny cane to the floor, drawing attention t
o himself.
"In dark times, nothing is as it appears to be. But the fact remains, Senators,"
he said, looking right at Padmè and Willow, who stood side by side, "In grave dan
ger you both are."
Palpatine sighed at that, but then his face suddenly brightened a bit. "Master J
edi, may I suggest that the Senators be placed under the protection of your grac
es?"
Willow brightened at the idea, for she knew that, if the Jedi agreed, she would
be seeing her best friend for the first time in person in nearly four years. Pad
mè, on the other hand, didn't share the same sentiment.
"Chancellor, if I may comment, I do not believe the-"
"Situation is that serious." Palpatine finished for her. "No, but I do, Senator.
"
"Chancellor, please! I do not want any more guards!" Padmè pleaded.
"And I do not wish to be hampered from conducting my own investigation into this
matter, which I am doing." Willow added.
Palpatine smiled at the two girls in a way Padmè would have found condescending fr
om any other man. "I realize all too well that additional security might be disr
uptive for you both," he paused for a moment, then his face brightened as if he
had suddenly found an acceptable compromise. "But perhaps someone you are famili
ar with, an old friend." Palpatine smiled and looked to Masters Windu and Yoda.
"Master Kenobi, perhaps?"
Mace nodded. "That's possible. He has just returned from a border dispute on Ans
ion." Windu looked over to Willow, who looked as if she was about to say somethi
ng. "Additionally, I believe my own Padawan would be able to assist you on your
investigation, Senator." Willow smiled; she knew who his Padawan was. Padmè still
looked like she was about resist, so Palpatine spoke up once more.
"Do it f or me, M'Lady. Please. I will rest easier. We had a big scare today. Th
e thought of loosing you is unbearable."
Padmè gave a defeated sigh- how does one say no to the Supreme Chancellor of the R
epublic? Mace nodded.
"I will have Obi-Wan report to you at once, M'Lady." and with that, the Jedi lef
t the room. Padmè watched them leave-
And behind her, standing behind his desk, Chancellor Palpatine watched them all.
====BtVS====
FLASH
Buffy ran up the stairs that led to the main hanger of this facility. She wasn't
quite sure where she was, or where she was going to, but she knew she had to re
ach the hanger and help her brother and Obi-Wan. She reached the level where the
hanger was and ran into the antechamber connected to it. Wait, there was someon
e here...
On the floor! Buffy couldn't make out who it was, but the person was tied up. Sh
e quickly activated her lightsaber, and the silver-colored blade sliced clean th
rough the ropes.
'Quickly!' she called to the person. 'We have to get in there and help them!'
As she turned to run into the hanger, she heard the voice speak.
'I got a better plan.' The voice said. It sounded distorted, like the person was
speaking under several feet of water. Buffy turned around to face the person-
And was blasted back into the wall by a powerful burst of energy.
'You die.'
FLASH
Buffy was in a small hut. Where it was, she couldn't tell. But she could see who
was in it-
Shmi, her mother. And she was tied to a post, hands outstretched, back facing ou
t. And her back was already criss-crossed with cuts that welled up blood. She sc
reamed as the whip was brought down upon her back yet again...
FLASH
And Buffy awoke from her meditation with a gasp. She closed her eyes and took a
couple steadying breaths, trying to regulate her erratic breathing.
"Can't I ever have a nice, pleasant vision?" Buffy muttered to herself as she ni
mbly stood up and stretched out her cramped muscles.
Ten years at the temple had been good for the Slayer. Now in her thirties, Buff
was pretty sure she was the oldest living Slayer in existence. Of course, not ha
ving any demons trying to kill her, or anybody trying to end the world, for that
matter was pretty good for one's health. She wore the simple loose fitting pant
s and tunic of the Jedi- despite the lack of fashion, she found they gave her in
credible freedom of movement, and were quite comfortable to boot. Her once long
hair had been cut short, falling only to her neck, and her Padawan's braid was t
ucked behind her ear. In many ways, she was the model Jedi.
Except for, at 32, she was the oldest Padawan in the temple. A fact that Anakin
never ceased to tease her about. Of course, when he did that, she merely brought
up a little flight he took when he was nine...
Buffy sensed a presence behind her, and smiled.
"Good afternoon, Master."
"Good afternoon, my not-so-young Padawan."
Buffy scowled. Sometimes, it wasn't just Anakin who reminded her about her age.
"You know, you could fix that whole 'Padawan' deal if you'd just promote me."
"You knew how long it could take when you agreed to be trained, Buffy." Mace sai
d as he walked into the meditation chamber. "However, it has been agreed among t
he Masters that it is time for you to face your trials."
Buffy couldn't suppress a smile at the news. "That's good news, Master. When do
I leave?"
"And who said you're going to be leaving?"
Buffy's face screwed up in confusion. "I don't understand, Master..."
"This morning, someone tried to assassinate the Senators from Naboo."
"Willow..."
"Is fine, as is Senator Amidala. However, they are still in grave danger. Obi-Wa
n and Anakin have been assigned to guard Senator Amidala..."
"Annie's gonna love that..." Buffy muttered under her breath. Mace frowned at th
e interruption, and then continued.
"While you have been assigned to assist Senator Naberrie in her investigation."
Buffy looked at her Master for a moment. "And the trial will be..."
Mace couldn't suppress a chuckle. "You are already an accomplished warrior, Buff
y. Your skills in that area are not in question. However, this situation has pre
sented a number of unique challenges that the Council would like to see how well
you would handle them. Your trial, as well as your assignment, is to find out w
ho is behind these attacks, as well as protect Senator Naberrie. Understood?"
Buffy bowed. "Yes, Master." She paused for a moment, then smiled She was going t
o see Willow again! "When do I leave?"
"Obi-Wan and Anakin will be leaving within the hour. Go with them, and meet up w
ith Senator Naberrie at Senator Amidala's apartment. May the Force be with you."
"Thank you, Master," Buffy replied. "May the Force be with you, as well."
====BtVS====
An hour later Buffy, Anakin, and Obi-Wan stood in the turbo lift as it headed up
to Senator Amidala's quarters. Rather, Buffy and Obi-Wan stood, while Anakin fi
dgeted nervously, something that the other two Jedi picked up on.
"You seem a little on edge, Anakin." Obi-Wan said.
"Not at all." He replied, rather unconvincingly.
"I haven't seen you this nervous since we fell into that nest of gundarks."
"You fell into that nightmare, Master, and I rescued you. Remember?"
Buffy snorted. "Annie's just nervous 'cause he's going to see his girlfriend aga
in." She said in a teasing voice, emphasizing the world girlfriend. Obi-Wan had
to hide a grin behind his hand as Anakin sputtered in indignation.
"The Senator is not, nor ever was, my girlfriend!"
Buffy chuckled at Anakin's obvious discomfort. "He's probably thinking about way
s of impressing her. Hey!" she said suddenly, "Here's an idea! You could fly int
o an enemy command carrier and blow it up form the inside again..."
"Oh, for the love of the Force!" Anakin groaned. "It's been TEN YEARS! Will you
EVER let that go?"
"No." Buffy said, staring back at her brother. Obi-Wan laughed outright at the s
iblings' antics.
"How is it, Buffy, that Master Windu has put up with you for ten years?" the Jed
i Knight asked her.
"Easy, Master," Anakin said before Buffy could respond, looking straight over th
e top of the Slayer's head, "He just talks over her. Not that that's hard..."
"Oh, ha-ha." Buffy shot back as the lift came to a stop. The doors opened to rev
eal a gangly, albeit well-dressed Gungan diplomat. Buffy couldn't help but think
he looked familiar...
"Obi! Obi! Obi!" Jar Jar Binks shouted, hopping up and down like a rabbit on spe
ed. Buffy groaned inwardly, but kept a neutral expression on her face. Another r
eason to dislike politicians...
Obi-Wan smiled politely and did his best to calm the Gungan down. After getting
reacquainted again, Obi-Wan asked to be shown to the Senators. Jar Jar immediate
ly sobered up and showed them into the main sitting room. Anakin's breath came u
p short as he finally saw Padmè for the first time in ten years. She was still as
radiant as ever, her long dark hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Beside her
stood Dormè and Captain Typho, in their handmaiden garb and military uniform respe
ctively.
"Well, look who's here."
The three Jedi turned at the sound of the voice, and Buffy smiled broadly as Wil
low walked out of an adjoining bedroom.
"Yessa, Senator Willow! Desa Jedi ariven!" Jar Jar replied, but Buffy was alread
y in motion, rushing over to her friend and enveloping her in a huge hug. Obi-Wa
n smiled at the reunion, then turned to face the other Senator.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, M'Lady." Obi-Wan said. Padmè moved to shake hi
s outstretched hand, glancing briefly in Anakin's direction. Her eye's showed no
hint of recognition.
"It has been far too long, Master Kenobi." The Senator replied. "I'm so glad our
paths have crossed again. But I must warn you that I think your presence here i
s unnecessary."
"I am sure the members of the Jedi Council have their reasons." The Jedi replied
. Padmè sighed in resignation, and then looked again to the Padawan that stood sil
ently by his Masters side. She studied him for a moment, before recognition fina
lly kicked in.
"Annie?" she said incredulously. Anakin's spirit's lifted as she finally recogni
zed him. "Can it be? My goodness how you've grown!" she continued, looking him o
ver with an appraising eye. Willow had to stifle a giggle, and Buffy playfully s
macked her arm.
"Easy there, Rose." Buffy chastised.
"It's just Willow, Buffy." Willow replied with a smile. "No more hiding."
Anakin, meanwhile, was awkwardly trying to return Padmè. "So have you. Grown more
beautiful, I mean." Anakin stood up straight, and then frowned slightly. "And mu
ch shorter. For a Senator, I mean."
"Very smooth, Brother."
Padmè chuckled. "It is good to see you again, Buffy. You look well."
"I feel well." Buffy replied, smiling back at the Senator. Willow nodded.
"How's Master Windu treating you?" Willow asked.
"Very well, Wills." Buffy replied. "He's been a great mentor; I really look up t
o him."
"Of course, she looks up to everybody these days..." Anakin replied with a smirk
, ignoring the scowl on Obi-Wan's face. Buffy narrowed her eyes at her brother;
Willow could sense trouble ahead, so she steered Buffy back towards the lift.
"You'll want to be briefed on what I've found in my investigation, young as it i
s." Willow said as she pushed the button on the lift, opening the doors. "All of
my files are at my office at the Senate building- why don't we head over there?
"
Buffy looked at her friend, then smiled and nodded. "Sound like a plan. That way
, we can also catch up." They entered the lift, and Buffy turned and looked back
to the two remaining Jedi. "I'll leave you two to watch the Senator's back. Jus
t remember, Annie-"she added, looking her brother in the eye with a smirk, "to w
atch her back- that's everything above the waist." She motioned with her hand. W
ith a smirk, she watched as her brother's faced turn to an embarrassed shade of
red as the doors closed on the lift. As soon as the doors closed, Willow burst o
ut laughing. Buffy turned to Willow with a broad smile.
"That'll teach him to make short jokes about me." Was all she said as he lift jo
urneyed down to the landing pad.
Chapter 2: The Scoobies and the Assassin
====BtVS====
It only took a few minutes to travel from the Senator's apartment to the Senate
building at 500 Republica. On the way up to the Junior Senator's office, Buffy a
nd Willow made idle small talk, catching up with recent events in their lives si
nce the last time they had spoken. As they arrived at Willows office, Buffy look
ed around in interest- in the past ten years, though they had spoken often, they
had rarely seen each other in person, and the Slayer had never seen Willow's of
fice.
It was a relatively spacious office, colored in soft earth tones. Around the roo
m were shelves, lined with various artifacts she had collected over the years. T
he middle of the room was dominated by a lower level of the floor, circular in n
ature, lined with comfortable looking couches that surrounded a glass coffee tab
le. Her desk stood at the other end of the room, in front of a panoramic window
that looked out to the city.
"Welcome to my office." Willow said, gesturing to the seat in front on the desk.
"Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"
"No, thank you." Buffy said, taking her seat. A picture on the desk caught her e
ye, and she picked it up to look at it? "Where did you get this?" she breathed,
looking down at the framed sketch of Tara. Willow smiled, and gently took the sk
etch from Buffy.
"There was an artist on Naboo, in Venicia," Willow explained as she gently place
d the picture down on the desk. "I put a glamour on myself, to make myself look
like Tara, and had him sketch me." She looked reverently at the sketch. "It was
the closest thing I could get to getting something from my old life. Our old liv
es." She amended, looking intently on Buffy. "What have you found?"
"Straight to business, eh?" Buffy said with a sigh. "How long has it been, three
years since we've seen each other in person?"
"Four." Willow amended, sitting back in her chair. "Buffy, stop stalling."
Buffy took a deep breath and exhaled. "I've spent the past ten years searching t
he archives, scouring through every piece of information the Jedi databanks had
to offer. I even dragged Master Windu out with me on a few missions to follow up
what I thought were leads.
"Hyperdrive specs. Wormhole theory. Assumptions on how to break the barrier at t
he edge of the galaxy. But NOTHING on portals, or how to open them." She looked
back at her friend. "How about you?"
It was Willow's turn to sigh. "Same deal. I've traveled extensively over the gal
axy; I've met a lot of diverse cultures, even cultures that had some apparent my
sticism about them. But I've managed to conclude that their mysticism was based
in different variations of serving the Force. Add to that the fact that there ar
e no known sources of mystical compounds here, and any comparable compounds- pla
nts, animals, crystals- nothing."
"What about your own magic?" Buffy inquired, leaning forward in her chair. "Can
you still do any?"
"Oh, yes." Willow replied, nodding her head. "My magic is more earth-based- or,
planet-based, I guess- so my own internal magic works just fine. In a lot of way
s, it's like the Force- each planet has its own life-energy field. Everything's
connected- and for someone like me, who can sense it, it doesn't take much for m
e to 'tap in', so to speak. It's just the more advanced stuff- spells that requi
re crystals, or potions, that I can't do. Now, in theory, if I remember correctl
y from the research we did on portals, I could open one myself through sheer pow
er- but the problem is that, without knowing exactly how to do it, the portal wo
uld be highly unstable, and most likely would not take us home. With more power,
I could theoretically open a stable portal that could either take us home, or t
o another magical dimension..."
"Or you could end up sending us to a true hell dimension." Buffy finished.
"Yeah."
They were silent for a moment, each taking in what they had learned. Finally, Bu
ffy looked at Willow.
"Wills, I think it's time we accept that this is our life now."
Willow's eyes narrowed slightly, and then she let out a weary sigh and collapsed
back into her chair. "That is something I'll never really accept. Not fully, an
yways."
They sat in silence for a few minutes absorbing the information. Finally, Buffy
spoke up.
"So...Willow again, eh? What happened to Rose?"
Willow let out a small smile. "Xiazan is dead." At Buffy's shocked looked, Willo
w continued. "About two yeas ago, Xiazan and several of his associates were foun
d murdered in his office in the business district. The organization he worked fo
r then underwent management changes, and most of his allies were eliminated. Whe
n I heard, I realized it was safe for me to stop hiding behind my alias. So now,
it's just plain old Willow Rosenberg-Naberrie."
"I'm glad to hear it. I missed my Willow."
The red headed witch chuckled. "But enough about me. How about you? I see you go
t a new toy," she indicated the lightsaber that hung from Buffy's belt. "May I?"
"Sure." Buffy replied, slipping her weapon off of her belt and setting it on the
Junior Senator's desk. Willow tenitivley picked it up and examined it. Like mos
t lightsabers, it was basically a long, slender metal tube, about a foot long. T
he bottom third was covered in separate strips of a rubber-like material. Just a
bove the grip was a small control box that housed the activation switch for the
blade. Above that was a smooth, polished metal surface that extended partly over
the top side of the emitter. All in all, Buffy had based her design off of her
brothers, with one notable difference- the control box, the setting knobs, the s
ensors, even what Buffy called its 'sight' over the emitter- were all a brillian
t, ruby red. Willow raised her eyebrow at that.
"I though the Jedi didn't like red?" she asked. Buffy smirked.
"We don't like red blades. Red on the handle, not so bad. Besides- it just...fel
t right. I can't explain it, but when I built that, I just followed my feelings,
and that's what came out of it."
"So...what color blade did you get? Blue, green....puce..."
Buffy smirked, and then extended her hand, summoning her weapon back into it. "S
ome things, you'll just have to wait and find out. So," the Slayer leaned forwar
d in her chair. "What have you found out so far? It couldn't have been much..."
"For the record, I've been looking into this matter since the initial threats we
re made against Padmè and me several weeks ago." Willow stated, pulling a data chi
p out of her drawer and slipping it into the desktop reader. A holographic proje
ction appeared above the desk and several files started scrolling up. "I've comp
iled a list of dissident groups, extremists, enemies of the state... anybody tha
t could have been considered a threat against us. But with the attack on the shi
p..." Willow switched off the recording, "none of them fit the profile."
"None?" Buffy asked incredulously. Willow nodded.
"None. You have to understand something, Buffy." Willow stated. "After the Battl
e for Naboo, Padmè became more than beloved. The Naboo congress tried to have the
constitution amended, so she could stay in office for another term. Padmè refused,
of course- she believes in term limits, and the Constitution in general, and an
y form of amending it so she could stay in power was something she wouldn't abid
e. Even as a Senator, she's always put the best interests of the people of Naboo
first, working tirelessly for them. That's part of the reason I was appointed t
o Junior Senator- top help her with her work-load."
"What was the other reason?" Buffy inquired. Willow smiled.
"Padmè's been great for me here, Buffy. After she became a Senator, she didn't nee
d so many handmaidens anymore. So Padmè decided to appoint me as her assistant. Af
ter a few months, she asked Queen Jamilla to appoint me as a Junior Senator so I
could better assist her, though I believe that she's grooming me to take her pl
ace."
"It'd be a nice job; you could do a lot of good."
"I'd like to think so." Willow replied, and then sighed. "But, back to the busin
ess at hand. Like I said, for the past few weeks I've been compiling a list of e
verybody who'd want to harm us. But that list was blown up with the cruiser toda
y. Nobody on the list would be so bold, or so well equipped, for that matter, to
blow up a Royal Star Cruiser."
"What about the vote?" Buffy asked. "Senator Amidala has been a stout opponent o
f the Military Creation Act. Could someone want you two dead because of it?"
"That's the paradox of the week." Willow replied. "On the one hand, there are a
lot of Senators out there who want this bill to pass, and absolutely loathe Padmè
for opposing it. But if they kill her..."
"They risk making a martyr out of her." Buffy concluded. "What about Count Dooku
? I know Padmè suspects him..."
"I don't think so, though it would seem logical, in a way." Willow responded. "Y
ou see, you got the same problem- Padmè's trying to kill a bill that would create
an Army, whose specific purpose is to oppose the Separatists; it's in their favo
r if she succeeds, and if they were to kill her, the bill would undoubtedly pass
. Heck, even Senator Organa would vote to pass it, and he's the biggest pacifist
out there!"
Willow got up and stood facing her window, looking out at the city. "Therein lie
s the paradox... killing her kills the bill, but so does keeping her alive. None
of this makes any sense! There's no logical reason...that you're not paying any
attention to me." Willow finished, as she turned back around and looked to Buff
y, who sat in her chair, her eyes glazed over with a far-away look in them. "Buf
fy?" Willow asked hesitantly. For several moments, the blond girl sat there sile
ntly, unmoving and seemingly unseeing.
And then she blinked, and turned her gaze on Willow.
"There's been another assassination attempt on Padmè's life." She announced to a s
hocked Willow. "Master Kenobi and Anakin are in pursuit of the assassin now; but
I know where they're going."
"Padmè..."
"Is all right." Buffy reassured her friend. Willow's eyes narrowed at Buffy.
"So, visions." She deduced. "Is this a Jedi thing, or a Slayer thing?"
"Both."
"Oh." Willow paused for a moment. "So, the assassin..."
"You got a transport?"
Willow smirked. "You kidding?"
====BtVS====
A few moments later, Willow sat stiff as a board in the passenger seat of Willow
s personal speeder as Buffy raced through the downtown traffic lanes of Coruscan
t.
"Why aren't I driving?" Willow asked fearfully, letting out an 'eep!' as Buffy s
werved around slow moving traffic.
"Because you don't know where we're going." She answered simply, pushing down on
the stick sharply and sending their speeder shooting down several hundred feet,
shooting through several lanes of traffic and weaving in and out between speede
rs at breakneck speed, before pulling back up on the stick and leveling out.
"Ohh....." Willow moaned. "I though you Jedi were supposed to be all stoic and s
tiff-upper-lippy."
Buffy looked over to her friend. "You want me to be British?"
Willow nodded fervently. "Yes! Very much so! But a little less Spike and a littl
e more Giles-- EYES ON THE ROAD!"
"What road?" Buffy asked, before casually swinging the control stick to the righ
t and cutting around a slow-moving transport. "Don't worry, Wills. I'm a much be
tter driver than I used to be."
"I'm still waiting for evidence of that --AHHH!" Willow's hands flew up to cover
her eyes as Buffy swerved around another slow-moving transport, then looped ove
r a third and shot straight down once more, swerving in and out between speeders
. As the ground finally appeared below them, Buffy pulled up sharply on the stic
k and leveled them out, then slowed their breakneck speed until they came to a s
top in front of what appeared to be a sport's bar. Willow pried her fingers apar
t, and looked fearfully around. "Are we there yet?"
Buffy chuckled and gracefully leapt out of the speeder "Let's go."
====BtVS====
Buffy and Willow entered the bar and looked around. Screens on the wall showed v
arious sporting events across the galaxy; bookies worked the crowd taking bets.
Gambling tables dotted the room, while the center was dominated by a large bar.
"So...now what?" Willow asked. "It was so much easier when all we needed was a c
ross and some holy water..."
"Yeah, those were the days, my friend..." Buffy quipped, looking over the bar. "
I saw Obi-Wan at the bar and the assassin coming up behind him..." Buffy reached
into the Force, feeling for her brother's Master....
There.
He sat at the bar...nursing a drink?
"Should he be drinking on duty?" Willow asked in an amused voice. Buffy shrugged
her shoulders.
"As long as Anakin's driving..."
"Anakin taught you." Willow pointed out. "How exactly would that be a good thing
?" Willow then looked past Obi-Wan to the shadowy figure moving up behind him. "
He's got company."
Buffy nodded. "Well, then I guess you get to see what color my lightsaber is aft
er all." The two moved in tandem, the years apart not in the least diminishing t
he bond that forms between friends, especially when said friends were in life-or
-death situation nightly for five years. Buffy circled around to the left and qu
ickly pulled her lightsaber off of her belt as she moved into position, while Wi
llow moved around to the right side; her eyes darkening with power. Soon, they w
ere in position-
And they stuck.
As the assassin had raised her weapon, Buffy ignited her lightsaber, its silver
blade shimmering in the darkened club. She swung it in a tight, yet graceful arc
, and severed the assassin's arm at the elbow. Obi-Wan, sensing trouble, had spu
n around, his lightsaber ignited to defend himself- but was cut off by a shimmer
ing wall of energy. He looked around in confusion before he spotted the two like
liest suspects.
"Buffy? Senator Naberrie? What are you doing here?"
Buffy shut off her lightsaber and put it back on her belt, then bent down and pi
cked up the fallen assassin, her iron grip locked onto the assailants' one good
arm. "Saving your ass, as usual, Master Kenobi."
"Buffy!" Anakin called out, rushing to his master's side as the energy barrier d
ropped. "How..."
"Vision." She replied simply. Anakin shook his head.
"The barrier." He clarified. Willow smiled and waved to the Jedi.
"That would be me." She stated, and then looked over to the assassin with a cold
gaze. "Now, how about we ask her some questions."
The four escorted their prisoner out of the bar- Buffy and Obi-Wan flanking her,
with Anakin and Willow bringing up the rear.
"I had things well in hand, young Padawan." Obi-Wan told Buffy sharply. "You had
no need to endanger your charge by bringing her here..."
"Blah-blah-blah." Buffy finished exasperatedly. "Please. Will's and I have been
to much tougher dives than this place, and that's before we could legally drink.
Besides, judging from her little display, I'd say she had things well in hand i
n there. And if I hadn't shown up..."
"I sensed her presence from across the room." Obi-Wan retorted. "I knew where sh
e was, I was simply drawing her in."
"Oh, so you were trying to get shot. Well, if that's the case, let me go back an
d grab her gun- I'll be more than happy to..."
"You two bicker like an old married couple." Anakin noted, causing Willow to sno
rt in laughter.
"Is she like this with her Master?" the young Senator asked. Anakin shook his he
ad.
"No, she's usually much, much worse."
Buffy shot her brother a look as she and Obi-Wan gently lowered the assassin to
the ground. Obi-Wan began to attend to her wounded arm as Buffy stood back up, h
er arms crossed.
"Do you know who it was you were trying to kill?" the Slayer asked her.
Zam Wesell glared at the Jedi. "The Senator from Naboo."
"Which one?" Willow asked, her voice lowering as her eyes darkened. Fear started
to shine through Zam's eyes as she took in Willows darkening appearance.
"The other one. We're supposed to leave you alone."
"And so you blow me up. Great job there, slick." Willow replied sarcastically. T
hen she knelt down besides her, their faces mere inches apart. "Who hired you."
Zam paused for a moment, considering, then shook her head. "I tell you, he kills
me."
Willow's hand shot out and grasped Zam cheek. Hard. "What do you think I'm going
to do? Worry about me."
Obi-Wan glanced at Willow with a worried expression. The Junior Senator's remark
s were unsettling him greatly, but a sudden shift in the Force startled him even
more.
"The lady asked you a question." Anakin said coldly. "Tell us who hired you."
"The Senator's going to die soon," she stated matter-of-factly. 'It won't end wi
th me. For the price they're offering, there'll be bounty hunters lining up to t
ake the hit. And the next one won't make the same mistake I did."
"No, they'll make all new ones." Buffy relied drolly as the assassin groaned in
pain. Obi-Wan looked down at her in concern.
"This wound's going to need more treatment than I can give it here." He said, bu
t if Anakin or Willow heard him, they didn't care.
"Who hired you!" he asked angrily, throwing the full weight of the Force behind
his demand. Buffy glanced up at her brother worriedly- she could feel the anger
seeping out of him, and she didn't like it. She knew he was taking this personal
ly, but if he didn't get himself under control soon.
Zam continued to glare at Anakin, but she felt herself suddenly being compelled
to answer. "It was a bounty hunter called-"
Buffy felt more than heard the dart being fired from the gun, and dove to the si
de, tackling Willow to the ground as the dart impacted on the neck of the assass
in, who twitched and died in a matter of moments. They all looked up in the dire
ction of where it came from, and saw a helmeted figure rocket away, disappearing
into the sky. Obi-Wan turned back to the dead figure at their feet and plucked
the dart from her neck, then held it up for all to see.
"Toxic dart."
Anakin sighed in disappointment; Buffy groaned in aggravation. They were all sil
ent for a moment as they got to their feet, with Buffy giving a helping hand to
Willow. Her friend looked at her with a wan smile.
"Just like old times, eh?"
Buffy chuckled mirthlessly. "Yeah, but at least our baddies didn't have rocket-p
acks."
Chapter 3
You Got to Have Faith
====BtVS====
"You're late."
Buffy into the Council Chambers and looked at her Master.
"A Jedi is never late." She said with a small smile, "Nor is she early. A Jedi a
rrives precisely when she means to."
"And this Jed meant for you to arrive five minutes ago." Mace said, a frown on h
is serious face. "Take you place, my Padawan."
Buffy nodded respectively and stepped up besides her brother and Obi-Wan, who sh
ook his head slightly in disappointment. "I just finished giving our report to t
he Council, Padawan." He told her, looking at the girl for the first time since
she entered the Council Chamber. "What did you have to report about Senator Nabe
rrie?"
"Her investigation started before the attempts on her sisters' life." Buffy repo
rted, adopting an at-ease stance with her hands clasped behind her back. "The on
ly things she's been able to discover is that every person or group she's looked
at gains nothing from Padmè's death."
"I see." Mace said, leaning forward. "And yet, someone has gone to considerable
effort and expense to hire not one, but at least two Bounty Hunters to end her l
ife."
"Track down this bounty hunter; you must, Obi-Wan." Yoda told the Knight. The ot
her Masters nodded in agreement.
"Most importantly, find out who he's working for." Mace added.
"What about Senator's Amidala and Naberrie?" Obi-Wan asked. "Senator Amidala wil
l still need protecting, as will Senator Naberrie if she stays by her side."
"Which she will." Buffy added. "Wil- Senator Naberrie will protect her sister, n
o matter what the risk is to herself."
"Handle their protection, your Padawan's will." Yoda said to Mace and Obi-Wan. B
uffy felt her brother's spirits soar at the announcement; she herself wasn't as
surprised. It was her trial, after all...
"Anakin, escort the Senator back to her home planet of Naboo." Mace said. "She'l
l be safer there. And don't use registered transport. Travel as refugees. Buffy,
you will continue your assignment, and protect the Junior Senator. While the bo
unty hunter said she wasn't a target, whoever is trying to harm Senator Amidala
may try to use her sister to get to her."
"Yes, Master." Buffy replied with a nod.
"As the leader of the opposition to the Military Creation Act, it will be very d
ifficult to get Senator Amidala to leave the capital." Anakin pointed out.
"Until caught this killer is, our judgment she must respect." Yoda responded.
"But I know how deeply she cares about the upcoming vote, Master." Anakin argued
. "She is more concerned with defeating the act than with-"
"Anakin," Mace interrupted, "Go to the Senate and ask Chancellor Palpatine to sp
eak with her." The tone in his voice said that these were his final words on thi
s matter. Yoda then dismissed them with a nod, before turning to face Buffy. "Bu
ffy, a moment."
The Slayer stayed as Anakin and Obi-Wan left and faced the Masters. As the doors
closed, Mace spoke.
"How goes your other research?" he asked. Buffy sighed.
"It's coming to an end, I'm afraid." She replied. Willow hasn't managed to find
anything, either. Though her magic still functions here; she made good use of it
in the bar."
"Yes, Obi-Wan told us about how she shielded him." Mace replied. "Most impressiv
e."
"And to think, she could have been putting her talents to use right here..."
"Buffy." Mace cut in sharply, ""We've had this conversation before. She didn't b
elong here."
Buffy wanted to retort, wanted to say, Yeah, well neither did I, but ten years u
nder his tutelage had taught her a how to spot a hopeless battle. So she bit her
tongue and nodded curtly.
Mace eyed the girl. It's not like her to give up so easily on this subject; he t
hought to himself, and then pushed the thought o the back of his mind. She would
do her duty, and not let her personal opinions get in the way.
"Go to the Senate and collect the Junior Senator. You two will travel with Anaki
n and Padmè, but try not to stick together too much, at least until you are on Nab
oo."
"Don't want us to be one big target- instead we will be two smaller targets. Har
der to get to." Buffy reasoned, and Mace nodded in approval.
"Exactly. Now go, and may the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you, Master." Buffy replied, and then turned to leave. Sh
e stopped when she heard her Master say "And Buffy?" she turned around once more
, curious as to the delay. Mace gave her a sympathetic look.
"I'm sorry you couldn't find a way home." He said, and then added, "Though I'm n
ot sorry you're staying."
Buffy gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Barney." She gave him a wink, then tur
ned and walked out of the Council chamber, chuckling to herself at the aggravate
d look on her Master's face.
====BtVS====
Buffy walked the corridors of the temple, heading towards the landing platform t
o grab a shuttle to a Senate. She was just about there when a voice stopped her.
"So, I hear you're undergoing your trials, Elizabeth."
There were only three people who could get away with calling her Elizabeth- her
mom, Shmi, Anakin, and....
"That I am, Master Halcyon." She said with a smile as she turned to face one of
the few true friends she had made at the temple. Nejaa Halcyon had become someth
ing of a second mentor to Buffy; whenever Master Windu had been busy with Counci
l business, Hal, as he liked to be called, never minded sparing with Buffy, or i
mparting some of the wisdom he had gained over his years in the Council to her.
Especially since reaching the rank of Master a few years ago. "Come to wish me l
uck?"
"As a matter of fact, I did." Halcyon replied. "I look forward to seeing you joi
n the ranks of the Jedi Knights. Especially if you can do it before you hit fift
y..."
Buffy glared at the venerable Jedi Master. "Ha, ha, ha. Everybody's a comedian t
oday. Do you really want me to kick your ass up and down theses so-called hallow
ed halls?"
"Depends. Are you going to use your walker?" At Buffy's death glare, he held up
his hands. "Peace, Buffy. I just wanted to wish you well. I also heard that you'
ve given up your search for a way home, is that right?"
Buffy let out a soft sigh. "Yeah. I'm coming to the realization that I'm never g
oing to find anything here that'll lead me back home."
Halcyon walked up to Buffy and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Buffy, I know you
spent the past ten years believing you'd find a way home. Believing that being
a Jedi would allow you to find the path home. Now, that belief is gone."
"That about sums it up."
"Let me tell you something, Buffy." Halcyon started, moving closer to the Padawa
n. "Years ago, I was faced with a situation that made me question everything I b
elieved in. Everything I held faith in proved to be, in my eyes, false. It very
nearly destroyed me, and if I hadn't..." he trailed off then, lost in a memory.
Shaking his head lightly, he came back to the present. "I learned a very importa
nt lesson then, and I want to pass this on to you. If you want to pass your tria
ls, if you want to be the great Jedi I know you an be- find something to believe
in. Anything. Because only that belief can carry you through the dark times ahe
ad."
"I'll remember that, Hal." Buffy said with a warm smile. She turned to leave, an
d then glanced back. "Out of curiosity, what do you believe in, Hal?"
"Simple." He replied with an enigmatic smile. "My family."
Buffy chuckled. "Well, you're too old to be a brother, so how about an annoying
uncle?"
"Whatever works for you, Elizabeth." Halcyon smiled as Buffy entered the hanger
bay, then turned and headed back to his own quarters. Once inside, he locked the
door and headed over to his small desk at the far end of the room. He opened th
e small drawer and reached into it, till his hand brushed the door to the hidden
compartment in the back of it. Pushing on the door, the compartment opened, and
he withdrew two of his most prized personal possessions- a plain, gold band, an
d a holopic of himself, a woman, and a small, dark-haired boy.
"See you soon, sweetheart." He whispered to his family.
====BtVS====
While Buffy was talking to Halcyon, Anakin was already in an audience with the S
upreme Chancellor. He felt no fear or discomfort in this office; though he hadn'
t spent much time with Chancellor Palpatine, the few times he had spent talking
with the Chancellor always made him feel as if he was taking an honest interest
in the young Jedi. Anakin considered Palpatine to be another mentor- not quite a
s important as Obi-Wan, or even Buffy, but important nonetheless.
Of course, it wasn't a relationship that Buffy was particularly fond of. She nev
er did like Chancellor Palpatine, for whatever reason.
"I will talk to her." Palpatine said after Anakin asked for him to speak with th
e Senator's Naberrie about leaving Coruscant for Naboo. "Senator Amidala will no
t refuse and executive order and Junior Senator Naberrie will follow where her s
ister goes. I know them well enough to assure you of that."
"Thank you, your Excellency."
"And so, my young Padawan, they have finally given you an assignment." The Chanc
ellor said warmly. "Your patience has paid off."
"Your guidance more than my patience," Anakin replied. "I doubt my patience woul
d have held, had it not been for your assurances that my Jedi Masters were watch
ing me, and that they would trust me with some important duties before too long.
"
"You don't need my guidance, Anakin," Palpatine said, smiling. "In time, you wil
l learn to trust your feelings. Then you will be invincible. I have said it many
times: you are the most gifted Jedi I have ever met."
"Thank you, Your Excellency." Anakin replied politely, though inside his spirits
were soaring. Hearing such compliments from the Supreme Chancellor- it was an e
xperience like no other. This was an accomplished man- more accomplished, some w
ould argue, than anybody else in the galaxy at that time, and he understood that
 Palpatine wouldn't hand out compliments such as that lightly.
"I see you becoming the greatest of all Jedi, Anakin." Palpatine continued. "Eve
n more powerful than Master Yoda."
Palpatine smiled as Anakin came and joined him by the windows that overlooked th
e traffic lanes of Coruscant, and the two stood there for a time, contemplating
the future.
Though those tow futures were vastly different.
====BtVS====
"Two visits in as many days. What did I do to get so lucky?" Willow teased at Bu
ffy entered her office at the Senate building. Buffy smiled as she flopped down
into one of the chairs that faced her friend's desk.
"Just here to let you know the plan." She said. "Anakin and I are to escort you
and Padmè back to Naboo, until the Council can find out whose trying to kill you t
wo and stop them."
Willow nodded. "Good plan." She said. "Just two problems- one, I'm not running,
and two, Padmè sure as hell isn't running. So," she leaned back in her chair, a de
termine look on her face, "What else have you got?"
"Nothing, because that's how it is, Wills." Buffy replied equally determined. "A
s a matter of fact, Ani's talking to the old man right now to get him to make yo
ur evacuation an executive order."
"The 'old man' you speak of is the Supreme Chancellor, Buffy." Willow said, sigh
ing in defeat. "And that's not fair."
"Anything that keeps you safe is fair game, Wills." Buffy replied earnestly. "I'
m not taking any chances on this. Neither is Ani, and neither is the Council."
"I know." Willow replied resignedly. "It's just...this vote. It's important to P
admè. She WANT'S to be there, to see it through."
"And you don't?"
"I'm of the Sunnydale school of thought." Willow replied. "Better to be prepared
that to be caught in the graveyard without a cross, you know? But Padmè believes
in finding a diplomatic solution, and that in defeating this Military Creation A
ct diplomacy will have a chance."
"And you support her?"
"Always." Willow sighed. "Look, Buffy- I may not agree with her decision, and go
ddess knows we've had our own arguments about it, but while I think it's better
to be prepared, I also know that we're not dealing with demons, and that's there
's a chance that diplomacy could actually work."
"Look, Wills," Buffy replied. "I know how much this means to you. And I promise,
the Council is going to do everything in their power to help resolve this crisi
s as fast as they can- and I never thought I'd utter that sentence- but for now,
please, just do what were asking of you and come with us back to Naboo. We've b
oth lost so much over the last twelve years...I don't want to loose you, too."
Willow looked at her friend, and then sighed once more. "Alright, fine. You win.
I'll go. But I'm not telling Padmè! No way in hell am I breaking the news to her.
"
Buffy nodded in agreement, and then smiled evilly. "Don't worry- we'll let Anaki
n do it."
====BtVS====
I am concerned for my Padawan." Obi-Wan stated as he walked with Yoda and Mace W
indu down the halls of the Jedi Temple. "He is not ready to be given this assign
ment on his own."
"The Council is confident in this decision, Obi-Wan." Yoda replied.
"The Boy has exceptional skills." Mace agreed.
"But he still has much to learn, Master." Obi-Wan argued. "His skills have made
him...well, arrogant."
"Yes, yes. It's a flaw more and more common among Jedi." Yoda remarked. "Too sur
e of themselves, they are. Even the older, more experienced Jedi."
"Remember, Obi-Wan," Mace remarked, "if the prophecy is true, your apprentice is
the only one who can bring the Force into balance."
Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. That little fact had been burned into his brain by
his old Master, Qui-Gon. He had been the first to predict that Anakin was the bo
y of the prophecy. Of course, what he had failed to mention was what bringing th
e Force into balance would mean.
"If he follows the correct path." The Jedi Knight told the two Masters. Yoda did
n't say anything, but Mace felt compelled to say something.
"His sister will keep him on the path. Of this I'm sure."
"Attend to your own duties, you must." Yoda reminded Obi-Wan. "When solved is th
is mystery of the assassin, other riddles might be answered."
"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan replied, and then he held up the small toxic dart he had
pulled from the assassin in front of his eyes.
Chapter 4:
Return to Naboo
====BtVS====
Anakin stood with Jar Jar in the doorway to Senator Amidala's room as Padmè and Do
rmè rapidly (and somewhat angrily) packed her things. For while both men may have
been relatively young, they both new to keep their distance from the fuming Sena
tor. For just because Chancellor Palpatine had intervened and ordered Padmè to ret
urn to Naboo didn't mean she had to be happy about it.
"My sister and I are taking an extended leave of absence." She told Jar Jar, her
voice somber as she tried to convey the gravity of the situation to the goofy G
ungan. "It will be your responsibility to take our place in the Senate. Represen
tative Binks, know I can count on you."
Jar Jar nodded solemnly. "Mesa honored to be taken on dissa heavy burden. Messa
accept this with muy...muy humility andda-"
"Jar Jar, I don't wish to hold you up." Padmè interrupted. "I'm sure you have a gr
eat deal to do."
"Of course, M'Lady." With a bow, then a wink to Anakin, the Gungan turned and wa
lked out of the room. The two stood in a tense silence for a few moments before
Padmè finally spoke.
"I don't like this idea of hiding."
"Don't worry. Now that the Council has ordered an investigation, it won't take M
aster Obi-Wan long to find out who hired that bounty hunter. We should have done
that from the very beginning. It's better to take the offensive against such a
threat, to find out the source rather than try to react to the situation." Anaki
n assured the Senator.
"I haven't worked for a year to defeat the Military Creation Act not to be here
when its fate is decided!" she said in frustration.
"Sometimes we have to let go of our pride and do what is requested of us." Inwar
dly he winced as soon as he said this; he knew this particular argument would no
t go over well with the head-strong Senator.
"Pride!" she roared in response. Ani, you're young, and you don't have a firm gr
ip on politics. I suggest you reserve your opinions for some other time."
Anakin lowered his eyes. "Sorry, M'Lady, I was only trying to-"
"Ani! No!"
"Please don't call me that."
"What?"
"Ani. Please don't call me Ani."
"I've always called you that. It is your name, isn't it?"
"My name is Anakin." The young Jedi replied firmly, his eyes blazing with an inn
er strength. "When you say Ani, it's like I'm still a little boy. And I'm not."
Padmè paused for a moment and gave the Jedi a once-over. Her gaze softened, and he
r tone became more respectful. "I'm sorry, Anakin. It's impossible to deny you'v
e...grown up."
An awkward silence followed that statement, as both pondered the several meaning
s of that remark, before finally Anakin used the Force to pick up an ornament th
at was sitting by the window.
"Master Obi-Wan manages not to see it. He criticizes my every move, as if I was
still a child. He didn't listen to me when I insisted we go in search of the sou
rce of the assassination..."
"Mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like." Padmè respon
ded, agreeing with the Jedi. "It's the only way we grow."
Anakin nodded, even as he used the Force to manipulate the ornament higher into
the air. "Don't get me wrong. Obi-Wan is a great mentor, as wise as Master Yoda
and a powerful as Master Windu. I am truly thankful to be his learner. Only..."
he trailed off for a moment, trying to find the right words. "Only, although I'm
a Padawan learner, in some ways- a lot of ways- I'm ahead of him. I'm ready for
the trials. I know I am! He knows it, too. He feels I'm too unpredictable- othe
r Jedi my age have gone through the trials and made it. I know I started my trai
ning late, but he won't let me move on."
"That must be frustrating." Padmè replied sympathetically.
"It's worse!" Anakin cried, slightly seething. "He's overly criticle1 He never l
istens! He just doesn't understand! It's not fair!" he would have gone on, but t
hen Padmè started to laugh. Seeing the look on his face, she waved her hand dismis
sively.
"I'm sorry. You sounded exactly like that little boy I once knew, when he didn't
get his way."
"I'm not whining! I'm not."
"I didn't say that to hurt you."
Anakin took a deep, calming breath. "I know."
Padmè took another moment to study the young man before him. He seemed so lost at
that moment, almost pitiable; though she knew he would never want her, or anyone
else's, pity. On instinct, she reached out her hand and gently stroked his chee
k. "Anakin," she said softly, and the two looked into each other's eyes, looking
deep into one another's heart and souls. The moment was fleeting as Padmè's commo
n sense seemed to kick in at the last moment. Trying to diffuse this new tension
, she turned her final remark into a more lighthearted comment.
"Don't grow up to fast."
====BtVS====
Buffy sat on the couch in the living room of the Senator's spacious apartment, l
istening to the conversation Anakin was having with Padmè with a frown. She had ar
rived there a few minutes ago with Willow, and her friend had ducked into her ro
om to pack her things. Buffy had been wandering around the living room, taking i
n the sights around her when her Slayer hearing had picked up her brother's voic
e.
"Master Obi-Wan manages not to see it. He criticizes my every move, as if I was
still a child. He didn't listen to me when I insisted we go in search of the sou
rce of the assassination..."
"Don't get me wrong. Obi-Wan is a great mentor, as wise as Master Yoda and a pow
erful as Master Windu. I am truly thankful to be his learner. Only...only, altho
ugh I'm a Padawan learner, in some ways- a lot of ways- I'm ahead of him. I'm re
ady for the trials. I know I am! He knows it, too. He feels I'm too unpredictabl
e- other Jedi my age have gone through the trials and made it. I know I started
my training late, but he won't let me move on."
"It's worse! He's overly criticle1 He never listens! He just doesn't understand!
It's not fair!"
Buffy sighed. Her Slayer hearing, along with her other Slayer powers, had always
been either a gift or a curse, depending on the situation. In the field, her he
ightened senses were a boon, especially in tight situations. Even her strength p
roved to be an asset, once she had learned how to enhance her lightsaber so that
it wouldn't overload when she hit something with all of her strength. But somet
imes they put her into awkward positions, like the one she was about to find her
self in...
Her train of thought was cut off as Anakin left the Senator's room. "Kicked you
out, did she?" she asked, looking up at her brother with a grim expression. At o
nce, Anakin knew what the cause was of it.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't listen in on private conversations."
Anakin turned away and headed for the exit, but Buffy's voice stopped him.
"They'll never let you take the trials, you know." Anakin turned around and look
ed at Buffy incredulously.
"What?"
"With that attitude. They'll never let you take them. Let's face it, Ani- they'r
e scared of us. We both started training too late, and that makes them worried.
Hell, I think the only reason I'm taking the trials now is because it's become a
running gag at the temple!
"We broke the mold, Ani. And they don't really know how to deal. So we have to t
oe the line, do what we're told, and be patient."
Anakin sighed. "I understand, Buffy. I just get so frustrated..."
"I know, Ani," Buffy said, putting an arm around her brother, "I know."
====BtVS====
Several hours later, the four travelers found themselves in the bustling industr
ial sector of Coruscant, home to some of the greatest freight docks in the entir
e galaxy. The bustling crowds served them well as camouflage, hiding their true
identities behind throngs of people, all rushing to get on board transports head
ed off of the bustling city.
"You stay on Naboo. Don't attract attention. Do nothing without checking in with
me or the Council." Obi-Wan was telling Anakin as Padmè said her goodbyes to Dormè.
While his harsh tone and no-nonsense attitude rankled the young Padawan greatly
, he buried his discontent deep down, minding Buffy's warning.
We have to toe the line, do what we're told, and be patient...
Still, he thought, shouldn't he show me a bit more respect than this? 'Do nothin
g without checking in?' Haven't I earned a bit more respect than this?
To Obi-Wan, he merely nodded in compliance. "Yes, Master."
"I will get to the bottom of this quickly, M'Lady." The Jedi Knight assured Padmè.
"You'll be back here in no time."
"I will be most grateful for your speed, Master Jedi."
Meanwhile, Buffy and Master Windu were holding their own conference.
"Remember, Buffy. This is your trial. Protect the Senators, keep them from harm.
"
"And if harm finds them?" she asked. "That happens a lot in my family, be it Daw
n or Anakin."
Mace chuckled. "Yes, he does seem to get into trouble more often than not, doesn
't he?" he remarked before turning serious again. "Then do what you must to prot
ect them. Remember- violence should only be used as a last defense.
"And Buffy- watch Anakin. Even though the Council wants to see how he equates hi
mself on this mission, I would feel better if you would do what you can to guide
him. Perhaps between you and the Senators, you can teach him patience."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, then I can turn water into wine. Shooting for the moon ther
e, Master?"
"Funny. I thought I was shooting for Naboo."
"God help us all, I helped you get a sense of humor."
"Be careful out there, Buffy." Mace said seriousness evident in his voice. "And
may the Force be with you."
"Right back at'cha, Master." Buffy replied with a slight bow, and then she turne
d and followed the others onto the transport.
"I hope he doesn't try anything foolish." Obi-Wan was saying as Mace turned his
attention back onto those that were left on the platform.
"I'd be more concerned about her doing something than him." Captain Typho replie
d. "She's not one to follow orders."
"Like-minded traveling companions." Dormè added. Mace shook his head.
"I'd be more worried about Buffy and Willow." He remarked. At their questioning
gazes, he continued. "My Padawan's told me many stories of their previous exploi
ts. If any of them were to get into trouble, it would be those two first."
====BtVS====
The transport ride was long and rather uneventful. They had decided to break up
into two groups- Buffy with Willow, naturally, and Anakin with Padmè, in order to
diffuse any suspicion of their persons. So while Anakin and Padmè spent the time m
ooning over each other (well, Anakin mooned, Padmè was much more subtle about it),
Buffy and Willow spent the time just catching up with each other, talking about
their accomplishments and the trials they had faced over the past ten years.
Soon enough, the transport dropped out of Hyperspace and approached the planet.
Willow glanced out the view port and smiled.
"We're here." She said. "You know, I really want to get back to Earth. But if I
couldn't- Naboo's wonderful. It's got ancient forests, lush valleys, and the wat
erfalls...it's probably the closest place there is to heaven." A sad looked pass
ed over her face. "I'd give it up in a heartbeat to see Tara again for five minu
tes." Buffy sat in awkward silence as Willow closed her eyes briefly, and then s
uddenly stood up. "We should strap in. We'll be landing soon." Wordlessly, the t
wo got back into their seats and strapped themselves in.
====BtVS====
Obi-Wan Kenobi was perplexed.
Analysis of the toxic dart in the Jedi labs proved to be inconclusive, which in
and of itself was unusual. The labs held the most complete set of resources in t
he galaxy- for them to come up empty was almost impossible.
Of course, the labs weren't the only resources Obi-Wan had. His years under Qui-
Gon had taught him many things, and one of the biggest lessons was how to make f
riends with the people who know things that most people would not. Which led him
on this particular day to a small, ground level diner called 'Dex's Diner.'
"Can I help ya?" the server droid asked him as he entered the diner.
"I'm looking for Dexter." The Jedi replied.
"Whaddya want him for?" she asked suspiciously.
"He's not in any trouble." Obi-Wan assured her. "It's personal."
The droid looked to size him up for a moment, before she finally yelled over her
shoulder, "Someone to see ya, honey. A Jedi, by the looks of him."
"Obi-Wan!" a loud, booming voice called out from the kitchen. The Jedi smiled an
d waved to the large alien.
"Hey, Dex!" he replied warmly.
"Take a seat, old buddy! Be right with ya!"
Obi-Wan sat down and gratefully accepted the cup of ardees the droid offered him
. Soon enough, the enormous four-armed alien came out of the kitchen and Obi-Wan
rose to give his friend a hug.
"Hey, ol' buddy!"
"Hey, Dex. Long time."
Dexter managed to squeeze into the booth across from Obi-Wan, and then ordered a
mug of ardees for himself. "So, my friend, what can I do for ya?"
"You can tell me what this is." Obi-Wan replied, holding up the toxic dart for h
im to see. Dexter looked it over for a few moments, then his eyes lit up with re
cognition.
"Well, waddya know. I ain't seen one of these since I was prospecting on Subterr
el beyond the Outer Rim."
"Do you know where it came from?"
"This baby belongs to them cloners." He replied. "What you got here is a Kamino
saberdart."
Obi-Wan's face scrunched up in confusion. "Kamino saberdart? I wonder why it did
n't show up in our analysis archive."
Dex pointed down to the dart as it lay on the table. "It's these funny little cu
ts on the side that give it away." He explained. "Those analysis droids you've g
ot over there only focus on symbols, you know. I should think you Jedi have more
respect for the difference between knowledge and wisdom."
"Well, Dex, if droids could think, there'd be none of us here, would there?" the
Jedi laughed, then sobered quickly. "Kamino...doesn't sound familiar. IS it par
t of the republic?"
"No, it's beyond the Outer Rim. I'd say about twelve parsecs outside the Rishi M
aze, toward the south. It should be easy to find, even for those droids in your
archives. These Kaminoans keep to themselves, mostly. They're cloners. Good ones
, too.
Obi-Wan scratched his beard in thought. "Cloners? Are they friendly?"
"It depends."
"On what?"
"On how good your manners are." Dexter answered with a grin. "On how big your...
pocketbook... is."
Obi-Wan nodded in agreement, already deep in thought.
====BtVS====
"We've been worried about you. I'm so glad you're here, Padmè."
Queen Jamillia stood in the Queen's main chamber in the Theed palace, surrounded
by her handmaidens and the Naboo heads of state. Across from her, Padmè, Willow,
and the two Jedi all bowed in respect.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I only wished I could have served you better by stayi
ng on Coruscant for the vote."
"Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has explained it all." Sio Bibble said. "Returning
home was the only real choice you had."
"Doesn't mean we had to like it." Willow replied, crossing her arms.
"How many systems have joined Count Dooku and the Separatists?" the Queen asked
bluntly, never one for small talk.
"Thousands." Padmè answered. "And more are leaving the Republic every day. If the
Senate votes to create an army, I'm sure it's going to push us into civil war."
"It's unthinkable!" Sio Bibble exclaimed. "There hasn't been a full-scale war si
nce the formation of the Republic!"
"I hate to say it, but it had to happen sooner or later." Willow interjected. "T
oo many systems, with too many conflicting opinions. It was only a matter of tim
e before things started to boil over."
"Do either of you see any way, through negotiations, to bring the Separatists ba
ck into the Republic?" Queen Jamillia asked.
"Not if they feel threatened." Padmè replied assuredly. "The Separatists don't hav
e an army, but if they are provoked, they will move to defend themselves, I'm su
re of that. And with no time or money to build an army, my guess is that they wi
ll turn to the Commerce Guild or the Trade Federation for help."
"The armies of commerce!" the Queen practically snarled, anger and distaste evid
ent on her voice. After the Trade Federation had brought Naboo to its knees ten
years earlier, no one held any love for them or their allies. "Why has nothing b
een done in the Senate to restrain them?"
"Money." Willow replied. "Despite the Chancellor's best efforts, the Trade Feder
ation is still a very wealthy entity, and they are backed by the Commerce Guild.
That buys a lot of friends in the Senate."
"It's outrageous!" Bibble exclaimed. "It's outrageous that after all of those he
arings and four trials in the Supreme Court, Nute Gunray is STILL the viceroy of
the Trade Federation. Do those money-mongers really control everything?"
"As we used to say on earth, 'it's all about the dolla-dolla bill, playa." At An
akin Willow's bemused looks, Buffy amended, "Granted, I never said that..."
"Remember, Counselor, the courts were able to reduce the Trade Federation's armi
es." Jamillia said calmly. "That's a move in the right direction."
Padmè winced, knowing the real truth of the situation. "There are rumors, Your Hig
hness, that the Federation's army was not reduced as ordered."
Anakin stepped forward. "The Jedi have not been allowed to investigate," he stat
ed. "It would be too dangerous for the economy, we were told."
"We must keep our faith in the Republic." Jamillia declared. "The day we stop be
lieving democracy can work is the day we loose it."
"Let's pray that day never comes." Padmè said quietly.
Queen Jamillia then motioned to Sio Bibble, who in turned motioned to the attend
ants. All in the room quietly left, save the Queen, Bibble, and the four from Co
ruscant. Once the door closed, the Queen spoke. "In the meantime, we must consid
er your own safety. What is your suggestion, Master Jedi?"
"Anakin's not a Jedi yet, Counselor," Padmè interrupted, and Buffy groaned silentl
y to herself. "He's still a Padawan learner. I was thinking-"
"Hey, hold on a minute!" Anakin cut her off, obviously upset and put off by her
obvious dismissal.
"Excuse me!" Padmè shot back, standing up to Anakin's imposing glare. "I was think
ing I would stay in the Lake Country. There are some places up there that are ve
ry isolated."
"Excuse me!" Anakin said angrily, not backing down either. "I am in charge of yo
ur security here, M'Lady."
Buffy rolled her eyes at the childish display between the two, and turned to Wil
low to see if she could sort it out. Seeing the amused look on her friends face,
and realizing she wouldn't get any help there, the Slayer decided to take matte
rs into her own hands.
"BAI-tuo, AN-jing-eedyen!" she shouted, then proceeded quietly, "You're to prote
ct her, Anakin," Buffy said, "but this is her world. She knows it better than ei
ther of us. Don't forget that."
Anakin shot a look at his sister, then let out a sigh of defeat. "Duì bù qi."
"Besides, the Lake Country is perfect." Willow added. It's quiet, remote, and no
body pays attention to anyone else's business."
"Padmè," the Queen added, "I had an audience with your father yesterday. I told hi
m what was happening. He hopes you will visit your mother before you leave. You'
re families very worried about you."
"Then that's what we'll do." Willow decided. "We'll go see mom and dad, stay the
night, and then head to the Lake Country tomorrow morning."
That settled, the six worked to finalize arrangements, before the four finally h
eaded off to see the folks.
====BtVS====
Chapter 5
Homecomings
====BtVS====
"So...Chinese" Willow asked her friend as they rode towards her home. Buffy shru
gged.
"Ancient Corellian, actually." the Slayer replied. "Which turns out to be very c
lose to Chinese, so go figure. Ani and I started learning it a few years ago. We
wanted a way to talk to each other, without everybody else knowing what we were
talking about."
"So you two decided to learn an effectively dead language?" the witch asked incr
edulously. Buffy just shrugged again.
"Well, nobody else knows what we're saying...except for Master Yoda." she sighed
. "It may be a dead language, but Master Yoda was around for a few birthdays bef
ore the funeral."
====BtVS====
It was only a short time later when the four of them, peasant robes discarded an
d back into their normal wares, made their way to the simple, yet tasteful two-s
toried home where Padmè had grown up. Anakin and Buffy, both back in their Jedi ro
bes, hung back while the two Senators strode towards the front doors of the home
. Padmè noticed their hesitation.
"What?" she asked the two Jedi. "Don't tell me you're shy!"
"No!" Anakin started, but then he was distracted by screams of delight from the
two little girls that were running out of the yard towards the group.
"Aunt Padmè! Aunt Willow!"
Padmè smiled broadly, and Willows eye's lit up in delight as the two girls dashed
towards them. Each Senator scooped up one of the children and enveloped them in
a warm hug. The two looked to be no more than a few years old; one had short blo
nd and curly hair, the other had long dark hair much like Padmè's.
"Ryoo! Pooja!" Padmè cried, hugging the girl in her arms, before switching off wit
h Willow. The two put the girls down, then led them to the waiting Jedi. "This i
s Anakin and Buffy. Anakin, Buffy, this is Ryoo and Pooja!"
The two girls shyly said hello to the two Jedi, Anakin was equally as shy in his
greetings, though Buffy greeted both of the girls warmly, then laughed as the t
wo danced around Artoo, giving the small droid a hug of its own.
"Mom and Dad will be so happy to see you two." A voice said from the doorway. An
akin looked up to see a woman who looked very much like Padmè, and yet...
She was older, Anakin saw. A little heavier, a little more...worn. But the eyes
held the same light the smile the same warmth.
"Hey, Sola." Willow said as she gave her second adopted sister a hug. "How are t
hey holding up?"
"It's been a difficult few weeks." she replied, then noting the look of discomfo
rt on Padmè's face, she changed the topic. "Mom's making dinner. As usual, your ti
ming is perfect."
The five moved into the tastefully appointed house, where Padmè made the somewhat
awkward introductions of Anakin and Buffy to Ruwee, her father, and Jobal, her m
other. Soon after, they were all sitting around the large dinning room table, en
joying the fruits of Jobal's cooking. Especially Anakin.
"I'm glad you were hungry," Jobal stated wryly as Anakin helped himself to anoth
er role.
"Anakin's always hungry," Buffy noted, a small smirk on her face. "Master Yoda o
nce told me that a full quarter of the Temple's monthly food budget goes towards
feeding my little brother there."
Anakin blushed in embarrassment before he fired back, "Just because some of us a
re still growing doesn't mean you have to get like that..."
"Har-har. You just keep going with the short jokes, little boy, and I'll just ke
ep cutting you off at the knee."
"Of course, that's all you can actually reach..."
"Will you two stop?" Willow pleaded, laughing at their antics. "You tow are almo
st as bad a Xander and Cordelia..." she trailed off with a far-away look in her
eyes, and Buffy felt a pain of regret, yet again, that she couldn't find a way t
o get them home.
"Honey, it's so good to see you safe. We were so worried."
"Dear-"
No, Dear," Jobal went on, looking pleadingly at her girls. "You two have done so
much for so many people. Haven't you done enough? Haven't you had enough of tha
t life?"
"Mom, we're not in any danger." Padmè insisted. Instinctually her hand sought out
Anakin's, which she grasped lightly.
"Is she?" Ruwee asked Anakin.
Oh, boy, Buffy thought, this won't end well...
"Yes, I'm afraid she is." The younger Jedi replied. Just looking at the man's fa
ce, he saw the deep set concern in his eyes, and he knew that he deserved to kno
w the truth. Judging from the tightening of Padmè's grip, she didn't seem to agree
.
"But not much," Padmè quickly added, turning towards Anakin with a a smile that ju
st screamed I'm going to get you for this. "Right, Anakin?"
"The Senate thought it prudent to give her some time away, and under the protect
ion of the Jedi." He continued casually, showing no signs of the pain he was in
from Padmè's nails digging into his hand. "My Master, Obi-Wan, is even now seeing
to the matter. All should be well soon enough."
Good boy, Ani. Buffy thought. Apparently Padmè thought so, too, as Buffy could fee
l Anakin's relief as the young Senator's grip loosened.
====BtVS====
Later that evening, Padmè was helping Sola and Jobal cleanup in the kitchen; Anaki
n was taking a walk with Ruwee, Buffy was looking around Willow's sparsely appoi
nted room as her friend packed some clothes for the trip to the lake country. Th
ere wasn't much in the room- just a bed, a plain, wooden disk and chair, and a b
edside table that held a lamp. A lone picture hung on the wall, showing a younge
r Willow standing arm and arm with Padmè on the steps of the Senate.
"My first day on the job." Willow said, noting her friends gaze. "Padmè had been i
n office for about a month. Tullè, the original Junior Senator, had to leave her p
ost due to family issues. Padmè talked to he Queen, then I was appointed."
"You look happy," Buffy noted. Willow nodded.
"I was. At the time, I was on leave. I was expecting to go back to Handmaiden du
ty after about two or three month's downtime. Imagine my surprise when I got the
call." She smiled fondly at the memory. "It was probably one of the happiest da
ys I've had here." Willow finished pulling clothes out of the closet, and then p
ulled out a small suitcase. "It was my chance to make a difference here, to do s
omething other than be a bodyguard. It was a nice change of pace." She sighed. "
I'm going to miss it."
"Miss it?" Buffy asked, confused. "Why would you miss it? You'll be going back i
n a few days."
"But will it really be the same?" she asked. "We're headed to war, Buffy. Now it
's going to stop being about the individuals and start being about the corporati
ons- the big players that will be affected by the war. The process breaks down,
and bureaucracy takes over." She finished putting her things in the suitcase, th
en took the photo off of the wall and placed it on top before closing the lid. "
I probably won't be going back."
"Well, I for one hope you reconsider." Buffy said. "If this does go to war, I ca
n't think of anybody I'd rather have fighting for the common person than you."
Willow gave her a small smile. "Maybe," she said considering, Then she picked up
her suitcase. "Shall we go see if the others are ready to go yet?"
"Alright, let's go."
The two girls left the room, with Buffy turning out the light before keying the
door closed. She didn't notice the letter that had been left laying on the bed.
====BtVS====
It was a few hours later when the two women trudged up the hill from the docks t
hey had been dropped off at towards the small cottage that stood at the top of t
he hill. It was small, ranch-style cottage, painted in soft, earth tones. Willow
was busy filling Buffy in on the specs of the house.
"It's got two bedrooms, a bath, full kitchen, living room and a porch with a vie
w to die for."
"And it's yours?"
"Ours."
"Huh?"
"I know that Jedi aren't permitted to own anything, so it's in my name." Willow
explained as she entered the code to unlock the door. "But I got this place for
us. It's the closest you can get to heaven without, you know, dying. A place we
could come to get away from everything and just hang out. Ah, here we go..."
Willow opened the door, and the two women entered. Buffy looked around at the ta
stefully appointed living room, but her gaze was drawn to the glass patio doors.
She stepped out onto the patio and took in the breathtaking view around her.
Directly below them was the lake the island was situated in. To the north Buffy
could see the waterfall that fed the large body of water; to the east were smoot
h, grassy plains and valleys, and to the west was a lush tropical rainforest. Wi
llow stepped out onto the patio and stood next to her friend, leaning against th
e railing.
"Welcome to Serenity, Buffy." she said with a contented sigh.
====BtVS====
The next day, while Buffy and Willow spent the day relaxing at Serenity, Anakin
and Padmè set down in the meadow for a nice, relaxing picnic. For Padmè, it was a pl
easant way to unwind after the past few weeks. For Anakin, it was a way to spend
time with the woman he had fallen head -over-heels in love with.
Padmè sat on the grass, idly picking flowers as several cow-like creatures grazed
off in the near distance. Every so often she would steal glances at Anakin, watc
hing him react to the numerous natural wonders around him. She loved the way he
was reacting- in a lot of ways, he was reminding her of the small, awe-struck bo
y he had been ten yes prior.
"Well?" Anakin asked, forcing Padmè to once again consider the question he had jus
t posed.
"I don't know." She replied dismissively.
"Sure you do! You just don't want to tell me!"
Padmè laughed. "Are you going to use on of your Jedi mind tricks on me?"
"They only work on the weak-minded." The Jedi explained. "You are anything but w
eak-minded." He ended with a smile that would have melted many a heart, and Padmè
was no different.
"All right," she finally said. "I was twelve. His name was Palo. We were both in
the Legislative Youth Program. He was a few years older than I..." she narrowed
her eyes, teasing Anakin with sudden intensity. "Very cute," she said in a low,
suggestive voice. "Dark curly hair...dreamy eyes..."
"All right, I get the picture!" Anakin cried, waving his hands in exasperation.
After a moment, he calmed down and asked her "Whatever happened to him?"
"I went into public service. He went on to become an artist."
"Maybe he was the smart one."
"You really don't like politicians, do you?" Padmè asked, a bit of anger creeping
into her voice despite the idyllic setting.
"I like two or three," he replied. "But I'm not really sure about one of them."
He flashed her a perfectly disarming smile that she had to fight to keep a frown
against.
"I just don't think the system works." He said matter-of-factly.
"Really? Well, how would you have it work?" She asked sarcastically. Anakin stoo
d up, suddenly intense.
"We need a system of where the politicians sit down and discuss the problem, agr
ee what's in the best interests of the people, and then do it." He said, as if i
t were the most logical thing in the world.
"Which is exactly what we do." Padmè replied at once. Anakin looked at her in doub
t. "The trouble is that people don't always agree." She continued. "In fact, the
y hardly ever do."
"Then they should be made to."
Anakin's blunt statement caught Padmè off guard. Surely he didn't think that he...
at once, she put the unsettling thought out of her mind. "By whom?" she pressed
. "Who is going to make them?"
"I don't know," he answered, frowning in frustration. "Someone."
"You?"
"Of course not me!"
"But someone."
"Someone wise."
"That sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship." Padmè said, convinced that she won
the debate.
"Well," Anakin replied calmly, "if it works..."
Padmè looked at him in shock. I can't believe he just said that! How could he...th
en she laughed at herself as suddenly Anakin's face lit up with a mischievous gr
in.
"You're making fun of me!"
"Oh, no!" Anakin said, backing away from her and falling down to sit in the soft
grass. "I'd be much too frightened to tease a Senator!"
The two began laughing at one another's antics until Anakin jumped up and ran to
wards the herd of shaak that were grazing nearby. Without missing a beat, Anakin
jumped up and landed perfectly on the back of the animal, and started to ride i
t standing as it ran off into the meadow.
Padmè watched Anakin ride the animal and laughed joyously, but she couldn't help b
ut feel a few pangs of guilt. Why was she out here, enjoying this peaceful setti
ng, having fun with a handsome young man, when there was so much she needed to d
o? She shouldn't be thinking about such selfish things...
Her musings were cut off when a sudden panicked scream brought her back to the p
resent, and she watched in horror as the shakk bucked wildly, and Anakin was thr
own off, landing hard on the ground.
"Anakin!" Padmè cried out as she sprang to her feet and ran towards were he lay, d
eathly still. "Ani! Ani! Are you alright?" She fell to the ground next to him, h
esitating just a moment before reaching over to turn over his still body....
Which revealed the young Jedi to be unharmed, and laughing his head off.
"Oh!" she cried, then punched out at him. Anakin caught her hand and pulled her
down towards him, and the two spent the next few minutes laughing and wrestling
with each other, rolling around in the grass.
====BtVS====
They spent the evening in relaxed conversation. Dinner was an amusing affair whe
re Anakin told stories of his apprenticeship under Obi-Wan.
"And when I went to them, we went into..."Anakin paused dramatically as the wait
ers laid out desert. "Aggressive negotiations." He finished with a smile.
"Aggressive negotiations? What's that?"
"Uh, well, negotiations with a lightsaber." He replied, still grinning wryly.
"Oh," Padmè laughed, and then eagerly stabbed at the desert with her fork. The shu
ura moved, and her fork hit the plate. Confused, she stabbed at it again, and on
ce again it moved. She looked up at Anakin with a mixture of confusion and embar
rassment, but then she saw that he was fighting hard not to laugh as he stared a
t his own plate a little too innocently.
"You did that!"
He looked up at her with a wide-eyed look. "What?"
Padmè scowled playfully, then stabbed at the fruit again, but Anakin was quicker a
nd snatched it away from her once again.
"That!" Padmè replied, "Now stop it!" Finally she couldn't hold her feigned anger
anymore, and she burst out laughing.
Anakin took her lapse of concentration to use the Force to lift the fruit off of
her plate, and brought it over to him, where he let it hover for a moment.
"If Master Obi-Wan was here, he'd be very grumpy." The Padawan admitted as he lo
wered the shuura to his plate, where he cut a small piece off. "But he's not her
e," he continued, and once again used the Force to lift up the small piece of fr
uit, then send it back over to Padmè. It hovered in front of her for a moment, and
she used her fork to finally, successfully, stabbed it with her fork and ate it
.
====BtVS====
Soon desert was complete, and the two retired to the living room, where they bot
h sat on a couch next to a crackling fire.
"From the moment I met you, all those years ago, a day hasn't gone by when I hav
en't thought of you." Anakin said as he leaned back on the couch. His voice was
intense and husky, his dark eyes seemed to bore a hoe into her soul. "And now th
at I'm with you again, I'm in agony. The closer I get to you, the worse it get.
The Thought of not being with you makes my stomach turn over, my mouth go dry. I
feel dizzy! I can't breath! I'm haunted by the kiss you never should have given
me. My heart is beating, hoping that kiss will not become a scar."
Padmè sat in silence, listening in amazement as the young man in front of her open
ed himself up completely to her. He was baring his heart to her, even though he
thought that with one word, shoe would tear it asunder. It touched her, while at
the same time, it frightened her.
"You are in my very soul, tormenting me," he went on honestly. It was refreshing
for Padmè, who spent all of her life around men spinning lies and falsehoods tryi
ng to garner political favors; who spent her life surrounded by handmaidens whos
e job it was to attend to her every need, to please and entertain the dignitarie
s her job demanded that she deal with.. "What can I do?" he asked her softly. "I
will do anything you ask." Several moments slipped by in silence before Anakin
spoke once more. "If you are suffering as much as I am, tell me." He implored.
"I can't" she shot back, her own frustrations bubbling over the surface now. "We
can't. It's just not possible."
"Anything is possible." Anakin replied. "Padmè, please listen¬-"
"You listen." She replied, scolding the Padawan while trying to hold onto her ow
n sense of denial. "We live in the real world. Come back to it, Anakin. You're s
tudying to become a Jedi Knight. I'm a Senator. If you follow your thoughts thro
ugh to conclusion, they will take us to a place we cannot go...regardless of the
way we feel about each other."
"Then you do feel something!" Anakin exclaimed. "Buffy was a Slayer, and Angel w
as a vampire. Follow that through to conclusion, and she should have killed him.
Instead, they fell in love..."
"Jedi aren't allowed to marry," Padmè pointed out. "You'd be expelled from the ord
er. And Willow told me about Angel, and what happened when they got together."
"Okay, so that was a bad example..."
"I will not let you give up your future for me." She said firmly.
"You're asking me to be rational." Anakin replied confidently. "This is somethin
g I know I cannot do. Believe me, I wish I could wish my feelings away. But I ca
n't"
"I am not going to give in to this." She said. She clenched her jaw and sat up s
traight, knowing she had to be the strong one here, for Anakin's sake even more
than her own. "I have more important things to do than fall in love."
Anakin turned away, obviously hurt by her comments, and Padmè winced. Still, she k
new that this was for the best. She watched as he stared into the fire, obviousl
y searching for a way around her resolve.
"It wouldn't have to be that way," he said finally. "We could keep it a secret."
"Than we'd be living a lie- one we couldn't keep up even if we wanted to. Sola s
aw it, as did my mother. I couldn't do that. Could you, Anakin? Could you live l
ike that?"
Anakin thought for a moment, then looked right at her, right into her soul.
"Yes." He said, finally. "Buffy once told me, 'If you can't do something smart,
do something right.' This may not be the smartest thing in the universe, but it
is right. I know it, and you know it. I'm willing to fight for it, Padmè." His eye
's bored into hers. "Are you?"
At that moment, Padmè had no answer.
====BtVS====
FLASH
Buffy ran up the stairs that led to the main hanger of this facility. She wasn't
quite sure where she was, or where she was going to, but she knew she had to re
ach the hanger and help her brother and Obi-Wan. She reached the level where the
hanger was and ran into the antechamber connected to it. Wait, there was someon
e here...
On the floor! Buffy still couldn't make out who it was, but the person was tied
up. She quickly activated her lightsaber, and the silver-colored blade sliced cl
ean through the ropes.
'Quickly!' she called to the person. 'We have to get in there and help them!'
As she turned to run into the hanger, she heard the voice speak.
'I got a better plan.' The voice said. It clearer now, but still indistinguishab
le, though she could tell from the sound that it was definitely feminine. Buffy
turned around to face the person-
And was blasted back into the wall by a powerful burst of energy.
'You die.'
FLASH
Buffy was in a small hut. Where it was, she couldn't tell. But she could see who
was in it-
Shmi, her mother. And she was tied to a post, hands outstretched, back facing ou
t. And her back was already criss-crossed with cuts that welled up blood. She sc
reamed as the whip was brought down upon her back yet again...
FLASH
Buffy's eyes shot open wit a start. As she focused on the world around her, her
mind went back to the terrible vision she had just had.
That was no dream, she thought as the sweat dripped off of her face, that was re
al. Shmi's in danger. Worse she's dying.
"Buffy?" Willow called out, slowly walking into the room. "Are you okay?" One lo
ok at the Slayer's face told her all she needed to know. "What's wrong?"
"I had a vision. Been having them, actually. Of mom- Shmi," she clarified. "I se
e her being hurt- tortured. I told aster Windu about them, but he seemed to thin
k that I was picking up on Ani's feelings. He's always gone through these phases
where he's really missed her..." she looked her friend dead in the eye. "They'r
e not dreams. Not nightmares, not some kind of shared vibe. It's a real vision.
Shmi is being tortured, she's dying..." Buffy let out a shuddering breath. "I've
been getting them for the past three weeks, and I've done nothing."
Willow stood in silence for a moment, before finally speaking. "Then I think it'
s about time we did something about it." She said, holding out her hand to Buffy
. "What do you say the Scoobies ride one last time?"
Buffy looked up at her friend in stunned disbelief, but soon a smile formed on h
er face.
"You know that Master Windu would never approve of this." She stated matter-of-f
actly.
"So we don't tell him."
"Anakin will be furious if we leave him behind. So will Padmè, for that matter."
"So we bring them with us."
Buffy grasped her friend's hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "O
ne last ride in the Mystery Machine?"
"At least." Willow said with a smile.
====BtVS====
The next morning, Padmè found Anakin standing on the east balcony, overlooking the
lake and the sunrise. He stood by the balustrade, deep in meditation. The young
Senator regarded him for a moment. Her mind had been working overtime since the
ir conversation last night. For all of her posturing, for all of her denial, in
the end she had to admit, if only to herself, that she was falling in love with
the Padawan before her. And even though she knew it was impossible for them to b
e together, to have a life together...
If you can't do something smart, do something right
It couldn't be that simple, she thought. Could it?
Shaking her head, and noticing her own state of relative undress, she turned to
leave and leave Anakin to his meditations, when suddenly his voice stopped her.
"Don't go."
"I don't want to disturb you."
"Your presence is soothing."
They stood in silence for a moment, before Padmè finally spoke. "You had a nightma
re again last night."
"Jedi don't have nightmares."
"I heard you."
He wanted to deny it. He wanted to explain it away as his Master had done- an ov
eractive imagination and a deep-seated longing for his mother. But after three w
eeks, he could no longer deny what his feelings told him.
"I saw my mother." He said at length. "I saw her as clearly as I see you now. Sh
e is suffering, Padmè. They're killing her! She's in pain!" he took a shuddering b
reath, then turned to look at her.
"I know I'm disobeying my mandate to protect you," he tried to explain. "I know
I will be punished and possibly thrown out of the Jedi Order, but I have to go."
"Go?"
"I have to help her! I'm sorry, Padmè. I don't have a choice."
"Of course, you don't." Padmè responded. "Not if your mother is in trouble. And I'
m going with you." At his shocked look she gave him a small smile. "Besides, 'if
you can't do something smart, do something right'."
"Words to live by."
The two started at the voice, and turned to face a very serious looking Buffy, w
ith an equally serious looking Willow.
"Buffy, listen-" Anakin started, but stopped when the Slayer held up a hand to c
ut him off.
"Mom's in trouble, and we're going to go get her." She finally said, then flashe
d her brother a grin. Want to come along?"
====BtVS====
A few hours later, Anakin brought Padmè's sleek starship out of hyperspace and pro
ceeded to begin the entry sequence to take them into Mos Espa. Tatooine was a st
ark contrast to Naboo- the lush greenery and deep blue oceans didn't exist anywh
ere on the sandy, brown and orange ball that was Anakin's home world.
"You know, I REALLY didn't miss this place." Buffy quipped, turning to her broth
er. "The sand always got in EVERYTHING."
"Complain, complain, complain..." Anakin replied with a n exaggerated sigh. "If
you weren't complaining about the sand, you were complaining about the lack of a
shopping mall, whatever that is..."
"No shopping mall? Now that's criminal." Willow said in false sympathy, patting
her friend on the shoulder. "Now, how are we going to find Shmi?"
"Watto." Anakin replied.
"Your former Master?"
"That's right." Buffy said, placing a calming hand on her brother's shoulder. He
knew his former enslavement was a sore spot with him; heck, it was a sore spot
for her, as well. But Watto had never treated either of them overly unfairly or
cruelly. Indeed, he had been a better master than the bastards that had sold her
had been.
"If he did anything to harm my mother..."
"He wouldn't have." Buffy reasoned. "He was always about threatening the violenc
e, not he actual violence itself. He rarely, if ever, beat you. And he never use
d the collar on me."
"That's because he knew that, if he did, you could punt him into the upper atmos
phere." Anakin shot back. "Mom poses no such threat."
Soon they were landed, and after Force-convincing the docking attendant, Anakin
had flagged down an rickshaw pulled by an ES-PSA droid that was large enough to
hold the four of them, and instructed the droid to head towards Watto's junk sho
p. When they arrived, Anakin turned towards the three women.
"Padmè, Willow, stay behind me. And keep your hoods up- we don't want anybody reco
gnizing you. Buffy, let me go first. Wait for the opportune moment to jump in. G
ot it?"
"By your command." Buffy replied wryly.
Anakin asked the droid driver to remain, then walked up to Watto's shop. Sitting
in front of the shop was Watto himself, vainly trying to replair a broken droid
component. Anakin noted that he looked as run down as the shop did, with his di
rtied clothes and scraggly beard.
"No chuba da wanga, da wanga!" Watto yelled at the broken piece of equipment, to
ssing it onto the table in front of him.
"Chut chut, Watto," he said in greeting, and Watto looked up in surprise.
"Ke booda?" he responded.
"Di nova, chut chut." Anakin reiterated. "Ding mi chasa bopa."
Anakin picked up the broken droid piece and stated manipulating it expertly. Wat
to's eyes narrowed as he looked him over, then widened as he caught sight of he
lightsaber on his belt.
"What ever it is, I didn't do it." He said in basic.
"I'm looking for Shmi Skywalker." Anakin replied, putting down the droid part an
d activating it, showing it to be fully functional.
"Ani? Little Ani?" his eyes lit up in delight as he took in the grown man in fro
nt of him. "You are Ani! It is you! Ya sure sprouted!"
"Hello, Watto." He replied calmly.
"Weehooo!" the Toydarian exclaimed. "A Jedi! Waddya know? Hey, maybe you could h
elp wit dome deadbeats who owe me a lot of money..."
"Hey boss..."
Buffy didn't think it was possible, but the Toydarian's face paled when he saw h
er move to stand beside her brother. "Relax, Watto. I have no grudge with you. W
e're looking for our mother."
"Oh yeah, Shmi. She's not mine no more. I sold her."
"Sold her?" Buffy placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder and squeezed in a comfortin
g manner.
"Years ago." Watto explained. "Sorry, Ani, but you know business is business. So
ld her to a moisture farmer named Lars. Believe it or not, I heard he freed her
and married her. Can you beat that?"
Anakin shook his head, trying to take it all in. Buffy smiled at the news- final
ly some good news. "Do you know where they are?"
"Long way from her. Someplace on the other Side of Mos Eisley, I think."
"Could you narrow it down?"
"Sure, sure. Absolutely. Just let me go check my records." He moved to go back i
nto the shop, then stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You know, believe it o
r not, it is good to see you."
"Thank you, Watto. But time is something we don't have right now. Please, find u
s where Shmi is." Buffy implored. Watto nodded in compliance and moved into his
shop to find the paperwork."
====BtVS====
It was midday, and See-Threepio was busy fine- tuning the moisture collectors at
the Lars farm, when suddenly the wind picked up in a furious windstorm. Threepi
o was confused- sandstorms didn't normally kick up so suddenly- but his confusio
n as soon abated when he saw the gleaming silver starship touch down a few meter
s from his position. He watched as the ramp lowered, and four figures stepped ou
t onto the hard desert ground and started walking towards him.
"Oh, hello," he greeted. ""How may I be of service? I am See-"
"Threepio?" Anakin asked, not believing his eyes. It was his old droid, complete
with coverings.
"Oh my!" the protocol droid exclaimed. "The Maker! I knew you would return I kne
w you would! Oh, and Mistress Buffy as well!"
"Hey Threepio." Buffy said in greeting, staring in wonder at the now-completed d
roid.
"And this must be Miss Padmè!" the droid continued, nodding the best he could at t
he young Senator.
"We've come to see our mother." Anakin explained. The droid turned towards home,
then started backing up.
"I think...I think...Perhaps we'd better go indoors." He finally said, leading t
hem towards the house. The four walked down the stairs the led into the courtyar
d of the farms courtyard. "Master Cliegg! Master Owen! Might I present four impo
rtant visitors!"
A young man and woman came rushing out of the house, but slowed to a halt at the
sight of the four travelers.
"I'm Anakin Skywalker." Anakin said.
"And I'm Buffy Skywalker. We're looking for our mother, Shmi."
"My mother, too." the young man said. "Not my real mom, but as real a mom as I'v
e ever known." He extended a hand to Anakin. "Owen Lars. This is my girlfriend,
Beru Whitesun."
Beru nodded. "Hello," she said.
Padmè stepped forward. "I'm Padmè. This is my sister, Willow." Willow nodded in hell
o.
"I guess I'm your stepbrother." Owen said, his eyes never leaving Anakin. "I had
a feeling you might show up."
"Is my mother here?"
"No, she's not." A gruff voice replied from behind Owen and Beru. The couple ste
pped aside to reveal an older, heavyset man gliding out of the hut in a hovercha
ir. One of his legs was heavily bandaged; the other was missing completely.
"Cliegg Lars." He said, extending a hand that Anakin took at once. "Shmi is my w
ife. We should go inside, we have a lot to talk about."
Anakin followed Cliegg into the home, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomac
h.
====BtVS====
"It was just before dawn," Cliegg said as he pulled up to the table in the kitch
en. Beru quickly fetched a pitcher of water, and started pouring glasses for eve
ryone, which she then passed out.
"They came out of nowhere," Owen added.
"A band of Tusken Raiders," Cliegg continued, and Anakin collapsed into his chai
r as if he had just been shot in the gut. "Your mother had gone out early, like
she always did, to pick the wild mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. From the
tracks, she was about halfway home when the took her. Those Tusken's walk like
men, but they're vicious, mindless monsters. Thirty of us went out after Shmi. F
our of us came back. I'd still be out there, only...after I lost my leg...I just
can't ride anymore." Cliegg almost broke down then, and Anakin could see just h
ow much he loved her. "This is not the way I wanted to meet you, son. This isn't
how your mother and I planned it. I don't want to give up hope, but she's been
gone nearly a month. There's little hope she's lasted this long."
Anakin didn't want to believe it. He wouldn't believe it. He knew she had surviv
ed- he had felt her pain. The Force had been trying to tell him about this all m
onth, but he had ignored it, passed it off for nightmares. Well, now the nightma
re was real. And he was going to do something about it. Without another thought,
Anakin shot to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Owen asked.
"To find my mother." Anakin replied grimly.
"No, Anakin!" Padmè cried out.
"Your mother's dead, Son. Accept it." Cliegg added.
Anakin glowered at the man. "I can feel her pain. Continuing pain. And I will fi
nd her."
"Like hell." Buffy declared shooting to her feet. "Not like this, you won't." At
the look of shock on his face, the Slayer continued. "It'll take hours, if not
days, to track her down by blindly searching. We need to narrow things down."
"And how do you propose we do that?"
"You use me." Willow declared, also standing. She turned to face Owen. "I need s
omething personal of Shmi's. Something she used everyday, like a hairbrush, or a
favorite piece of jewelry. And a map of Tatooine; specifically the area around
this farm in a fifty-mile radius." As Owen left to get the requested items, she
turned back to Anakin. "My magic is limited, but not non-existent. I can still d
o a locator spell. Once I do that, we'll know exactly where your mother is, and
then we can go get her."
"What?" Padmè cried, looking at her sister in confusion. "Why would you have to go
?"
"Shmi's been in captivity for a month. She's obviously been beaten severely. I c
an use my magic to stabilize her so we can get her to proper medical attention."
"Padmè, you stay here." Buffy said. "Once we get a location, we'll take the shuttl
e, go pick up mom, and get her back here. Can you get a doctor here to treat her
?" she asked Cliegg, who nodded.
"Here you go." Owen said as he handed Shmi's brush, then laid a map of the area
down on the table in front of her.
"Perfect." Willow muttered as she carefully removed several long, gray strands o
f hair. She then removed the crystal she was wearing around her neck. "A gift fr
om Tara," she explained to Buffy, "By drawing on the planets energy, and filteri
ng it through the crystal, I can use it to sense the residual life-energy from h
er hair. I send that energy back into the planet, where it will search for it's
originator, and when it finds her, her location will show up on he map."
"Wow. Willow techno-babble. I'm impressed." Buffy quipped, but Willow's eyes wer
e already closed in concentration. She held the crystal over the map, and slowly
breathed in and out. Soon, the crystal glowed a bright blue, and not long after
that, the glow transferred from the crystal, to the map below.
"She's about thirty miles away- the far side of the Jundland Wastelands." Anakin
stood up quickly and turned to Padmè. "I need you to stay here, Padmè. These are go
od people- they'll look after you."
"I will, Anakin." Padmè replied. "Just bring your mother home safe."
"It'll take us about twenty minutes to get there." Buffy was saying, looking at
the map. "Their camp is most likely down in this valley, so we can land here, on
this cliff. We drop down, take out the guards, and get mom out of there." Willo
w nodded in agreement, and Buffy looked Anakin. "You ready?"
Anakin nodded. "Let's go to work."
====BtVS====
Twenty-five minutes later, Anakin set the ship down on the bluff overlooking the
Tusken's camp. It was dusk, and the darkness aided them as the three made their
way down the side of the cliff and into the camp. Anakin instinctually went to
an adobe hut on the outskirts of the camp, then used his lightsaber to open a ho
le in the side of it. The three climbed through, then froze in horror at the sig
ht in front of them.
Shmi Skywalker was propped up against a small wooden rack, her hands lashed to t
he top bar, propping her limp body up against it. Her clothes were ragged and bl
oody, with long slashes cut into he back where a whip had obviously been used.
At once, Anakin was at her side, freeing her from her bonds. "Mom...Mom ...Mom"
he kept repeating, gently cradling the broken body in his lap. Buffy watched, wi
th tears streaming down her face, as he slowly rocked back and forth. "I'm here,
Mom. You're safe now. Please hang on..."
"Ani? Is that you?" Shmi tilted her head towards her son. "Ani! You look so hand
some..."
"Save your strength, Mom." Anakin said. "We've come to get you out of here."
"My son, my grown up son," Shmi continued, fading fast. "I knew you'd come back
to me. I knew it all along. I love you...I love...I love..." Suddenly, Shmi's vo
ice faded, and she went limp.
"Mom?" Anakin asked weakly. "Mom? No..." Gently he laid her body on the ground,
and immediately Willow went to work, placing her hands over the older woman's he
art and quietly murmuring in Latin. Anakin stared at the fallen form of his moth
er for a few moments, then looked up, and Buffy gasped in shock and fear at what
she saw. The pain, the anger, the hate...
FLASH
Anakin, his grief all-consuming, rampaging through the camp, killing every livin
g being in sight...
FLASH
Anakin, making his ay through the Jedi Temple and into the Council Chambers, whe
re he proceeded to slaughter a group of Younglings that were huddled there in fe
ar...
FLASH
Anakin, his eyes eerily reminiscent of a demon man she had once fought, cutting
down Neimoidians in what appeared to be a control room of some sort...
FLASH
Anakin, fighting furiously against Obi-Wan as they floated on a small platform o
ver a river of lava...
FLASH
A terrifying figure, clad in black armor, his cape billowing out behind him, a s
tead hiss of a respirator sounding from beneath the black helmet, a red lightsab
er striking down an elder Jedi in some futuristic corridor... a figure she insti
nctivley knew to be Anakin...
FLASH
And suddenly she was back in the hut, looking over Willow, who was still working
on her mother, to the terrifying visage of a very angry Anakin as, for the firs
t time, he tapped into the Dark Side to enact his revenge...
Episode 2 Chapter 6
Dark Side of the Moon
"My son, my grown up son," Shmi continued, fading fast. "I knew you'd come back
to me. I knew it all along. I love you...I love...I love..." Suddenly, Shmi's vo
ice faded, and she went limp.
"Mom?" Anakin asked weakly. "Mom? No..." Gently he laid her body on the ground,
and immediately Willow en tot work, placing her hands over the older woman's hea
rt and murmuring Latin. Anakin stared at the fallen form of his mother for a few
moments, then looked up, and Buffy gasped in shock and fear at what she saw. Th
e pain, the anger, the hate...
FLASH
Anakin, his grief all-consuming, rampaging through the camp, killing every livin
g being in sight...
Anakin, making his ay through the Jedi Temple and into the Council Chambers, whe
re he proceeded to slaughter a group of Younglings that were huddled there in fe
ar...
Anakin, his eyes eerily reminiscent of a demon man she had once fought, cutting
down Neimoidians in what appeared to be a control room of some sort...
Anakin, fighting furiously against Obi-Wan as they floated on a small platform o
ver a river of lava...
A terrifying figure, clad in black armor, his cape billowing out behind him, a s
tead hiss of a respirator sounding from beneath the black helmet, a red lightsab
er striking down an elder Jedi in some futuristic corridor... a figure she knew
to be Anakin...
FLASH
And suddenly she was back in the hut, looking over Willow, who was still working
on her mother, to the terrifying visage of a very angry Anakin as, for the firs
t time, he tapped into the Dark Side to enact his revenge...
====BtVS====
There were very few times in Buffy's life that she had been truly afraid. Scared
, yes- in her line of work, she was scared all of the time. Demons, vampires, he
llgods- all of them were scary. But truly frightening- well, there had been The
Master. And Angelus' reign of terror ranked up their pretty high; and Dawn being
taken by Glory- that had put her into a coma. But seeing the look in the eyes o
f her brother, at this moment, she was more afraid than she had ever been in her
life. Not for herself, but for her brother.
For his soul.
"Anakin," she started, her voice shaking slightly. "Anakin, listen to me..."
"I'll kill them." Anakin growled, his hand tightening on the handle of his light
saber. "I'll kill them all..."
"ANAKIN!" she shouted, then continued in a quieter tone, "Ting qu wú yu yin, yòu dì!"
(Listen to my voice, younger brother!) Anakin turned his smoldering gaze back on
his sister.
"I know how you're feeling now, believe me, I know." She said urgently, desperat
e to break through the haze of hate that had descended on him. "I know you're an
gry. I know you're scared. But giving into that won't help anything. It won't ge
t mom home faster, it won't bring justice to those who did this to her. The only
thing it will do is destroy you...ANAKIN!" he had gotten to his feet, so Buffy
did the only thing she could think to do- she jumped up and hit him.
Hard.
Anakin crashed against the rack that had held his mother, then fell to the groun
d. In a daze, he looked up at his sister in shock.
"Now you listen to me." She said angrily, her voice trembling with emotion. "I h
ave lost too many things- my family, my friends, my fraking world- but I refuse
to loose you, too. Stop and think for a minute, Ani! All the hate, all the rage,
the need for revenge- all of that is taking you down the road to the Dark Side.
You go down that road, you loose your soul, and you become no better than the t
hings that did this to mom!" Buffy collapsed to her knees in front of her brothe
r, tears streaming down her face. "Please, Ani. Don't do this. Don't go where I
can't follow..."
Anakin stared helplessly at the crying girl in front of him for a few moments, b
ut before he could even thing to form a reply, a familiar voice caused his breat
h to hitch.
"You should listen to your sister, Anakin. You must listen to her."
Buffy's head shot up, as did Willow's, who had been tending to Shim during Buffy
's exchange with her brother. "Okay," the Wiccan said, "I'm hearing dead people.
"
"Yeah, well I'm seeing them." Buffy shot back, looking into the corner of the ro
om, where the bluish glowing figure of Qui-Gon Jinn stood.
"Hello, Buffy. You are looking well." the spectral Jedi said, then turned to the
fallen Jedi. "I'm afraid I can't say the same for you, Anakin."
"Master Qui-Gon?" Anakin breathed. The rapidly unfolding events were beginning t
o become to much for the Padawan, and Qui-Gon noticed.
"Listen to me carefully, Anakin," he started, even as his image flickered like a
faulty holprojection, "because I don't have a lot of time. This may very well b
e the only time I will be able to speak with you. Your sister is right- giving i
nto the Dark Side is not the answer; the only thing it will do is hurt the one's
you care about even more.
"Difficult times lie ahead, Anakin. Dark forces will try, and are even now tryin
g, to take you down a path that you must not travel. But it is ultimately your c
hoice. You must choose, young Padawan, between what is right, and what is easy."
And with those final words, the astral form of Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master and fo
rmer mentor to Anakin Skywalker, faded from existence.
"Qui-Gon!" Anakin shouted, reaching out to where the apparition had been, then s
lumped back down in defeat. There were a few moments of silence before Willow sp
oke.
"Look, I know all of this has shaken everybody up, but I have to point out that
I'm expending a great deal of energy stabilizing your mother here, along with ho
lding up a rather powerful silencing spell so that all of the bad guys out there
don't hear you two yell at each other. So could we please decide on a course of
action and get the frak out of here?"
Buffy nodded, then turned back to her brother. "We need to get out of here, Ani.
 But I can't have you going all 'Death Wish' on me. I need you with me on this,
Brother. Are you with me?"
Anakin looked to his fallen mother for a moment, then turned back to his sister,
his decision made. He stood up and pulled a small com device from his belt.
"Artoo, do you read me?" Several beeps and whistles confirmed his question from
the small device, and Anakin continued. "Artoo, power up the ship. I want you to
bring it down to us- land in the large clearing in the center of the camp. Don'
t argue," he said sternly at Artoo's protestations, "just do it." He replaced th
e com device back in his belt, then turned to Willow. "Can you keep her stable w
hile you move her?"
Willow nodded. "Yeah, but I can't move her far. Though I'm starting to sense you
got that part covered."
Anakin nodded. "We can't get her back up the cliff, Buffy." He told his sister.
"So we bring the ship down here. Willow will keep her stable and transport her t
o the shi; we'll provide cover for them. Defense only." He added, giving her a k
nowing look. "Duì bù qì, mèi mèi. I won't loose control."
Buffy smiled. "Who are you calling little?" She then unclipped her lightsaber fr
om her belt and ignited it's silver blade, then lifted it in a salute. "Shall we
?"
Anakin ignited his blue blade and saluted back. "Let's go to work."
====BtVS====
All was quiet in the Sand People camp. They were a nomadic race, born and bred f
or desert warfare. They relished in hunting animals out in the desert, and somet
imes in the remote farms that dotted the landscape, as well. And while most civi
lized people would think them mindless, they were, in fact, quite intelligent. T
hey set their camps up to be not only secluded, but easily defendable from witho
ut and within- not that they expected to be attacked. They planned their raids c
arefully, so that there were always a few survivors left to spread the fear of t
heir name.
So when the sleek, silver starship suddenly came off the cliffs behind the camp
and landed dead center in the camp, to say that the Sand People that were guardi
ng the human prisoner were surprised would be an understatement. But before they
could react, the guard on the left was cut down by a blue beam of energy, even
as his partner was cut down by a silver beam.
And then all hell broke loose.
====BtVS====
Buffy and Anakin walked calmly towards the ship, casually deflecting energy b0lt
s fired by the Sand People's primitive rifles, while Willow carefully floated th
e injured Shmi behind them. A group of Sand People rushed them, and the two Jedi
quickly and effortlessly dispatched them. Anakin's blue blade seemed to flow li
ke liquid energy, cutting blaster rifles in half and severing arms at the elbows
. Anakin lifted his hand and motioned at a large boulder that had fallen near on
e of the larger adobe huts. The boulder lifted off of the ground, then slammed d
own in front of the entrance to the hut, effectively sealing all of the remainin
g Sand People inside. The ramp lowered from the ship, and Willow floated Shmi in
side quickly, followed by Buffy and finally Anakin, who turned aside one last bl
aster bolt before leaping through the closing hatchway into the ship.
"Artoo, get us out of here!" he yelled as he ran to the cockpit. The small astro
droid whistled in reply and fired up the thrusters, lifting the ship up into the
air, and back towards the place Shmi called home...
====BtVS====
Owen was standing on the ridge just above the Lar's homestead, looking off pensi
vely into the east as the twin suns began their climb into the sky. Silently, Be
ru made his way up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Do you think they'll find her alive?"
Own shrugged. "I can hope." He replied. "That's all we can really do, until they
come back."
Beru nodded and placed her chin on his shoulder. As she stared off into the dist
ance, she spotted something that glimmered in the light of the rising suns, movi
ng low and fast towards them.
"What's that?"
Owen squinted, trying to get a better look. When he realized what it was, he qui
ckly turned and, grabbing Beru by the hand, pulled her back towards the homestea
d. "They're coming!" he yelled to her in explanation. "We have to go tell the ot
hers."
====BtVS====
"I'm sure they'll be back soon," Padmè pleaded with the aged doctor, who was busy
gathering his things. "Please, we'll need your help when they bring her back..."
"Look, little miss," the doctor said tiredly, "the only thing they're bringing b
ack is a corpse. I'm sorry, I really am, but if Shmi's been held by the Sand Peo
ple for a month, then there's just no way she's still alive. Hell, I'd be surpri
sed if they come back at all..."
"They're coming!" Owen yelled as he ran into the hut, sliding to a halt in front
of Padmè. "They've returned."
Padmè looked to the doctor, who sighed and nodded. "All right. Let's go tend to th
e wounded."
Owen, Beru, Padmè and the Doctor quickly made their way back up top, with Cliegg f
loating behind them on his hover chair. Once they got up top, they stopped and s
tared as the ship set gently down on the hard earth and the ramp extended out. N
ot soon after, Anakin quickly walked down the ramp, his wounded mother cradled i
n his arms, and was followed by Buffy and Willow. Anakin walked passed the group
and back down into the homestead.
"Is the doctor here?" Buffy asked as she walked up to the group. Padmè nodded and
pointed to the elderly man standing next to Owen. "Good. Doc, our mom was pretty
banged up. Wills' here did what she could, but she needs a doctor."
The doctor, to stunned by the turn of events to speak, merely nodded and moved b
ack into the home. Buffy then turned back to Padmè. "You might want to go see to A
nakin. He'll need a friend right about now."
By the time Padmè got to the room where Anakin had placed his mother, the only thi
ng she found was the doctor working frantically over Shmi's broken body.
"I told him to get out and give me some room to work." He told her without looki
ng up.
"Will she be alright?"
"She shouldn't be, the condition she's in." he replied, placing the diagnostic p
robe back into his bag and pulling out a package of bacta patches. "It'll be tou
ch-and-go for a while, but I'm sure she'll pull through. Whatever your sister di
d probably saved her life."
Padmè nodded. "That's what she does. Well, I'll leave you to your work."
====BtVS====
Padmè wandered around the homestead, passing her sister and Buffy as they sat arou
nd the kitchen table talking silently amongst themselves. She walked passed them
, not having a set destination in mind. Soon, though, she found herself in the g
arage, where she found a pensive Anakin working on the Lars' land speeder.
"Ani," Padmè started as she approached the Padawan, "are you okay?"
"They had taken it apart," he replied, indicating the land speeder. "So I'm putt
ing it back together. I'm good at fixing things. Always have been, even as a sma
ll boy. When it was just me and Mom..."
"Anakin, what's troubling you?" Padmè asked, placing a hand on his arm.
"I saw Master Qui-Gon tonight, Padmè." He replied. Despite the look of shock on he
r face, he continued. "He appeared to me, and Buffy, tonight, when we found Mom.
And do you know why he came to me? Because tonight, I almost lost control. I wa
nted to kill them."
"Them who?"
"The Sand People," replied Anakin. "Every last one of them. I wanted to slaughte
r them for what they had done to my mother." Padmè found herself holding her breat
h at Anakin's confession, and dreading what he would say next.
"I would have, too, if it hadn't been for Buffy and Qui-Gon. He told me I had to
make a choice- the quick and easy path, or the harder road. In the end, I chose
the harder road, and save my mom. But there was a time there...I would have kil
led them."
"But you didn't" Padmè pointed out.
"But I would have!" Anakin retorted. "I'm a Jedi, Padmè. I'm supposed to be better
than that. Beyond that! But when the time came-"
"When the time came, you proved yourself worthy of being a Jedi!" Padmè cut in. "Y
ou faced the darkness in yourself, and moved beyond it. You chose to put the saf
ety fo your family, and my sister, above a petty need for revenge. That makes yo
u a good man, Anakin." Her hand moved from his arm too his cheek. "Don't ever do
ubt that."
"But what if I loose control someday, like I almost did?"
"You won't."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because, I'll be right there beside you, all of the way." At his look of shock,
Padmè offered up a small smile. "If you can't do something smart..."
"Do something right." Anakin replied with a small smile. He leaned into her, and
she tilted her face up to meet his lips as they descended on hers.
====BtVS====
The four spent the next two days staying at the Lars homestead. Buffy and Anakin
took turns sitting with Shmi, along with Cliegg, who never left her side; and O
wen and Beru. When Anakin wasn't sitting with his mother, he was stealing moment
s with Padmè. All the while, the doctor checked Shim periodically and changed her
bacta patches, and Willow would help channel the planet's healing energies into
her.
On the dawn of the third day, Anakin was standing outside, staring into the hori
zon when Buffy came out, looking for him.
"There you are," she said, coming to stand beside him. "Thought you'd be out nec
king with Padmè, not staring into the sun. Of course, both could be bad for your h
ealth."
"I don't know what you mean." Anakin replied. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. I see nothing, I hear nothing, I say nothing." She replied. "But the
question remains: what are you doing up here?"
"I've got a feeling that something's wrong, that we're missing something. But I
don't know what."
Buffy was about to reply, but at that moment, Padmè ran up to them.
"You two need to get to the ship." She said breathlessly. "Artoo says Master Ken
obi is calling for Anakin."
The three headed back to the ship, where Threepio stood with Artoo. "Oh, Master
Ani!" the protocol droid exclaimed. "Thank goodness you've come. Artoo says he'
has a message from someone named Obi-Wan Kenobi. Does that mean anything to you?
"
Artoo quickly added in several beeps and whistles, and Anakin looked at the droi
d in confusion. "Retransmit? What's wrong?"
"He says it quite important." Threepio added.
"Well then, let's hear it." Buffy prodded. Artoo beeped and turned on his holo-p
rojector.
"Anakin, my long-range transmitter has been knocked out. Retransmit this message
to Coruscant."
Anakin turned to Padmè. "Patch it through to the Jedi Council chamber." He asked o
f her. The Senator moved over to the communication panel and flipped several swi
tches, then nodded at Anakin. The Padawan turned back to Artoo, who started the
message again.
"I have traced the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries of Geonosis.
The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a droid army here and it is clear th
at Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala."
"Why that no good son of a whore..." Willow seethed. She had just come onto the
ship looking for her sister, and had overheard what the Jedi Master had uncovere
d. The Witch's eyes darkened as her anger swelled. "When I get my hands on that
slimy..."
"Later." Padmè urged, and the two turned their attention back to the hologram.
"The Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to
Count Dooku and are forming an- wait. Wait!" The hologram had swung around and
ignited his lightsaber, and started deflecting blaster bolts away from him even
as he backed out of the camera's lens. The source of the shooting came into view
a moment later as three droidekas appeared. Before it could show anything else,
the hologram flickered and died as Anakin looked helplessly on, powerless to do
anything to save his Master.
Arrival on Geonosis
====BtVS====
Obi-Wan Kenobi was having a bad week.
It had started out simple enough - find out who was trying to kill Senator Amida
la. Dex's realization about the origins of the dart had led him back to the Temp
le's archives, were he searched for the Kamino system for hours. When he couldn'
t find it, he suggested to Jocasta Nu, the Jedi archivist, that the archives wer
e perhaps not complete...
Well, she didn't take that suggestion too well.
Which made him wonder, with a wry grin, how she would feel when she learned that
the archives were not complete, tampering or not, and that mere younglings answ
ered the riddle her precious archives had failed to.
The younglings had pointed him in the direction of the Kamino system, where he f
inally found his missing planet. Kamino was a world that had been suffering from
a catastrophic climate shift for several hundred years now - one of the planets
in the system had been destroyed, shifting Kamino's orbit and causing the massi
ve ice caps to melt, which in turn caused the chaotic weather and massive, year-
round storms that plagued the Kaminoans. But despite the hardships, the thin, lo
ng-necked aliens were known as the premier cloners in the galaxy.
It was on Kamino that Obi-Wan found the most disturbing piece of the puzzle. Not
only did he find Jango Fett, the bounty hunter he had been searching for, but a
lso the clone army he was being used as a template for. A Clone army, he was inf
ormed, that had been ordered by Jedi Master Syfo-Dias for the Republic.
After informing the Council, he had been ordered to arrest the bounty hunter and
bring him back to the Temple for questioning. That didn't go very well - for a
human, he was especially clever and devious. Even with the Force on his side, he
was still hard pressed to just survive the encounter and he had just been able
to place the tracking device on his ship before he escaped.
He then managed to track Fett to Geonosis, where his day took a turn for the wor
se when the bounty hunter had nearly blown him out of space. But his trip to Geo
nosis had proved even more fruitful than he would have anticipated. Finding the
droid factories, finding out the Trade Federation was behind the assassination a
ttempts, learning Count Dooku's plans... all of it was more than he was expectin
g to find and all the more disturbing as well. He had managed to get most of tha
t info to the Council before he had been captured by the Destroyer droids.
So now, he was stung up in a full energy binder rack, wondering exactly two thin
gs - how long the Council would take to rescue him, and how long it would take A
nakin to disobey his orders yet again and try to rescue him himself.
====BtVS====
"Well...this is bad." Buffy pointed out, staring at the spot where the hologram
had been moments ago. On Coruscant, Masters Yoda and Windu were also watching th
e hologram with keen interest.
"Alive, he is," Yoda said. "Feel him in the Force, I can."
"But they have taken him," Mace added, "and the wheels have begun to spin more d
angerously."
"More happening on Geonosis, I feel, than has been revealed."
"I agree," Mace said, looking at Yoda, along with the rest of the Council. "We m
ust not sit idly by."
"The Dark Side, I feel," Yoda said tiredly as he stretched out his feelings into
the Force. "And all is cloudy."
Mace nodded in agreement, then turned his grim expression on to the rest of the
Council and gave an order that hadn't been heard in many, many years. "Assemble.
" Mace then turned back to the comlink.
"We will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing for you, Anakin, is to
stay where you are. Protect the Senator at all costs. That is your first priorit
y."
"Understood, Master." Anakin replied.
"That goes for you too, Buffy," Mace continued, turning his glare on his Padawan
. "You've already disobeyed orders leaving Naboo. When this has been settled, yo
u and I will have to have a little talk about obeying the chain of command."
"Yeah, and after that, we can have a little chat about dream interpretation," Bu
ffy shot back with a glare. The student and master glared at one another for ano
ther few moments before the comlink was switched off.
Padmè quickly moved over to the Navcomputer, confirming what she already suspected
. "They have to come halfway across the galaxy." She turned back to Anakin and B
uffy. "They'll never get there in time to save him."
"No." Anakin said, already knowing what she was thinking.
"Yes," she replied
"No."
"Yes!"
"No!" Anakin's tone had turned into a half-whine now.
"Yes!"
"They're already acting like a married couple," Willow muttered, eliciting a sma
ll chuckle from Buffy.
"You can't seriously expect me to take you to Geonosis."
"It's less than a parsec away!"
"It's too dangerous, Padmè," Buffy interrupted. "You go to Geonosis and you'll lit
erally be walking into the lion's den. Remember, these people want to kill you."
"Well, to hell with that!" Padmè shouted, to the surprise of the two Jedi. Willow
only got a despairing look on her face. "I'm tired of running," Padmè continued. "
I've spent the last few weeks living in fear of being killed and being bossed ar
ound by you, the Jedi Council, even the Chancellor. I've been forced to flee fro
m Coruscant to Naboo to Tatooine... and I've had it. I'm done listening to every
one with their good intentions and their orders for my safety. I am going to Geo
nosis. I'm going to rescue Obi-Wan and hopefully stop a war before it starts. If
you want to follow your orders, Anakin, you'll have to come with me. Willow, Bu
ffy, you're welcome to stay behind. But I'm going. No more running."
"She used to be such a straight-laced, sensible person." Willow mused after a fe
w moments. "Now she gets rebellious."
"I don't suppose we can talk you out of this?" Anakin asked.
"The Separatists are going to see this coming," Buffy added.
"No," Padmè shook her head. "They won't see this coming."
Anakin looked up at his sister, then at Willow, who spoke before he could say an
ything.
"She goes, I go," she said. Anakin then turned to Buffy, who shrugged.
"Hell, since when do I listen to Master Windu?" she asked, then grinned. "Let's
misbehave."
Anakin quickly went back inside the house to grab their gear, and tell their mot
her they were leaving. A few minutes later he was back on the ship, which soon r
ose off the desert floor and into the Tatooine sky.
====BtVS====
Back on Coruscant, Mace sat in the Chancellors office, but his mind was on his h
eadstrong Padawan. There's no way she is going to listen to me, he thought to hi
mself as Yoda recounted to the Chancellor and representatives of the Senate what
they had learned, I just hope she doesn't get into to much trouble. Mace gazed
around the room, looking at who was present. Masters Yoda, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and him
self represented the Jedi; Senators Bail Organa, Ask Aak, and Representative Bin
ks stood for the Senate, and Chancellor Palpatine was present flanked by his aid
, Mas Amedda, listening to all with an air of apparent despair.
"The Commerce Guild is preparing for war," Bail said as Master Yoda finished. "G
iven the report of Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, there can be no doubt of that."
"If the report is accurate," Ask Aak responded.
"It is, Senator," Mace Windu assured the Senator.
"Count Dooku must have made a treaty with them," Palpatine reasoned.
"We must stop them before they are ready," Bail said.
Jar Jar Binks moved to the front and nervously interrupted, "Excueze me, yousa h
onorable Supreme Chancellor, sir. Maybe dissent Jedi stoppen the rebel army."
"Thank you, Jar Jar," Palpatine replied politely, before turning to Yoda once mo
re. "Master Yoda, how many Jedi are available to go to Geonosis?"
"Throughout the galaxy, thousands of Jedi there are," Yoda replied. "To send on
a special mission, only two hundred are available."
"With all due respect to the Jedi Order, that doesn't sound like enough," Bail s
aid.
"Through negotiation the Jedi maintain peace," Yoda responded. "To start a war,
we do not."
"The debate it over!" Ask Aak shouted. "Now we need that clone army."
"Unfortunately, the debate is not over," Bail pointed out. "The Senate will neve
r approve the use of the army before the Separatists attack. And by then, it wil
l be too late."
"This is a crisis," Mass Amedda interjected. "The Senate must vote the Chancello
r emergency powers! He could then approve the use of the clones."
Palpatine seemed to be profoundly shaken at the suggestion. "But what Senator wo
uld have the courage to propose such a radical amendment?"
"If only Senator Amidala were here..." Mas Amedda reasoned. And with those words
, Jar Jar Binks, special Representative from Naboo, made the choice that would,
unbeknownst to him, alter the galaxy in more ways than he could imagine.
====BtVS====
Obi-Wan Kenobi was bored.
Still strung up in the energy binding field, he wasn't too concerned about his f
ate - he trusted in himself and in the Force that everything would work out in t
he end. He was mildly concerned about what his Padawan would do but he had faith
that Buffy would keep him out of too much trouble. So he just hung in the energ
y binders, spinning slowly through the air with nothing to do but stare at the s
tone walls.
At least until Dooku walked in the room. Finally, maybe I can get some answers.
"Traitor," he spat to the regal-looking man as Dooku walked slowly around the sp
inning Jedi.
"Hello, my friend. This is a mistake. A terrible mistake. They've gone too far.
This is madness!"
"I thought you were the leader here, Dooku," Obi-Wan replied calmly.
"This had nothing to do with me, I assure you," The regal former-Jedi insisted.
"I promise you that I will petition immediately to have you set free."
"Well, I hope it doesn't take to long. I have work to do."
Dooku eyed Obi-Wan critically. "May I ask why a Jedi Knight is all the way out h
ere on Geonosis?"
Obi-Wan took a moment to consider his options. Seeing little harm in reveal at l
east some of the truth, and hoping to gauge Dooku's reactions to see how deep th
e former Jedi was in, he spoke. "I've been tracking a bounty hunter named Jango
Fett. Do you know him?"
"There are no bounty hunters here that I'm aware of. Geonosians don't trust them
."
"Well, who can blame them?" Obi-Wan replied. "But he is here, I assure you."
Count Dooku nodded, appearing to concede the point. Then he looked at Obi-Wan th
oughtfully. "It's a great pity that our paths have never crossed before, Obi-Wan
," he said, his voice warm and inviting. "Qui-Gon always spoke very highly of yo
u." He sighed. "I wish he was still alive - I could use his help right now."
"Qui-Gon Jinn would never join you."
"Don't be so sure, my young Jedi," Dooku replied, the assurance in his voice giv
ing Obi-Wan pause. "You forget that Qui-Gon was once my apprentice just as you w
ere once his."
"You believe that brings loyalty above his loyalty to the Jedi Council and the R
epublic?"
"He knew all about the corruption in the Senate," Dooku said matter-of-factly, n
ot missing a beat. "They all do, of course. Yoda and Mace Windu. But Qui-Gon wou
ld never have gone along with the status quo, with that corruption, if he had kn
own the truth as I have."
Despite himself, Obi-Wan couldn't help but be intrigued. "The truth?"
"The truth," Count Dooku replied confidently. "What if I told you that the Repub
lic was now under the control of the Dark Lords of the Sith?"
"No!" Obi-Wan denied, desperately hoping that it wasn't true. He and Buffy alone
among the Jedi had faced a Sith Lord, and he knew how deadly they could be. "Th
at's not possible. The Jedi would be aware of it."
"The Dark Side of the Force has clouded their visions, my friend," Dooku calmly
replied. "Hundreds of Senators are now under the influence of a Sith Lord called
Darth Sidious."
"I don't believe you," Obi-Wan replied flatly. But deep inside he had his own do
ubts.
"The viceroy of the Trade Federation was once on league with this Darth Sidious.
But he was betrayed ten years ago by the Dark Lord. He came to me for help. He
told me everything. The Jedi Council would not believe him. I tried many times t
o warn them, but they wouldn't listen to me. Once they sense the Dark Lord's pre
sence, it will be too late. You must join with me, Obi-Wan, and together we will
destroy the Sith!"
To say Obi-Wan wasn't tempted by the offer would be a lie. The though of bringin
g down the Sith, once and for all... but that in itself was the problem. The off
er was a little too logical, a little too neat. And, as Buffy was fond of saying
, in the end it just didn't smell right.
"I'll never join you." Obi-Wan finally replied.
The cultured Jedi gave a great disappointed sigh and then turned to leave. "It m
ay be difficult to secure your release," he tossed back as he exited the chamber
.
====BtVS====
"Are we there yet?"
Buffy sighed in irritation. She sighed once more when she saw the grin on her fr
iend's face.
"You say that one more time, and I'll turn this starship right around..."
"We're coming up on Geono...shit," Anakin finished, staring at the sensor screen
. "We got company."
Buffy looked at the screen and grimaced. "Tai-kong suo-yo duh shing-chiou sai-ji
n wuh duh pee-goo."
Willow looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "No, it's just the one planet there.
"
"And a fleet of Trade Federation ships between the planet and us."
"That's not cool."
"Ani, take over," Buffy said to her brother as she vacated the pilot's chair. "Y
ou're the better pilot."
"Right," Ani replied, sitting down behind the controls. "If we need to ram them,
I'll let you know."
"You make one simple mistake, and it haunts you for the rest of your life..."
"Any ideas?" Padmè asked as she placed her hands on the back of the pilots chair a
nd leaned forward over Anakin's shoulder to look out the cockpit window. Anakin
nodded.
"We go through the asteroid belt."
"You want to fly into an asteroid belt?" Padmè asked incredulously.
"Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximat
ely 3,720 to 1!" Threepio stated in a panic.
Anakin didn't even spare the droid a glance back. "Never tell me the odds," he s
aid as he slipped the sleek starship into the asteroid belt. "It's simple. We us
e the asteroids to shield us from the Trade Federation ships. Once on the other
side, we take a straight line down to the planet's surface."
Anakin had little difficulty navigating through the asteroids, and soon they wer
e flying low over the surface of the planet. Anakin looked around, searching for
some signs of the droid factories his master spoke of. Padmè was the first to spo
t them.
"See those columns of steam straight ahead?" she asked, pointing to a spot on th
e horizon. "They're exhaust vents of some sort."
"That'll do," Anakin said. He brought the ship right into the middle of one of t
he steam plumes and gently brought the ship down to the ground. Once landed, the
four stood and prepared to leave the ship.
"Look, whatever happens out there, follow our lead," Padmè told the Jedi, motionin
g to herself and her sister. "I'm not interested in getting into a war here. As
members of the Senate, maybe we can find a diplomatic solution to this mess."
"And if that doesn't work, start blowing stuff up," Willow added, ignoring the g
lare Padmè gave her. Buffy chuckled, and Anakin nodded.
"Don't worry. I've given up trying to argue with you," he said. Padmè smiled, and
then turned to the two droids that stood off to the side.
"Stay with the ship," she said, as the four walked down the walkway and into the
droid factory.
====BtVS====
Well, that went well. Buffy thought sarcastically as she, Willow, Anakin and Pad
mè were brought into large conference room. They took a seat at the end, and Buffy
took the opportunity to glance around the table. Surrounding them on three side
s were various and very recognizable aliens - Buffy saw representatives of the C
ommerce Guild, the Techno-Union, the Geonosians, the Trade Federation- and seate
d front and center was Count Dooku. Jango Fett stood behind him, looking intimid
ating.
It had started well enough. They had made their way into the droid factory - and
then they had been attacked by the never ending Geonosian guards who had hidden
in the walls. Things degenerated from there quickly - all four had been forced
into the massive production floor and had been separated. Willow had been taken
out early; she had missed the initial fall onto the belt Padmè had landed on and f
allen to a lower belt, hitting her head and knocking her out. Padmè had ended up t
rapped in a molten metal bucket, and had only been saved by timely intervention
from Artoo Deetoo. Anakin and herself had more success fending off the soldiers
until Anakin's lightsaber had been destroyed and they had been surrounded by des
troyer droids and the bounty hunter that now stood behind the Count.
Yeah. Definitely could have gone better. Buffy thought as Padmè spoke.
"You are holding a Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi," she said calmly, using the same
tone she used in formal senate negotiations. "I am formally requesting you turn
him over to me now."
"He has been convicted of espionage, Senator, and will be executed. In just a fe
w hours, I believe."
"He is an officer of the Republic. You can't do that."
"We don't recognize the Republic here," Dooku replied. "However, if Naboo were t
o join our alliance, I could easily hear your plea for clemency."
"And if I don't join your rebellion, I assume these Jedi with me will also die."
"I don't wish to make you join our cause against your will, Senator. But, you ar
e a rational, honest representative of your people and I assume you want to do w
hat is in their best interest. Aren't you fed up with the corruption, the bureau
crats, and the hypocrisy of it all? Aren't you? Be honest, Senator."
Padmè took a breath, and tried to hide how his words had stung her. Nevertheless,
she wouldn't let him shake her from what she believed was right. "The ideals are
still alive, Count, even if the institution is failing."
"You believe in the same ideals we believe in!" Dooku shot back, seizing the app
arent opportunity. "The same ideals we are striving to make prominent."
"If what you say is true you should stay in the Republic and help Chancellor Pal
patine put things right."
"The Chancellor means well, my lady, but he is incompetent," Dooku said. "He has
promised to cut the bureaucracy but the bureaucrats are stronger than ever. The
Republic cannot be fixed, Senator. It is time to start over. The democratic pro
cess in the Republic is a sham. A game played on the voters. The time will come
when that cult of greed called the Republic will lose even the pretext of democr
acy and freedom. Everything you have fought for since you became Queen will have
been for nothing. This is how liberty dies, with greed and ignorance. It is tim
e the game is finished."
Padmè steeled herself against the assault, consciously reminding herself that he w
as exaggerating the truth to give himself more credibility. All she had to do wa
s see past the lies and innuendo and see what he was actually doing. Building an
army, starting a way, summarily executing his enemies...
"I cannot believe that," she piped, her determination renewed. "I know of your t
reaties with the Trade Federation, the Commerce Guild and others, Count. What is
happening here is not government that has been bought out by business, it is bu
siness becoming government!"
"Then you will betray your Jedi friends? Without your cooperation, I can do noth
ing to stop their execution."
"It seems to me our execution has been on your agenda from the start, Count," Wi
llow piped in, her tone accusatory. "We're aware that the Trade Federation put t
he hit out on my sister and I and we can see the same bounty hunter now works fo
r you."
"Mr. Fett oversees my personal security," Dooku replied smoothly. "But he is a b
ounty hunter. If he took other jobs, he has done so without my knowledge."
"I wasn't aware someone as well-trained in the Jedi arts would need a bodyguard,
" Buffy drawled, her voice rich with sarcasm. Dooku's eyes narrowed, then he tur
ned to Fett.
"Jango, please escort the prisoners to their cells. Make sure they are comfortab
le. I don't want them mistreated before their execution." His eyes turned over t
o the small blonde. "Leave her."
"On your feet," the helmeted bounty hunter growled and several droids moved to l
ift them up. Anakin opened his mouth to protest, but fell silent at the large we
apon the bounty hunter had shoved underneath his chin. "Move."
Two heavy battle droids roughly picked up Buffy, who shouted in protest. "Hey, w
atch the shirt!"
"So..." Dooku began, looking over the Padawan. "You are the Jedi that my Master
is so worried about. I must admit - I was expecting someone a bit...taller."
Buffy glared in return. "Yeah, and I thought you'd be a little younger. Wasn't e
xpecting this amazing leader of the Separatists to be a member of the AARP." At
his confused look, she sighed, "Don't even bother. It's an Earth thing."
"I must admit that I was intrigued when you were admitted to the temple, Padawan
. Never before in the history of the Jedi has one so old been admitted. And neve
r before has one so reckless been allowed to stay."
Buffy shrugged, "What can I say? I'm special."
"You could very well become the most powerful Jedi..."
"Please, spare me the seduction talk," Buffy cut in. "You," she pointed at him,
"are the bad guy. I," she pointed to herself, "am the good guy. It's my job to k
ick your ass. And nothing you say or do is going to change that."
Dooku shook his head in disappointment, "Most unfortunate. As you will come to l
earn, I do not suffer fools. Nor does the Dark Lord."
"Dark Lord?" Buffy replied mockingly. "What, you work for Voldemort or something
?"
"Gentlemen, please hold her here for a moment," he told the droids. Dooku rose a
nd slowly walked around the table towards the captive Slayer.
"The Dark Lord has told me many things about you, Padawan Skywalker. He's seen h
ow dangerous you can be. So I'm afraid we'll have to take some...extra... precau
tions."
Buffy eyed Dooku warily as the Count snapped his fingers. A battle droid appeare
d behind him, a familiar device in its hand. Buffy's eyes widened in panic, and
she started thrashing, struggling to break free of the droids grip.
"NO!" she screamed as another droid held her head still, allowing its compatriot
to place the control collar around her neck. "GET IT OFF! NO!"
Count Dooku finally let the regal mask fall off and smiled evilly at the younger
Jedi. "My Master was looking forward to seeing this in person. Alas, he will ju
st have to make do with a holo-recording. You have been a thorn in our side for
far too long, Skywalker. Interfering with our plans, forcing us to tread even mo
re carefully...well, now I think it's about time to repay your kindness." And wi
th that, he activated the collar, turning the energy output to full, and savored
 her screams as they ran through the halls of the citadel.
_________
Episode 2 Chapter 8
Return of the Slayer
====BtVS====
Ten years ago, Buffy Summers fell through a portal into hell. Not the actual hel
l; that honor was reserved for Angel. No, her hell had fire and brimstone, but i
t also has slavers and their technology. Specifically, the control collar. Two i
nches wide and a half-inch thick, the seemingly innocuous device, which some on
Earth would have worn as a fashion statement, became the one thing that Buffy tr
uly feared. The constant anguish of having hundreds of volts of electricity pump
ed into her body through her neck, every day for over nine months... it hadn't t
aken long before she had finally broken. Only the love and understanding she had
gotten from Shmi and Anakin when she had been sold to Watto had allowed her to
regain herself, and for the most part return to normal. Of course, there was alw
ays that place in the back of her mind that was terrified of that collar and of
what it could do.
So once Count Dooku put that collar back on her and turned it to full power, it
didn't take long for Buffy to break once more. And this time there wasn't the pr
esence of neither Shmi nor Anakin to help pull her back.
So now Buffy sat huddled in the corner of her darkened cell, slowly rocking back
and forth, pleading to every god she had ever heard of to stop the pain...
====BtVS====
FLASH
Buffy sat in her cell, looking out through the bars. All she could see was an en
dless corridor, full of cells. But she didn't pay attention to that; she merely
sat on her cot, her knees to her chest, slowly rocking back and forth. She stopp
ed suddenly when she heard footsteps coming down the hall, and instinctively she
crawled to the farthest edge of the cot, hoping to make herself as invisible to
the upcoming visitor as she could. Her fear turned to shock and confusion, thou
gh, when the visitor finally came into view.
"Faith?"
====BtVS====
"Well, this is an interesting role-reversal," the Dark Slayer said as she steppe
d up to the bars and gave Buffy a once-over. "Jeez, B. You look like shit."
Buffy looked at her sister Slayer in shock. "Faith? What... how...?"
"Hell if I know, B," Faith replied with a shrug. "This is your head. Or maybe it
's my head? Hell, I leave all of this metaphysical crap to Tara and Giles."
Buffy shook her head. "But...why are you here?"
Faith smirked. "I dunno. Maybe the fates decided they wanted to see us go at it
one more time. Surprised they didn't throw in a mud pit, or Jell-o." Her smile f
aded as a look of concern flitted across her face. "B... what's going on? What t
he hell happened?"
Shame filled Buffy's face. "I was bad. I needed to be punished."
Faith looked at her oddly, "This some kind of weird S & M thing?"
"I shouldn't have fought back. I was bad..."
Things started to click for Faith, and she finally realized what was going on. "
Whoa...wait a minute. B, stop. Right now, stop..."
"I shouldn't have fought back, I shouldn't have fought..."
"DAMNIT B, SHUT UP AND LISTEN!"
Buffy pressed even farther back into the wall in fear of Faith's tone, and the D
ark Slayer mentally sighed; she shouldn't have taken that tone with her...
"Buffy, listen to me," she started again, forcing her voice to be even and calm.
"I don't know what's happened to you, Buffy. I've got no clue. But I know a lit
tle bit about what you've gone through..."
"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" Buffy cried and Faith stiffened.
"Like hell I don't, B," Faith shot back. "I know what it's like to have somethin
g you love more than anything, and then have it ripped away from you. My Watcher
, before Sunnydale? She was the closest thing I ever had to a real mother. I lov
ed her more than anything, and then I lost her. But I kept going, kept fighting.
 I never gave up. Even when I turned on you, I never stopped fighting. And you w
ant to know why? Because I'm a Slayer. Even when everything else was gone, I had
that. It may have been the one thing... it may have been my only thing, but I'm
still a Slayer.
"You remember being a Slayer, don't you? Remember us, the Chosen two? We kicked
ass and didn't ever think of backing down. That passed on to your sister, by the
way," Buffy perked up slightly at that and Faith noticed. "Yeah, you remember D
awn, your sister? She hasn't given up on you, you know. Spends every free moment
looking for ways to bring you back. She won't give up, why should you?"
"You don't understand!" Buffy cried out, but Faith cut her off.
"I DON'T CARE! Damn it B, the Powers obviously sent me to your mind to knock som
e sense into you, but I'd rather you did it yourself. You are a Slayer. You are
the thing that the bad guys fear. When everything else is ripped away, that's al
l you got left. You're in pain and you work past it, you dis...disassociate? Yea
h, you dissociate it yourself from it. I know you can do that!"
"I'm not strong enough!" Buffy sobbed. Faith shook her head.
"You are the strongest person I know, Buffy. Hell, I wanted to be like you ever
since I met you. Never thought I'd take it as far as I did, but..." Faith shook
her head. "You got to be the Slayer, Buffy. You got to believe you are the Slaye
r. Don't let them do this to you. Fight it, Buffy. Believe in the Slayer in you
again. Because if you don't, well... then you really got nothing left."
And then, with a flash, she was gone.
FLASH
Buffy stopped crying. She stopped rocking. She took a few steadying breaths, the
n cleared her mind and meditated. Even in the silence of her mental agony and th
e oppression she felt by the thin strip of metal around her neck, she could feel
the balance of the Force all around her. Faith had given her a lot to think abo
ut, but fate hadn't given her a whole lot of time...
====BtVS====
The following day, the four of them were convicted of espionage in a kangaroo co
urt and sentenced to the execution arena. As they were taken out, however, Willo
w was separated from her sister and taken away. Buffy, still locked in her cell,
was tried and convicted in absentia. It seemed as though Count Dooku wanted to
take no chances.
====BtVS====
Padmé and Anakin stood in the carriage that would deliver them to the execution ar
ena. The guards bustled around them, checking their bonds and making sure all wa
s ready for the big show.
"I wonder what they did with Willow," Anakin mused. Padmé sighed.
"Dooku will probably hold her to barter for concessions with the Senate," she re
plied. "I'm sure the Trade Federation won't mind if she lives as long as I die."
"If she lives, she'll never stop fighting for what you believed in," Anakin assu
red her as he looked around at their surroundings and listened as the crowd outs
ide the tunnel bayed for their blood. "Not exactly how I saw myself going out. I
always pictured something...bigger. With lots of fire..."
"I would have," Padmé said suddenly, and at the strange look Anakin gave her, she
elaborated. "I would have made it work. I would have found a way to keep it a se
cret. If we die here, I just wanted you to know. No matter how much I tried to i
gnore it, no matter how much I tried to deny it - I love you. I think maybe I've
always loved you..." she trailed off as Anakin leaned in and gently pressed his
lips to hers. After a moment's hesitation, she reciprocated.
The guard gave the signal, and the driver snapped his reigns and the cart made i
ts way out of the tunnel. The two captives pulled apart slowly and looked forwar
d to take in the scene before them.
The arena was huge. Hundreds of Geonosians filled the stands, hooting and holler
ing as the two were driven towards the four giant pillars that we erected in the
center of the arena. Attached by a long chain to the pillar on the far right wa
s Buffy and Anakin immediately noted two things - the far-away look in her eyes
and the control collar around her neck. On the far left was Obi-Wan, similarly c
hained to his pillar and giving Anakin a look of extreme annoyance. Anakin sighe
d.
"We did as you told me, Master," he said as he was led past him to the next pill
ar. "We re-transmitted your message to Coruscant. Then, we decided to come and r
escue you."
"Good job," Obi-War replied sarcastically as the Geonosian guard grasped the end
of his chain and flew up to the top of the pillar and attached it. The other gu
ard pulled Padmé out of the carriage, but did not hook her chin up. Her brow furro
wed in confusion as Dooku came out on a small balcony with the rest of the Separ
atist leaders...
And Willow, who stood beside him with her hands bound in front of her.
"Senator Amidala," he started his steely grey eyes locking onto her soft brown o
nes, "Senator Naberrie has made a petition with us, and we have agreed. If you a
gree to listen to our concerns and speak before the Senate on our behalf, your l
ife will be spared."
Padmé's eyes narrowed. "And what of the Jedi?"
"They are not a part of this bargain," he replied evenly. "Their lives were forf
eited the moment they set foot on this planet."
Padmé lifted her chin defiantly. "Then my life is forfeit as well."
"Padmé, please," Willow cried, but Padmé only shook her head.
"I do not negotiate with terrorists, Willow. Neither should you."
"I'm doing what I can to prevent a war!"
"You won't succeed," Padmé said sadly. Dooku motioned to the guard, who proceeded
to string her up to the final pillar.
"You have all been tried and found guilty of espionage," Dooku intoned. "The pen
alty is death. Let the executions commence!" He turned to Willow. "We'll start w
ith your friend, Senator. Then we'll move onto the rest."
Willow just shook her head. "Buffy's gonna kick your ass, you know," she stated
matter-of-factly.
"We'll see."
A gate at the far end was raised, and out came a hideous beast. It was easily a
meter all and three meters long from snout to tail; it walked on two powerful hi
nd legs that had five, large razor-sharp claws. Its smaller upper arms were like
wise armed with six razor sharp claws on each of its long, lithe fingers. Red ey
es gleamed from behind its long, pointed snout that held two rows of teeth that
looked like it could rip leash and bone with ease. And it had locked its crimson
on to Buffy.
"We've got to protect Buffy and Padmé!" Anakin yelled as the beasts came closer.
"It would appear that Padmé has things well in hand," Obi-Wan said wryly. Anakin l
ooked over and, sure enough, Padmé had already picked the lock on one of her cuffs
and was busy pulling herself up the pillar. Obi-Wan said nothing of Buffy. He h
ad seen that dreamy look on her face, but it was her eyes that startled him as s
he was brought past. He thought he had seen terror in that gaze... he had never
seen that sort of fear from her, ever... Anakin glanced over at Buffy, who still
had that far-away look in her eyes.
"Buffy, snap out of it!" Anakin cried out as the beast made its way towards Buff
y. He glanced at the closing distance and felt the first flutter of panic. She h
ad pulled him out of a dark place; it seemed only fair that he at least try to d
o the same, even though they were minutes away from becoming lunch.
What was it? Buffy thought to herself. What was that whole spiel that Giles love
d so much? Oh, yeah - Into each generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the
world. A Chosen One. One born with the strength and skill to fight vampires. To
stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers.
Was I the Slayer?
Was it real?
Am I real?
Am I the Slayer?
I AM the Slayer.
Oh, I'm SOOOOOO gonna kick some ass....
They are so mine.
====BtVS====
The thing that looked like a Raptor on steroids came charging at Buffy at full s
peed. It was a hunter, a predator, whose strength and speed were unparalleled, i
ts lethality unmatched. It was especially good at hunting at night, as its visio
n was based on heat.
So it never saw the deadly smirk that formed on her face.
The beast reared its head back and opened its jaw wide. Buffy tightened her grip
on her chains, and in an instant, she yanked it free of the moorings. In one fl
uid motion she spun around, swinging the chain over her head - and straight into
the creature's mouth. Anakin watched in stunned surprise as the chain didn't st
op when it hit the back of its mouth- it went through the back of its mouth, and
sliced off the top of its head. Buffy quickly spun to the side and, without bre
aking the chain's movement, quickly swung it up, then back down, cutting through
the creature's neck. Its momentum carried it forward as it fell to the ground a
nd slid into the pillar she had been attached to, cracking the stone and sprayin
g bits of bone and blood over the ground.
"Told ya," Willow said smugly. Dooku frowned, then reached into his belt and pul
led out the remote for the collar. Without fanfare he pointed it at the Slayer a
nd switched it on to full and watched in satisfaction as the girl collapsed to o
ne knee, her face screwed up in pain. His satisfaction turned to further disbeli
ef, however, when Buffy reached up, grasped the collar and ripped it off. She th
en got back to her feet and calmly pointed first to him, then drew her hand back
and pointed her thumb to herself. The meaning was clear - You and Me.
"She looks pissed," Willow taunted from behind him. Dooku turned to Willow with
a scowl on his face.
"You are enjoying this far too much," he noted, taking in the obvious look of en
joyment on her face.
"That's what you get for trying to kill my sister."
Down on the ground, Buffy turned as the sound of more creatures reached her ears
. She saw three large, nasty looking creatures being led out into the arena and
towards her friends. Buffy saw that Padmé was out of immediate danger, and she did
n't doubt that Obi-Wan and Anakin could handle themselves. But, she felt they wo
uld be quickly overwhelmed if they didn't get any weapons into the fray soon. Sh
e glanced up at the dignitaries' box, then back at the two Jedi.
"You two hang on for a second," she quipped. "I'll be right back." With that, th
e Slayer took off at a sprint towards the box, bobbing and weaving around the gu
ards as they tried in vain to shoot her with their sonic disruptors. As she spra
ng past a guard, she snapped the pole straight from an unsuspecting guard and us
ed it to vault herself over a line of Geonosians who had lined up, weapons in ha
nd, to block her. She sprang cleanly behind them, despite their best attempts to
shoot her out of the sky. As the stadium erupted around her, she landed on both
feet and then used her vaulting weapon to knock a blaster from the Geonosian gu
ard's hand.
She was below the box now. Tossing the pole aside, she leapt upon the shoulders
of the guards and jumped, the momentum carrying her to the balcony. As she pitch
ed over the rail, she maintained a grip on the railing with one hand and used he
r right foot to kick Jango Fett away from her. She felt a small sense of satisfa
ction as she noticed the Bounty Hunter fall into those stupid Trade Federation v
iceroys. Turning to Dooku, she held out her hand and smiled grimly as her light
saber somersaulted into her hand. "I'll be taking this," she said cheerfully, no
ting the look of rage spreading across his face. The control to the collar was s
till in his hand, and he seemed to be pushing the red button in a futile gesture
to try and assert some control over what he thought was becoming a loose cannon
. Snatching her light saber from a diving Bounty Hunter, she leapt backwards ont
o the railing and stood perched for a second.
"Be back for you in a minute, Will!" she called jovially to her friend as she ba
ck-flipped off of the rail and to the ground some thirty feet below. Landing gra
cefully, she activated the switch on her saber, the silver light reflecting in h
er sharp, determined gaze. As the guards approached her, firing rapidly, she def
lected their shots and took them out in quick succession, taking vicious pleasur
e on the one who had goaded that evil creature to her in the first place. As she
 swept her blade aside, she noticed that her brother, Padmé and Obi-Wan were also
fighting off their own creatures.
Obi-Wan was battling a massive thing that looked like a praying mantis with larg
e, deadly claws that seemed to want to pin him to the ground. Though his hands w
ere bound, he was dodging between the stampeding character, which let out a high
-pitched squeal that was not unlike a herd of pigs that was being trampled.
Anakin looked far more cheerful than she had seen him since they'd been captured
. He had a hand poised over the tri-horned behemoth and was controlling its mind
to ram over the guards that seemed to stand between him and the pillar that Pad
mé was perched on. Though she had gotten the cuffs off of one hand and was massagi
ng her swollen wrists, her eyes were on a vicious monster below her. The creatur
e, which Buffy dubbed as the Kitty from Hell, was snarling and panting. Using cl
aws that were at least four inches long, it razed to the top and swiped at the S
enator. Padmé cried out in agony as the claws ripped her shirt clear from her back
and swiped deep gashes across her pack. She turned away as the beast lost its f
ooting and collapsed back halfway down the pole. Lifting its feline head, it mad
e to spring again when Padmé, depending on the chain still hooked onto her opposit
e hand, swung down and kicked the beast from the pole. The kitty hissed as it la
nded on all fours and glared up at her, spitting.
Buffy was right ahead of it, darting under Padmé as the young woman kicked the kit
ty away. Leaping in the air, she drove her light saber under its chin and then w
hipped it back around the back of its neck, watching as the feline, at last, fel
l. The head rolled off as the cat collapsed on its side. Buffy gave the head a l
ittle nudge and glanced up to see Padmé once again in control atop her perch.
"Thanks!" she called down to Buffy, who saluted her with her saber in response.
Anakin pulled up beside her, his eyes on her light saber.
"Where did you find that?" he asked her as she quickly cut his bonds.
"Took it off a Count," she replied. "I'm going to help Ben. You got Padmé?"
"On it."
With a curt nod, Buffy turned and ran towards Ben. He had managed to get his han
ds on one of the guards spears. The Jedi threw it at the acklay and smiled when
it hit one of its shoulders. His smile faded, however, when the acklay reached d
own and grasped the long shaft in its mouth and then ripped it free and snapped
it in half with its powerful jaws.
"Oh, great..." he muttered as the acklay started towards him again... And then h
e watched as it screamed in anguish as Buffy's silver blade flashed beneath it.
She had somehow managed to speed beneath it, amputating one leg at a time. The c
reature shrieked as it collapsed on its hindquarters, snapping ferociously towar
ds its good legs. But the Slayer was faster, severing both in turn. As the creat
ure sank to the earth, squirming harmlessly on its belly, she gave one last stro
ke of the saber and severed its head.
Buffy walked to Obi-Wan and smirked, then sighed dramatically. "Really, Obi-Wan.
You can't keep losing your light saber. That weapon is your life..."
"Oh, do be quiet." Ben snapped back, though his face showed relief at her timely
intervention. Her quick smile acknowledged this, and then they were brought bac
k to reality as thundering footsteps approached from behind.
"Master!" Anakin called out as he and Padmé, who clung tightly to his chest, rode
up to the on the beast Buffy dubbed 'Horny'. The two Jedi quickly leapt on to Ho
rny's back and Anakin steered the beast towards the tunnels that they had been l
ed in from. Buffy deflected various blaster bolts aimed towards the saber-wieldi
ng Jedi.
Finally, a droid got in a lucky shot, though it wasn't directed at the Jedi; hey
targeted the ground in front of Horny, causing a massive explosion that caused
the beast to topple over and spill his riders. Buffy managed to turn her fall in
to a flip, landing perfectly on her feet and blocking more blaster shots. She qu
ickly moved to guard her friends as destroyer droids rolled out and began to sur
round them....
====BtVS====
Jango Fett was suitably impressed. He had heard many things about this 'Slayer'
from Lord Tyranus, and so far she had not disappointed him. The young Jedi had n
ot only caught him flatfooted, but also regained her weapon, slain three of the
four creatures sent to kill her and her friends (and had killed one with only a
chain!) and was still standing defiant against a squad of battle droids. While h
is brush with the Jedi Kenobi had left him a bit shaken, he would still love to
have a shot against her, one-on-one-
His thoughts were interrupted as a purple lightsaber blade suddenly activated un
der his chin.
Well, if I can't try the student, perhaps I'll get a shot at the teacher...
CountDooku, however, was nonplussed.
"Master Windu, what a nice surprise." he said calmly.
"This party's over, Count." Windu spat back.
All around the arena, Jedi activated their light sabers. On the arena floor, Buf
fy watched in awe as upwards of two hundred plus light saber blades glowed in br
ight blues, greens, and ambers. Never before had she seen so many Jedi in one pl
ace ready to fight. Breathing hard, her grip tightened on her own blade as her f
ocus returned to Dooku.
Dooku also looked around at the multitude of Jedi, but seemed unimpressed. "Brav
e, but foolish. You're hopelessly outnumbered."
"One Jedi must be equal to at least a hundred Geonosians."
"But it wasn't the Geonosians of which I was speaking." Dooku remarked, and Mace
whirled around at the sound of battle droids coming up the tunnel behind him. T
hese weren't ordinary droids, though -these were seven feet tall, thickly armore
d with rapid fire dual blasters attached on the firing arm. The two droids lifte
d those blasters and activated them, rapidly spraying blaster bolts at Mace. The
Jedi quickly swung his lightsaber around to deflect the bolts, and Fett took th
e opportunity to don his helmet and fire his wrist-mounted flame-thrower at Mace
, who was forced to jump from the balcony to the arena floor to avoid it. The Je
di Master quickly shed his smoldering robes and made his way towards his Padawan
as hundreds of battle droids started flowing out of the tunnels. The Jedi in th
e stands quickly followed suit, leaping in large numbers and making their way do
wn to the floor to take on the first wave of battle droids.
"You're late!" Buffy called out to her Master as she rapidly sent blaster bolts
back to their senders, shielding her unarmed comrades.
"I distinctly remember telling you to stay on Naboo," Mace shot back. Padmé, meanw
hile had taken the initiative a picked up a fallen droids' blaster and started t
aking down droids, while Anakin and Obi-Wan received spare lightsabers from thei
r fellow Jedi.
"Oh, please. Since when have ever listened to you?" Buffy shot back. "Besides, y
ou told me to protect the Senators. I couldn't do that if they came here without
me, now could I?"
And then they joined the fight in earnest.
Blasters were firing everywhere. Geonosian's had set up sonic disruptor cannons
and were firing them indiscriminately, not choosy on whether their targets were
Jedi, droids, or both. The Jedi were giving almost as good as they were getting
though and soon scrapped droids littered the ground. One Jedi even managed to ta
ke down a battle droid with the head of a protocol droid with a ricochet.
Anakin had commandeered a carriage, and was driving around while Padmé fired at th
e droids from the back. She was in total control of her weapon, firing perfect s
hot after shot as each droid she hit fell. After a short ride, a lucky blast man
aged to overturn their ride. Anakin moved back to the carriage, which Padmé was us
ing for cover while she continued to fire at the droids and used his lightsaber
to defend the Senator.
"You call this diplomacy?" he called out, blocking bolt after bolt. Padmé gave him
a wry grin.
"No, I call this aggressive negotiations."
Buffy had been fighting back to back with Mace, but had ended up getting separat
ed dodging cannon blasts and was now fighting side by side with Obi-Wan.
"You sure know how to show a girl a good time."
"Yes, I bring all the pretty ladies to a battle to the death," the Jedi Knight r
eplied sarcastically. "And if you like this, wait till the second date."
Buffy grinned, and then spied Mace trying to deal with both Horny and Fett at th
e same time. "Hold that thought; I'll be right back!"
Obi-Wan watched her run off in confusion. "Be right back? From where?" The last
time she had run off like this, she was seconds from certain death. The last thi
ng he needed was to encourage these suicide missions of hers!
====BtVS====
Jango Fett was having a bit of a bad day.
It had started out good enough. The Jedi had been captured, and his son had gott
en he opportunity to see a live execution; and in an arena, to boot. Then the Sl
ayer had broken loose, and he had perked up at the idea of taking her down. She
was definitely a worthy adversary and she was trained well in the Jedi arts.
And then that damn Jedi Master had shown up and stuck his lightsaber where it di
dn't belong.
Now here he was with his blaster against the Jedi's lightsaber. He had already t
aken down one Jedi today, and he was looking to make it two. Though, from the lo
ok on the Master's face and the sound of a high-pitched throat clearing behind h
im, he was definitely going to finish this off on a good note.
He glanced over his shoulder to see the young golden-haired Jedi standing behind
him, twirling her silver blade with unnecessary flourish. Her Master stood befo
re Jett, his purple blade held to his side. Pinned between two Jedi wasn't very
good odds. To make matters worse, that stupid red, horned beast was making strai
ght for him, running as though its very life depended on it.
He was knocked cleanly off his feet, the jetpack smashing into the hard ground.
He lifted his blaster to kill the beast when it charged again, this time pushing
him forward. After stumbling over him, Jett had lifted his head and took the bl
aster with his opposite hand. He managed to kill the beast with his usual grace
and style, but there was still the matter of the two Jedi standing on opposite e
nds. If he attempted to take one, he would surely be attacked by the other. But
her attention was soon taken by the advancing droids who seemed to have pinned h
er with a gaze. Knowing that Dooku was responsible for this action, he turned hi
s attention to the Master.
He charged for the Master first, his blasts easily deflected by Mace Windu's abl
e skill. He was drawing nearer and would soon be able to use the multitude of we
apons he kept on his armor... he was nearly there...
Those hopeful thoughts were his last. He never saw the silver blade arc straight
for, then through, his neck, severing his helmeted head and sending it flying t
o the edge of the arena.
Boba saw it, though. And the hated image of the blonde-haired Jedi would forever
be burned into his memory.
====BtVS====
"Thank you for the assist," Mace said as Buffy made her way over to him.
"What are Padawans for?" she glibly responded, cutting down a few more droids in
the process. She looked around and grimaced. "There's too many of them."
"I know."
"Well, if I'm going to die, at least I'll die pretty."
"You're not dead yet, Sister," Anakin remarked as Buffy and Mace joined him, Obi
-Wan, Padmé, and the few remaining surviving Jedi in the center of the arena as th
e droids encircled them, then suddenly stopped firing. Buffy took a moment to lo
ok around - only a few over twenty of the Jedi that had started out in the fight
were still alive. Behind her, Obi-Wan sank to check the pulse of a fallen Jedi,
his eyes closing when he realized that the man was dead.
"Not good," she murmured.
"Limited choices," Ki-Adi-Mundi agreed.
"Master Windu!" Count Dooku called out from the balcony above. The satisfied smi
le on his face told how much he had enjoyed the battle. "You have fought gallant
ly... worthy of recognition in the Archives of the Jedi. Now it is finished." He
looked first at the surrounded Jedi, then at the multitudes of enemies surround
ing them. "Surrender and your lives will be spared."
"Niou-se." Anakin muttered. Buffy felt a familiar smile tug at her lips from her
brother's word.
"We will not become hostages for you to use as barter, Dooku," Mace replied in a
voice of deadly calm.
Dooku sighed in mock resignation. "Then I'm sorry, old friend. You will have to
be destroyed."
The intensity in the stadium seemed to double. Anakin whirled his blade over his
head, poised to strike. Padmé signed in determination, pulling her blaster to her
side. Buffy lifted her silver blade with a particular twirl, but a sudden hum f
rom the heavens caught her attention. Knowing that she alone could hear it with
Slayer-enhanced hearing, she soon saw something that nearly took her breath away
. "Oh, juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean-jan..." she muttered. "This fight has mo
re false finishes than 'Return of the King'."
Anakin gave her a confused look, but Padmé followed Buffy's line of sight.
"Look!" she yelled pointing up at the dozen gun-ships rapidly descending into th
e arena. As they began swarming in a perimeter, they opened fire on the droids b
efore touching down around the Jedi. The droids returned fire, but the gun-ships
had their shields up, allowing the survivors to quickly board the ships.
"Jedi, move!" Mace yelled as the Jedi jumped onto the ships. As soon as they wer
e all aboard, Master Yoda directed the ship to lift off. As they blasted clear o
f the arena, Buffy marveled at the sight in front of her - thousands of Republic
ships, backed up by huge capital ships that were landing in the background. Mec
hanized walkers rumbled across the rocky terrain, blasting away at droid tanks t
hat were attempting to mow down the thousands of ground troops that had landed.
"Ai ya," Buffy breathed, taking in the sight around her.
"What happened to Willow?" Padmé asked in alarm, hoping one of the Jedi had an ans
wer.
"I believe Dooku took her with him," Mace responded as Yoda commanded the troops
around him.
They sped across the field, the gunners firing on any enemy they could target. A
nd they had no problem finding targets. The pilots took aim at the looming Techn
o-Union starships that were preparing to take off and let their missiles fly; ho
wever, they only caused minimum damage as they slammed into the side of the ship
.
"Aim right above the fuel cells!" Anakin yelled to the gunner, who adjusted his
aim accordingly. His next pair of missiles hit on target, and the ship exploded
in a huge fireball.
"Good call, my young Padawan!" Obi-Wan said cheerfully. "Those Trade Federation
starships are taking off! Target them quickly!"
"They're too big, Master," Anakin replied. "The ground troopers will have to tak
e them out."
====BtVS====
As his ship roared on across the battlefield, Yoda turned to Mace.
"Capture Dooku, we must," he said calmly, despite the chaos surrounding him. "If
escape he does, rally more systems to his cause, he will."
Mace nodded in agreement, and then turned to the pilot. "Captain, land at that a
ssembly point ahead." He ordered, and the clone obediently landed the craft. Ki-
Adi-Mundi, Mace, and a host of clone troopers jumped out, but Yoda stayed on boa
rd.
"To the forward command center, take me," he ordered, and the craft lifted off.
Soon he arrived at the position the clones had secured to be the forward command
center, and Yoda hopped out of the craft and was met by the clone commander.
"Master Yoda, all forward positions are advancing."
"Very good. Concentrate all your fire on the nearest starship," he ordered.
"Yes, sir!" the clone replied, running off to coordinate with the other commande
rs. Soon, the troops were acting in a more efficient manner, picking their targe
ts and concentrating fire on them one at a time, rather than picking a ship at r
andom. Soon, the retreating starships began to fall.
====BtVS====
Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padmé and Buffy were holding on while their ship was rocked by ex
plosions all around them. Amidst the confusion and noise, Buffy's sharp eyes spo
tted a Geonosian speeder streaking away, flanked by two escorts. As it streaked
past them, she could make out two figures on the bike - Dooku, and seated behind
him with her bound hands secured around his waist, was Willow.
"Evil son-of-a-bitch at three o'clock!" Buffy called to the pilot. "Follow him!"
"We're going to need some help," Padmé said.
"No, there's no time," Obi-Wan replied. "Anakin and I can handle this."
"What about me?" Buffy demanded, a fire burning in her eyes.
"You are too emotional right now, Buffy," the Jedi Knight replied. "You need to
calm down before I let you anywhere near this fight." He saw the blazing light i
n her eyes and sighed. "If you pull off anything as you did back there, Dooku wi
ll kill her. I need you levelheaded and that isn't going to happen when you're a
ngry!"
"And since when did I ever let you command-" Buffy reply was cut off by the mass
ive explosion that rocked their ship. Before she could react, both she and Padmé w
ere tossed out of the open bay door to the sandy dunes below. Two clone troopers
followed them, landing near the fallen women.
"Buffy! Padmé!" Anakin screamed. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion
- one moment they were there, the next they were gone, and he couldn't reach the
m fast enough. Frantic, he turned to the pilot. "Put the ship down!"
Obi-Wan put his hands on his Padawan's shoulders in an effort to calm him down.
"Don't let your personal feelings get in the way." He turned to the pilot. "Foll
ow that speeder."
Anakin shook free of his Master's grip. "Lower the ship!"
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan pressed, "I can't face Dooku alone. If we catch him, we can en
d this war right now. We have a job to do."
"I don't care!" he yelled back, and then at the pilot he yelled once more "Put t
he ship down!"
"You'll be expelled from the Jedi order!"
"I can't leave them!"
"Come to your senses!" Obi-Wan shouted back in an uncompromising tone. "What do
you think Buffy would do if she were in your position? What would Padmé do?"
Anakin's shoulders slumped in defeat. "She would do her duty." he replied, speak
ing for both women. Dejectedly, he looked back to where two of the most importan
t women in his life had fallen, and knew that now they were too far away to be o
f any help.
====BtVS====
"Owwww..." Buffy moaned as she got to her feet. "That was not fun..." She spied
Padmé lying on the ground a few feet away and ran over to her. "Padmé! You okay?"
"Ugh..." she moaned in reply. "I don't want to do that again."
"Senator!" a clone trooper called as he made his way down to them. "Master Jedi,
are you all right?"
"Five-by-five," Buffy smirked, once more sending her thanks to her sister slayer
, wherever she may be, for verbally knocking some sense into her. "Trooper, get
what troops you can find, and get a ship. Padmé," she turned to the Senator, "when
that transport gets here, lead them to the hanger."
"What will you do?" Padmé asked as Buffy bent down and picked up a rather large ro
ck. The Slayer then straightened up, gave Padmé a wicked smile and let the rock fl
y in the blink of an eye. Padmé spun around and watched as the rock flew though th
e air and slammed into a droid riding a speeder bike similar to the one Dooku ha
d been riding.
"I got my own ride." Buffy replied, running over to the now fallen speeder. "Get
there as fast as you can. I'm going to get Willow and help out the guys!" and w
ith that, she sped off into the desert terrain towards Dooku's secret hanger.
====BtVS====
It didn't take long for Buffy to make it to the hanger on the speeder. She immed
iately saw the entrance to the main hanger, but decide to bypass it for a small
entrance she spied lower down on the spire. She figured she could make her way b
ack up and come in from behind, catching Dooku by surprise and giving Obi-Wan an
d Anakin the edge they needed to get the bastard.
So Buffy ran up the stairs that led to the main hanger of this facility. She rea
ched the level where the hanger was and ran into the antechamber connected to it
. As soon as she entered, she came up short.
This is the place from my visions...she recognized immediately. But if this is t
he place, than the woman that I'll find on the floor will be the one who'll try
to kill me.
With growing dread, she slowly looked around the antechamber and found the woman
in question. Her heart sank and her breath hitched when she recognized the woma
n's familiar red hair.
Oh, god. Willow....
"Buffy!" Willow called out, having spotted the Slayer. "Dooku left me in here. S
aid he needed to take care of the Jedi before we could get away. Cut me loose!"
she insisted.
Cautiously, activated her light saber, and the silver-colored blade sliced clean
through the ropes that bound her. Playing it cool she stepped back and allowed
Willow to rise.
"Quickly!" she said. "We have to get in there and help them!"
Buffy turned to run into the hanger, and then heard the words she had feared.
"I got a better plan." Willow said. Buffy turned around to face her-
And she blocked the blast of energy that the witch had sent her way with her sti
ll-activated light saber. Willow looked on in surprise as the blast was sent har
mlessly into the wall next to them. In her surprise, she could only mutter one w
ord.
"Huh."
Episode 2 Chapter 9
Good Friends, Better Enemies
====BtVS====
Previously...
It didn't take long for Buffy to make it to the hangar on the speeder. She immed
iately saw the entrance to the main hanger, but decide to bypass it for a small
entrance she spied lower down on the spire. She figured she could make her way b
ack up and come in from behind, catching Dooku by surprise and giving Obi-Wan an
d Anakin the edge they needed to get the bastard.
So Buffy ran up the stairs that led to the main hanger of this facility. She rea
ched the level where the hangar was and ran into the antechamber connected to it
. As soon as she entered, she came up short.
This is the place from my visions...she recognized immediately. But if this is t
he place, than the woman that I'll find on the floor will be the one who'll try
to kill me.
With growing dread, she slowly looked around the antechamber, and found the woma
n in question. Her heart sank and her breath hitched when she recognized the wom
an's familiar red hair.
Oh, god. Willow...
"Buffy!" Willow called out, having spotted the Slayer. "Dooku left me in here. S
aid he needed to take care of the Jedi before we could get away. Cut me loose!"
she insisted.
Cautiously, activated her lightsaber, and the silver-colored blade sliced clean
through the ropes that bound her. Playing it cool she stepped back and allowed W
illow to rise.
"Quickly!" she said. "We have to get in there and help them!"
Buffy turned to run into the hanger, and then heard the words she had been feari
ng.
"I got a better plan." Willow said. Buffy turned around to face the person-
And blocked the blast of energy that the witch had sent her way with her still-a
ctivated lightsaber. Willow looked on in surprise as the blast was sent harmless
ly into the wall next to them. In her surprise, she could only mutter one word.
"Huh."
====BtVS====
The two friends stood facing each other; Buffy with her saber at the ready, Will
ow with her hand still outstretched.
"Willow, what are you doing?" Buffy asked, hurt and confusion evident in her voi
ce.
"I'm going home," the Witch responded strongly, a small smile playing around her
lips.
"You're going nuts!" Buffy shot back. "Face it, Will- we can't go home!"
"Please!" Willow shot back in disgust. "The ease in which you fell for your new
Council's drivel sickens me. There are other ways home that your Council doesn't
want you to know about!"
"Like the Dark Side!" Buffy exclaimed. "That's not the road home; that's the roa
d to hell!"
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF HELL!" Willow screamed and let loose another burst of energ
y, which Buffy managed to block with her lightsaber. "The only thing you let beh
ind was Dawn, and at least you got to say goodbye! Xander, Tara...even Amy the r
at... I was ripped away from them! And the only time I can see them is if I perf
orm a glamour on myself to look like them! But my Master has shown me power, tru
e power. Power I can use to open a gateway home!"
"Your master... Dooku." Finally, the pieces started falling into place. "How lon
g have you been working for him?"
"Two years," Willow replied, looking pleased that Buffy had finally caught on. "
It was a few months after Padmè appointed me to be Junior Senator. I was invited t
o what I believed to be a diplomatic dinner at the Menarai. When I got there, I
found out it was anything but." She shuddered at the memory of her sitting there
in that exclusive restaurant, the most exclusive dining establishment on Corusc
ant, waiting for the Ambassador of Falleen to show up. "I sat there waiting for
over a half hour, and then he finally showed up. Imaging my horror when I discov
ered it wasn't the Ambassador who had invited me, but my old master, Xiazan. Can
you imagine how I felt when he slid his hands around my neck, and put a control
collar on it? Do you know what he told me, as he led me out of the restaurant?
He said, 'You may now be a Senator, but you will always be my whore.' They sold
me out... this Republic you would die to protect sold me out to him!
"After everything we had done, everything I had accomplished, he told me that I
was no better than a common whore. He brought me back to his headquarters - he p
lanned to share me with his inner circle. Do you know what I did?"
"You killed them," Buffy said, piecing it together now with ease. "That's why yo
u felt comfortable going back to your real name - you knew that everyone who kne
w about you was dead, because you killed them all." Even as she said these words
her stomach lurched. While she wanted to demand why Willow would do this instea
d of using a level head, she knew that Willow was too far gone to even bother wi
th the questions anymore.
Willow raised her chin in defiance. "That's right. I killed them all. Took my ti
me with Xiazan... I made him feel the pain and humiliation he had made me feel.
I was just finishing with him when Count Dooku walked in.
"My first instinct was to kill him, too...after all, if he turned me in, it woul
dn't just end my life, but Padmè's career as well. Imagine my surprise when he mad
e no move to turn me in. In fact, he took great interest in me, and the power I
possessed. I told him everything - about us, how we got here and my dreams of go
ing home...even my theories on opening a portal.
"Dooku seemed to take everything in stride. He was intrigued by my power, and of
fered to teach me about his. If I pledged to follow his teachings, and help him
achieve his goals of a Separatist state, he would show me how to gain enough pow
er to get home."
"And was killing your sister a part of the agreement?" Buffy asked in disbelief.
She watched as Willow spoke fondly as though speaking of her grandfather and no
t the monster who had just had more than a hundred and fifty Jedi executed.
"Of course not! I had no idea he was behind it until we got Obi-Wan's message th
at I knew he had a hand in it. And believe me; Gunray is still feeling my wrath.
I have done everything I could to protect her! From the Senate, from herself...
hell, why do you think I saved Shmi? Certainly not for you - no, I did it for Pa
dmè. Because she loves your idiot of a stepbrother, because I knew that if Shmi di
ed, Anakin would go into such a state of brooding that it would put Angel to sha
me, and it would end up hanging over them for the rest of their lives." She paus
ed and shook her head. "And then we got here, and we got captured. I managed to
get her a way out, but she refused to take it."
"Of course she refused!" Buffy shouted. "She still has character!"
Willow's eye's narrowed. "I may not have 'character', old friend, but I do have
power!" She emphasized her point by firing off another blast, which Buffy blocke
d. However, while she was deflecting the first blast, Willow motioned with her o
ther hand and sent another blast at Buffy, which caught her in the chest and sen
t her flying back into a free-standing glass display pane, which shattered under
the impact and sent shards of glass flying. Willow smirked as she walked past t
he fallen form of her former friend.
"See you around, old friend."
====BtVS====
Willow walked out into the dimmed hanger and took in the sight before her. Kenob
i, on the ground and injured. And Anakin, using two lightsabers against Dooku's
one, and winning. Even from here, she could feel the love and confidence that he
exuded. His power was growing more and more, and if she didn't do something soo
n, her Master would fall.
She could not let that happen... not when she was so close to tasting the freedo
m she longed for day after day.
Discreetly she moved slowly towards him, creeping up from behind. She removed he
r own lightsaber from its holster that was secreted under her clothes. Silently
she moved towards the Jedi, and when the moment came, she struck.
Dooku intercepted Anakin's blue blade, and pushed it violently away from him. As
Anakin's arm was forced up and away, Willow quickly activated her lightsaber an
d swung the crimson blade up in an arc that intercepted the Jedi's arm at the el
bow and sheared it cleanly off. She spun around and placed her empty palm on Ana
kin's chest, and let loose a burst of energy that threw Anakin back onto the gro
und next to his fallen Master. With a triumphant cry of glee, she lowered her ha
nd, smirking.
====BtVS====
Buffy shook her head and tried to clear the cobwebs that Willow's second blast h
ad put in her head. She winced in pain and brought her hand up to her face, just
over her right eye. Pulling her hand back, she saw blood. A piece of glass must
have tagged my face as well. Wonder how bad it is. Staggering to her feet, she
summoned her lightsaber back to her hand and moved out to the hanger, just in ti
me to see Willow cut off her brother's arm and send him flying back into the fal
len form of Obi-Wan. Willow saw her standing there and flashed a wicked smile.
"Uh-oh. Big sister is home..."
Dooku smirked at the Slayer. "Ah, Padawan Skywalker. Surely you don't think you
can take on both of us?"
"Don't have to." Buffy replied, looking past Dooku. The Sith turned around to fa
ce the diminutive Jedi that has slowly making his way into the hanger.
"Master Yoda," Dooku greeted jovially.
"Count Dooku," Yoda replied.
As the student faced off against his former master, Buffy and Willow were circli
ng each other. Buffy locked her eyes on her former friend; she could feel the an
ger building up inside and, for the first time since she started training under
the Jedi, she did nothing to block it.
"Gee, Buff, I haven't made you angry, have I?" Willow said mockingly.
"Little bit," Buffy replied shortly. "You really want to do this?"
"Aw, come on Buffy! This is a big moment for me!" Willow responded; her eyes see
mingly bleeding black. Even her hair had sprung obsidian roots that seemed to gl
ow under the meager lighting. "All these years as your sidekick and now I get to
be the Slayer."
Buffy hit the activator on her lightsaber, and the silver blade snapped to life
with a familiar snap-hiss. "Then why don't you show me what you got? And I'll sh
ow what a real Slayer can do."
Willow brought her blade up in a salute, then down into a ready position. Buffy
wasted no time with such niceties; instead she let her anger guide her and rushe
d the now black-haired girl. Their blades met, again and again, their movements
a blur to the casual observer. Buffy aimed for the head, then for the legs, reve
rsed to go for the torso, up towards the head, spun around and tried for the leg
s again; but while Buffy had strength and speed on her side, Willow had been tra
ined in the older forms of lightsaber combat, that favored person-to-person comb
at over deflecting blaster fire like the new styles. Every strike she was able t
o parry; every thrust block.
Buffy was moving faster than she had in years; even faster than she had when she
had just been a Slayer. She felt the pull of the Dark Side, and tapped into it,
reveling in the power she felt. She brought her blade to bear, again and again,
until finally she managed to knock the lightsaber out of Willow's hands. A well
placed kick to the head sent her crashing down to the ground. Buffy stalked ove
r to her and raised her lightsaber for the killing blow. Just as she was about t
o bring the blade to bear, she looked into Willow's eyes, which had returned to
normal, and saw the fear there. For a moment, she stopped.
What am I doing? She asked herself. Am I a hypocrite? Tell Anakin I couldn't fol
low him down this road, only to travel it myself solo? NO, she finally decided.
I'm better than this. I'm a good person. Willow can be a good person again, too.
..
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Willow screamed at the Slayer, who seemed froz
en. "Finish it! Put me out of my misery!"
"No."
Buffy hit the activator once more, turning off the silver blade. She threw her l
ightsaber away, then reached down with her left hand and offered it to the falle
n girl. "It doesn't have to be like this, Willow. You can come back with us. We
can help you."
Willow looked at Buffy's outstretched had for a moment, a hopeful expression pas
sing on her face-
Then she lashed out, her long leg landing a hard kick right under the blonde's j
aw. The impact caused Buffy to fall sharply onto her back.
"Is that all you are?" Willow hissed as she sprang back to her feet with a snap.
Dooku was already on the ramp of their waiting transport and motioned for her t
o follow. "Is that what you've become? I don't see a Slayer... I see a weak, pat
hetic form of someone I thought I knew. So compassionate... so emotional..."
Buffy moaned from her position on the floor, her hand reaching up to grasp her h
ead.
"Face it... Willow's dead, little girl," Willow sneered. "I am Darth Traya." The
n she spied Yoda, the tiny Jedi using all his concentration to keep a large pill
ar from crushing Anakin and Obi-Wan. A cruel smile formed on her face.
"Wanna know what happens when a Jedi is struck by lightening? Same damn thing as
everything else." Willow quipped and then unleashed a concentrated burst of For
ce lightening straight at Yoda. Buffy, who had sit up just in time to see Yoda i
n danger of losing his hold over the pillar threatening to kill both her friend
and brother, quickly dove forward, her left hand catching the brunt of the Force
...
But the energy proved to be too great. She managed to stop it from hitting Yoda,
but her control of the Force had been diminished by he fast and furious combat
against Willow, and as a result, the shield she managed to erect was relatively
weak. Her Force shield failed almost immediately, and Buffy screamed in pain as
the lightening ripped into her arm, burning flesh, muscle and finally bone. Fina
lly the barrage ended, and the last thing Buffy saw before passing out was Willo
w retrieving her saber and rushing into the Geonosian ship just as the door clos
ed.
She could still hear her former best friend's chilling parting words... "This is
only the beginning..."
====BtVS====
Buffy awoke several hours latter, groggy and in pain. She attempted to roll onto
her left side and instantly regretted it; the pain in her left arm wasn't as ba
d as it had been, but it was still-
Metal.
Her arm was metal. Not just that, but mechanical. Buffy stared in horror as she
lifted what had been her left hand in front of her face. What she saw was a mech
anical construct - a thumb and four fingers, attached to a palm, attached to an
arm - and all were mechanical. She tilted her arm and heard the familiar clickin
g that would normally sound on a droid.
"They couldn't save the arm," a familiar voice said, and Buffy turned her head t
o look at her brother, who was on the bed beside her. He raised his own mechanic
al hand. "Just couldn't help but try to outdo me, huh?" he joked lamely, but the
re was no humor in his voice. "They had you in the Bacta tank for three hours,"
he continued, "but the damage was too severe. Your arm was burned so badly, that
in some places it was scorched to the bone. They had to amputate, if only to pr
event infections from spreading."
Buffy sighed. "Where are we?"
"A republic capital ship, about an hour outside of Coruscant."
Buffy nodded, and then leaned back on her bed, still examining her new arm. At l
ength, she finally spoke.
"I'm sorry, Ani."
Anakin's brow furrowed as he turned to look at his sister. "Sorry for what?"
"For letting you down," Buffy continued. "When I fought Willow....I let myself g
o. I did exactly what I begged you not to do...I tapped into the Dark Side. This
-" she lifted up her new mechanical arm, "is what resulted."
"You're saying you paid the price for touching the Dark Side." Anakin surmised.
He lifted his own mechanical hand. "Then what's this?"
Buffy considered that for a moment, but didn't have an answer. The two fell back
into silence as the ship sped back to Coruscant.
Episode 2 Chapter 10
Epilogue
Buffy sat outside the Council chambers, waiting for the senior members to decide
her fate.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Buffy looked up and smiled. "Master Halcyon."
Nejaa Halcyon rolled his yes, but the smile never left his lips. "How many times
do I have to tell you not to call me 'Master'?"
"At least once more."
Halcyon gestured towards the closed doors of the Council room. "Still waiting?"
Buffy nodded. "Yup. Waiting to see what my punishment is going to be."
"Don't see why you'd be punished," Halcyon stated. "After all, you were only fol
lowing what Master Windu told you to do."
"He told me to handle things diplomatically. He told me to stay put..."
"He told you to guard the Senator," Halcyon pointed out.
"I turned to the Dark Side," Buffy retorted, her voice echoing in the dim corrid
or. Dropping her voice, she added, "When I was fighting Wi- Darth Traya," she am
ended, "I used the Dark Side. For a few moments-"
"Exactly!" Halcyon exclaimed, startling the Slayer. "For a few moments, then you
came to your senses. You know, you might find this hard to believe, but there i
s not one single person in that room who hasn't touched the Dark Side, myself in
cluded." Of her look, Halcyon rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't look so shocked. Maste
r Windu's fighting style borders on the Dark Side. Master Yoda knows so much abo
ut it because, when he was young, he made the mistake of learning some of the Da
rker arts. He now uses that knowledge to make sure his Padawan's don't repeat hi
s mistakes. As for myself- I always had a problem controlling my emotions. Let t
hem get the best of me on more than one occasion. Took a while for me to sort it
all out."
"But I-"
"Did nothing that everyone else hadn't done before you. It's a part of the trial
s, Elizabeth. The fact that you faced it, and let it go- that tells a lot about
your character."
Buffy sighed. "Maybe you're right. Then again, you could just be blowing smoke o
ut of your-"
At that moment, the door opened. "You may now enter, Padawan." A voice intoned f
rom inside. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Do they have to be so melodramatic?" she muttered as she rose gracefully to her
 feet. As she started for the doors, Halcyon called out to her.
"So Elizabeth... did you find something to believe in?"
Buffy stopped for a moment, then looked over her shoulder and smiled at the Jedi
Master.
"Yeah. Me."
And with that, she walked into the chamber, and the doors closed behind her.
====BtVS====
Buffy blinked as the doors closed. The blinds had been closed, the lights dimmed
; as a result, the room was pitch black. She took a moment for her eyes to adjus
t and then proceeded to walked to the center of the room.
"You know, you really should pay the electric bill on time..."
She paused in mid sentence as one by one, twelve lightsabers flared to life.
"This is new."
"Do you know why you've been called here, Padawan?" Mace asked, his face lit by
the purple glow of his lightsaber.
"I assumed it was to be punished for my blatant disregard of your orders," Buffy
replied. "But, seeing as I've already lost an arm, I'd humbly request that I be
allowed to keep my remaining limbs, thank you very much."
"You are here to be judged. But not for the reasons you think," Mace paused. "Yo
u were aware that this assignment constituted your trials, were you not?"
"I was," Buffy replied. "I would assume I failed."
"A test, the Jedi Trials are, and are not," Yoda spoke. "Of moral fiber and stre
ngth of character this test was. Not one in which you are graded. Agree with all
of your decisions on how you handled this crisis, we do not. Agree that you hav
e earned the title of Jedi Knight, we do."
Buffy blinked. This was something she honestly hadn't been expecting. "But I gav
e in to the Dark Side." She pointed out, lifting her mechanical arm. "See this?
This is what I got for it."
"No, you got that because you risked you life to save your fellow Jedi," Mace re
sponded. "As for your brush with the Dark Side - you showed the moral fiber to r
eject it utterly. You could have killed Darth Traya, yet you stayed your hand in
the hopes of saving her from herself." Mace stepped forward. "You have earned t
his, Buffy." He placed the blade of his saber next to her Padawan braid and, wit
h a flick of his wrist, severed it. The braid fell to the floor. "The Jedi Counc
il hereby bestows upon you the rank of Jedi Knight. Well done, Jedi Skywalker."
The Council members deactivated their lightsabers, and the lights rose back to n
ormal levels. Buffy turned to each member and bowed in respect, ending at Master
Windu, who then put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Events have been put in
to motion now that the Jedi will have to respond to. But I want you to take the
next few days off to recover. Your brother will be accompanying Senator Amidala
back to Naboo, both so she can spend some time with her family, and so he can re
cover as well. Take this time to heal your physical and mental wounds, Buffy."
Buffy nodded, then turned and walked towards the now-open door. Before she reach
ed them, she paused, and then glanced over her shoulder at Mace.
"Master, do you remember what I told you ten years ago? That if you didn't train
Willow, someone else would? And that your decision would come back to bite you
in the ass? Do you remember what I said I would tell you?" Buffy turned to face
her now former master fully. "And now the Sith have an untrained, emotionally un
balanced and excessively powerful witch on their side, willing to do anything an
d hurt anyone in the pursuit of a pipe dream." She reached out her hand and summ
oned her severed braid to herself. Placing it in her pocket she turned and, as s
he walked out of the doors, looked once more over her shoulder at Mace.
"I told you so."
Mace had no reply as his former Padawan walked out of the Council chamber.
====BtVS====
The industrial sector of Coruscant was a mixture of newer, bustling industrial c
omplexes that churned out product that were known and craved for galaxy wide, an
d older, unused factories that hadn't been used in decades. Into one of these ab
andoned buildings, a small Geonosian solar sailor flew into through its one, pro
perly maintained docking bay. As the ship set down, the cloaked form of Darth Si
dious came out to greet the two emerging figures.
"Welcome back Darth Tyranus, Darth Traya. I trust your missions were successful?
"
"Yes, my Master. We bring good news... the war has begun."
"But putting a hit on my sister was not a part of the bargain, old man," Traya g
rowled out, a few blue spikes of light from her hands betraying her true anger.
Sidious looked coldly at the raven-haired girl. "I am offering you power beyond
your wildest dreams, little girl. For that power, everyone is expendable."
"Correction: the SLAYER is expendable," Traya shot back, the ice evident in her
voice and bolstered by her chilling smile. "And if you ever try to pull somethin
g like this over me again, than this 'little girl' will make you beg for death."
With that, Darth Traya shimmered out of the room, and Darth Sidious turned to h
is student.
"She is proving to be troublesome. Do you think you can handle her?"
Dooku nodded. "Of course. It is only a matter of providing her with enough power
to keep her compliant, while making sure she will always want more. Give me som
e more time and she will do your bidding like a loyal Sith."
There is no such thing as a loyal Sith. Sidious thought. Like I don't know that
you are grooming her to assassinate me so that you may take my place? Just as yo
u know that I am subtly grooming Skywalker to take yours. Out loud, he merely sa
id "Very well. How is our other project on Kamino coming?"
"The clone will be ready by the end of the month. Then we can attempt to call hi
s spirit back from the netherworld of the Force. If this works, we shall have fo
und a way to true immortality."
Sidious smiled hideously under his cloak. "Excellent. Everything is proceeding a
s I have foreseen." He cackled evilly as the two made their way out of the room.
====BtVS====
It was only a few days after the events on Geonosis that Padmé found herself back
at their parents' house on Naboo. Anakin had journeyed back with her, under the
guise of rest and recuperation after losing his hand. In reality, while that had
been part of the reason, the real reason he had come back with her was because
they had decided to get married, Council laws be damned. They were set to head b
ack to the lake country, where a waiting minister would lead them in taking thei
r vows. The only witnesses would be See-Threepio and Artoo. Knowing that a war w
as about to start, they had decided to keep it secret during he duration of the
conflict so that Anakin may continue to serve the Republic and Jedi in protectin
g the galaxy, and come clean when the war was over and accept any punishment the
y deemed necessary.
They were to leave for the lake country in a few hours, so in the meantime Padmé s
pent her time tidying up her room. Finding everything in order, she reluctantly
moved on to Willow's room. Even days later, the shock and pain of her betrayal w
as still fresh. She had loved Willow like a sister - and still did, she admitted
to herself. Despite what Buffy had told her, she simply couldn't understand -
All thoughts stopped as she entered her sister's room. With its brightness and w
arm atmosphere, it didn't fit the chilling tale Buffy had given her of a young w
oman and her undeniable rage. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she sto
od in the center, watching as the lights played off of the walls. Memories flowe
d through her head and she smiled sadly, remembering the warmth and kindness she
had found. Willow had been more than just her sister... she had been her closes
t friend. Losing her was like losing a limb and after watching both Anakin and B
uffy suffer such a loss she knew what it was like. Sighing, she turned to leave
when she spied a letter lying on the bed. Hesitantly she picked it up, and saw t
hat it was addressed to her. After a moment's deliberation, she carefully opened
the envelope and took out the letter.
Dearest Sister;
If you are reading this then my allegiances have been made known. I can only gue
ss that, in some way my so-called best friend was the cause of this. And if that
is the case, then I am sorry. I wanted to tell you this in person, face to face
, so that there would be no misunderstanding on your part.
The reasons I have chosen to follow Dooku are varied, but I want, no, NEED you t
o know that neither you, Sola, or your parents were the cause. You took me in an
d loved me at a time when I was most vulnerable, and for that I thank you. I alw
ays have, and always will, consider you a sister.
No, my reason for joining Dooku is two-fold. I don't believe the Republic is dyi
ng - I believe it is dead, and nobody has notified the relatives yet. There need
s to be a change, a revolution, if you will. After all, nothing brings about cha
nge like violence and bloodshed. Just ask the communists.
But most importantly, Dooku has offered me an opportunity to find the power I ne
ed to get home. I love you all dearly, but I'm tired of this place. I want to se
e my Xander again, to research with Giles, to hold Tara in my arms once more...
I am sorry if my departure has caused you pain, Padmé. I am sorry I couldn't be ha
ppy here. I'm sorry...
Goodbye.
Padmé crumpled the letter to her chest and felt her knees weaken. Steadying hersel
f by gripping her sister's bed, she bent and cried over the loss of her sister.
====BtVS====
Meanwhile, on a planet far away, Masters Yoda and Windu stood in the Council cha
mber with Obi-Wan, contemplating recent events.
"Do you believe what Count Dooku said about Sidious controlling the Senate?" Obi
-Wan asked of the masters. "It doesn't feel right."
"Become unreliable, Dooku has," Yoda pointed out. ""Joined the Dark Side. Lies,
deceit, creating mistrust are his ways now."
"Nevertheless, I feel we should keep a closer eye on the Senate," Mace added, an
d Yoda nodded in agreement.
There was a lull in the conversation while the three Jedi took that in. After a
few moments, Obi-Wan spoke.
"I have to admit, without the clones, it would not have been a victory."
"Victory?" Yoda said skeptically. "Victory you say? Master Obi-Wan, not victory.
The shroud of the Dark Side has fallen. Begum this Clone War has."
Once again, the three Jedi fell into silence as they all contemplated on what th
e coming months would bring.
====BtVS====
Senator Bail Organa stood next to Chancellor Palpatine and Mas Amedda as they so
d on the balcony that overlooked the deployment area. Below, massive Victory-cla
ss star destroyers sat on the ground, their hatches open as tens of thousands of
clone troopers marched into the holds in tight military formation. A look of su
preme sadness passed over the face of Senator Organa as he watched the ships pre
pare to lift off to war. But as he looked to the face of the Supreme Chancellor,
all he saw was a look of grim determination.
====BtVS====
In the Junior Senator's offices in the Senate building, Buffy quietly and effici
ently packed up Willow's possessions into a small crate. She worked in silence,
not really taking the time to look at what she was placing into the crates to av
oid becoming emotional. She was perfectly fine with being coldly numb. And it wo
rked - until she got to her desk.
Sitting on the desk was the framed sketch of Tara.
Buffy slowly put down the crate, and reverently picked up the sketch. She looked
at the face of her friend's soul mate - of her friend. Pressing a hand to her m
outh, she felt the chill settle in. She fell slowly into Willow's chair, her han
d moving from her mouth to touch the sketch of the beautiful face of a friend sh
e realized she had forgotten.
Something damp fell into her lap and she lifted her metallic hand to brush the t
ears off of her cheeks, the mineral cold against her damp skin. A moment later,
her chest seized and she lifted her hand again to stifle a sob. Everything came
rushing back in one fell swoop - the loss of her friends, her sister and, most o
f all, the life she had left behind. Soon she could no longer see as the tears t
hat had been threatening ran and for once she made no attempt to stop them.
====BtVS====
And on Naboo, on a balcony overlooking the lake Padmé and Anakin stood, hand in me
tal hand as they said their vows in front of the holy man and the two droids. Th
ey soon finished, and they leaned into one another and sealed their marriage wit
h a kiss.
Three Years Later
Corellia- Internment Camp 13
====BtVS====
Buffy was in heaven.
She moaned pleasantly as strong arms gently wrapped around her slender body as s
he lay almost-sleeping in their small apartment in Internment Camp 13.
Their apartment.
Buffy never could have foreseen what her life had become over the past two years
. Her time actively involved in the war on a large scale had been limited. She h
ad worked with her brother and Obi-Wan on several early missions, fighting back
the Separatist forces. She had traveled with Masters Yoda and Windu all over the
Core, fortifying positions and building allies. She had especially liked her ti
me with the Wookies. For such large, imposing creatures, they really were giant
teddy bears.
It was in the second year of the war that she got her first solo assignment - tr
avel to Corellia, one of the few Core worlds to have fallen in the initial attac
ks, gather intel, and report back to the Council. It was an easy, in-and-out ass
ignment, with extraction due to take place a mere month after she had landed.
Of course, that was when the Separatists launched full-blown attacks that had pu
t Corellia deep behind enemy lines, and extraction had then proven impossible. S
o Buffy had moved onto plan 'B'- aid the resistance. And in aiding the resistanc
e, she had met the man who had stolen her heart - Jacen Solo. Rugged, roguish, a
daredevil and a hell of a pilot, Jacen was a widower and father of an eleven ye
ar old boy named Han. He was the leader of the local group of resistance fighter
s and, while he was happy for the help Buffy had offered, he wasn't impressed by
her status as a Jedi. For this, Buffy was grateful. She had to deal with enough
people who practically worshipped her because of what she could do with a light
saber, and was glad that Jacen seemed to genuinely appreciate her for herself an
d not her powers.
Over the two years she had been trapped on Corellia, she and Jacen had rapidly f
allen in love. It wasn't something she took lightly - her commitment to the Jedi
Order expressly forbid her from loving him. And yet she had felt her feelings f
or the Rebel leader grow deeper, until one day she was forced to make a choice -
the Jedi or Jacen. And after what seemed to be two lifetimes of being forced to
live for her commitment to her calling, she had decided that, this time, she wa
s due a little happiness. After all, she had seen what duty could do to destroy
people. Shortly thereafter, the two were engaged, to be married as soon as Corel
lia was freed. Buffy had sent her resignation to the Council along with her regu
lar status report hoping, as always, that it made it through the jamming.
Nine months later, their first daughter Joyce was born.
It was two months after that glorious day that Buffy found herself sighing in co
ntent as the familiar figure of her fiancé snuggled up behind her and nuzzled her
neck.
"Time to wake up, Liza," Jacen said softly, using the nickname he had given her
after they had started working together. As Buffy moaned reluctantly, he chuckle
d. "Come on. We both got jobs to do today."
Buffy shifted in the bed so she was facing him. "What, you're letting me out tod
ay?" she teased. "What about Joyce?"
"Han's going to watch her today. Maybe take her to the park later. Don't worry,"
he said off of her look, "They'll be safe. The Separatists haven't attacked a c
amp in months, despite what we've been able to do."
Buffy grinned. "But if I stay in bed today, I might convince you to stay in bed.
..think of the possibilities..."
This time it was Jacen's turn to chuckle. "As inviting as that sounds - and beli
eve me, it does - I'm meeting with the other heads of the resistance. We're plan
ning a massive counter strike to cripple their communications."
"And me?"
"And you get to check out the clearing about three clicks southwest of the camp.
 Intel said some kind of vessel touched down there last night - might be some ki
nd of droid spy ship."
"And they want someone stealthy to check it out?" Buffy surmised and Jacen nodde
d.
"Exactly. And here's some news I got earlier today - the Republic has the Separa
tists on the run. I give it a few more weeks before your back-up finally gets he
re. And then," he wrapped his arms around the blonde, "you will officially becom
e Mrs. Buffy Solo; and we'll take Han and Joyce out in our ship for a nice, long
vacation."
Buffy giggled. "Yeah, I can't wait to finally break that ship in. Especially the
stateroom..." Her giggles dissolved as he tightened his grasp on her. Two slim
arms reached up to stretch over his neck. The two spent a few more precious minu
tes on the bed, just kissing and holding one another, before they finally pulled
apart.
"But that will be then. For now, I guess it's time I brought out my old clothes.
"
====BtVS====
Soon after, Buffy emerged from the master bedroom wearing her old Jedi tunic and
trousers. She left the robe - she never liked it, as it hindered her movements
more than it ever helped to conceal her. Her lightsaber no longer hung from her
hip- a modified DL-44 blaster, much like Jacen used, hung there now. She kept he
r lightsaber in a specially constructed fore-arm holster that, with a flick of h
er wrist, sent the weapon into her waiting hand. It also kept the easily identif
iable weapon concealed until it was needed.
Buffy walked over to where Han sat on the ground, rocking the tiny baby in his a
rms. She kneeled down in front of him and smiled.
"Now, I trust you to take good care of your sister, alright?"
"Don't sweat it, Buffy," Han replied with the same casual cockiness his father h
ad. "I'll keep both eyes on her. Maybe show her around the park."
"You do that," Buffy replied. "And when this is all over, and it's time for the
big shake down cruise, I'll talk to your father and see if he won't let you fly
it around some." She knew of Han's desire to be an ace pilot just like his fathe
r, and it warmed her heart to see the elation spread across his face.
"Cool!" Han exclaimed. Buffy chuckled, then leaned down and kissed her daughter
on the forehead, then ruffled Han's hair. "You take care of yourself, fly-boy. A
nd you," Buffy stated, standing and turning to Jacen, "I'll see you later."
Jacen smirked and walked over, dipping his face to hers. "I'm looking forward to
it."
====BtVS====
Buffy was crouched low behind a bush, peering at the oddly-shaped craft that sat
in the clearing. It was clearly a Republic craft, and it looked like one of the
ARC fighters that had been in development when she had initially come to this p
lanet.
Guess they started making them, she mused, carefully watching the ship, waiting
for the owners to come back. She didn't have to wait long - soon after she had f
ound the ship, she felt a familiar presence sneaking up behind her. Still, she k
ept absolutely still, her eyes never wavering from the ship, not even when she h
eard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber activating, and saw the blue blade appear clo
se to her right cheek.
"Careless, much?" a familiar voice quipped. Buffy smiled.
"Look down."
There was a moment's pause and then the voice spoke again. "Ching-wah TSAO duh l
iou mahng..."
The lightsaber deactivated, and Buffy rose and turned to face her brother, who w
as doing his best not to move. She crossed her arms and smirked in clear superio
rity while Anakin shot an annoyed glare at her.
"Land mines? You set landmines around yourself?"
"Yeah, well... I didn't want any bad people sneaking up on me," Buffy replied.
"And I'm suddenly a bad person?"
"Bad at watching where you're going, at any rate." She looked at her brother, no
ting the longer hair and scar over his left eye that so eerily mirrored her own.
"Copycat," she said, motioning to the scar.
Anakin rolled his eyes. "Please, I make this look good. Now could you please dea
ctivate it?"
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Are you a Jedi or aren't you?"
Anakin paused, and then rolled his eyes once more in annoyance. He waved his han
d over the device and used the Force to deactivate it. Then, without warning, he
scooped the smaller blonde up in his arms and gave her a fierce hug.
"I was so worried about you, Buffy," he said as she hugged him back. "We've been
trying for nearly two years to break through to Corellia."
"I don't doubt it. Jacen said that the Republic had finally broken through and w
as coming here this morning."
Anakin looked at her in confusion. "Jacen?" he asked uncertainly. Buffy looked a
t him, and then sighed.
"I take it none of my reports have gone through?"
"No," another voice replied from behind. Buffy spun, and came face to face with
Obi-Wan Kenobi. She took in the cut of his robes (as well as his hair), and nodd
ed her head in respect.
"Master Kenobi, I presume?" she asked, then glanced back at her brother and saw
that his hair was growing out, and the Padawan braid he had worn was gone. "And
they promoted you, too, I see. Congrats to both of you."
Obi-Wan smiled warmly, then moved in and gave Buffy a hug of his own. "It's good
to see you, Buffy." As her arms tightened around him, he felt the calming feeli
ng of relief; they had been uncertain as how quickly they would find her.
"You too, Ben," she replied sincerely, using a nickname she had adopted for him
years ago.
"Not to sound rude, but who is this 'Jacen' person?" Anakin asked. Buffy looked
at the two Jedi, her friends, and sighed.
"Jacen is one of the leaders of the resistance movement here on Corellia." She p
aused, and then rushed forward, "and he's also my fiancé."
Anakin gasped, and Obi-Wan's jaw dropped. "Your fiancé? Are you mad? You'll be exp
elled-"
"I sent in my resignation, Ben. I quit the Council."
By this time, Anakin had regained some of his wits. "You what?"
"I fell in love, Ani," she replied simply. "It didn't happen overnight. After it
did happen, I thought long and hard about it before I made my decision." Buffy
handed over a small coms device to Obi-Wan. "This contains a complete record of
all of my reports, including my resignation letter. I had hoped it had made it t
hrough. I guess it didn't."
"But Buffy..."
"But nothing, Ani," she interrupted. "I fell in love. I got engaged. I had a bea
utiful baby girl - I can't wait to show her to you. You're an Uncle now, Ani. I
made my decision, and I stick by it." She kept her eyes trained on her brother;
she couldn't take the look of shock and disappointment on Obi-Wan's face, not wh
en her own mind was so resolute.
"But I thought you were happy with the Jedi..." Anakin tried, but Buffy shook he
r head.
"I was happy with the Order, yes. I joined so I could stay with you, and learn a
bout these powers I suddenly had. I've had the great privilege of watching you g
row to become one hell of a Jedi, Ani, and that made me the happiest of all. But
now it's time for me to move on, to do something I never thought I'd be able to
do - start a family. Please, don't take that away from me."
In a way, it freed her to say these words. Knowing her communiqués had not gotten
off of this planet, this was the second best option.
Anakin sighed in defeat, and Obi-Wan spoke. "Well, we had come here to rescue yo
u and to gather intel for the coming invasion. But seeing as you don't need resc
uing-"
"I'll get you all the intel you want," Buffy supplied. "And I'll be able to intr
oduce you to my family. Come on."
====BtVS====
They walked in silence back towards Camp 13. Anakin was trying to sort through h
is tumultuous emotions - he couldn't believe that Buffy would ever quit the Orde
r, but at the same time, he couldn't fault her for wanting to start a family. De
ep inside, though he felt shameful that Buffy did what he couldn't do - made the
decision to resign and get married, rather than getting married in secret like
he had.
Obi-Wan was similarly conflicted. Buffy had been one of the most gifted and prom
ising Jedi he had ever worked with. He knew that she took her commitment to the
Order seriously and wouldn't throw it away on a lark. And he couldn't help but f
eel a little sad at seeing her go; he had missed her for the past two years... C
learing his mind from those thoughts, he took in the look of deep pride on her f
ace and attempted to make light of the situation. As she had always been there f
or matters of importance for him, so he would be for her.
Buffy mind was a jumble of emotions. Happiness at seeing her brother, trepidatio
n over introducing them to Jacen, Han, and Joyce; fear over how they were taking
her decision...
And alarm at seeing smoke rising in the distance.
"Wuh de ma," she breathed as she took off at a run towards the smoke. Anakin and
Obi-Wan, sensing her alarm, ran after her. The three Jedi crested the hill, and
stopped dead at what they saw.
Internment Camp 13 was burning.
"Oh, no," she muttered, her eyes widening.
Smoke and fire belched out of gapping holes in the sides of the high rise apartm
ent complexes as droid fighters buzzed overhead, shooting everything that moved
on the ground below - including the women and children that were frantically run
ning for cover. Buffy frantically searched the skyline for her apartment buildin
g-
And saw all that was left was a pile of burning rubble.
Without thinking, Buffy raced down to the camp, bobbing and weaving between lase
r blasts and ignoring the cries from her friends behind her. Obi-Wan and Anakin
exchanged a concerned glance before running off after her. Activating their ligh
tsabers, they deflected their enemy's blasts, trying to ensure that Buffy could
get to her destination safely.
Time seemed to slow as she made her way up the ruined path that had led to the e
ntrance to her home. She had almost made it to the door when she spotted the pro
ne figure lying broken and bloodied on the ground. She felt her body freeze and
then everything seemed to stop. Time seemed to stand still as she put a horrifie
d hand over her mouth. Buffy collapsed next to the corpse of her fiancé and let ou
t an anguished scream. Gathering what remained of him in her arms, her screams f
illed the blast-filled air, wracked with hopelessness, anger and, dare she think
it, defeat.
Anakin watched his sister collapse, and his heart broke at the unfairness of it
all. The man on the ground must have been Jacen, her fiancé; that meant her childr
en must have been inside the building when it was destroyed. He moved immediatel
y to his sister's side, his gloved hand landing on her shoulder and squeezing it
with what he hoped was a comforting gesture. Obi-Wan's face carried the weight
of his compassion and his eyes grew troubled as Buffy's screams dissolved into s
obs.
Anakin was about to check the man when he suddenly heard voices speaking from do
wn the street. Making a decision, he did his best to stealthily move down the st
reet, hiding behind the rubble and trying to discern what was being said. As he
made his way farther down, he was shocked by what he saw.
Jango Fett.
But it couldn't be, he reasoned. Jango Fett is dead. Anakin looked over the armo
red figure more closely, and noticed several differences. The armor was green an
d silver, instead of the blue and silver worn by Jango. The jet pack looked to b
e a newer model of sturdier design. And though he couldn't see his face, the voi
ce sounded much younger than the gruff voice that Jango and the Clone Troopers s
hared.
It must be Jango's clone son, Boba. He reasoned. Knowing how good Jango had been
 and how good Boba must be, Anakin pushed himself deeper into the shadows and li
stened as Boba conferred with the droid commander.
"Commander, have you wiped out the resistance leadership?"
"Yes, sir," the droid replied. "We believe there are additional cells operating
in the area. We are cleansing the camp as we speak."
Anakin felt his stomach turn over... cleaning out the camp must mean desecrating
everything that had once been innocent... the women and children had not led a
resistance, they had not taken up arms...
"Change of plan, Commander. You are to initiate the scorched planet procedure. T
he order comes directly from Darth Traya. Leave none alive. And commander," he p
aused, and Anakin could picture the malevolent grin on the bounty hunter's face,
"if you come across the Skywalker girl, try to capture her alive. I have specia
l plans for her."
Anakin quickly made his way back up to where Obi-Wan was trying desperately to c
onsole Buffy, who was being completely unresponsive. Her eyes stared hopelessly
at the corpse in her arms and her body had stiffened. Anakin knew her well enoug
h to know that if he didn't intervene now, she would soon go into shock and woul
d likely stand as the target the stupid Bounty Hunter wanted so much alive. She
would be easily captured unless he moved her now. He kneeled down next to them.
"Master, Buffy, we have to leave now."
"I won't leave him," Buffy sobbed, and Anakin gently grasped her chin in his glo
ved hand and brought her eyes up to meet his.
"Buffy, he's gone," he replied softly. "I'm sorry, but he's gone. Jango Fett's s
on is here, and he's looking for revenge. And the droids have been ordered to in
itiate a scorched planet operation." He paused to let this sink in to his sister
's grief-stricken mind. "Buffy, we need to get a message to our fleet and order
them to begin landing at once. Is there any way to send a communiqué?"
Buffy looked down at Jacen's face and then into the ruins of their apartment. Th
e children had probably been crushed when the building collapsed. Jacen had made
it outside to take the brunt of a laser bolt from a Vulture droid. Gently, she
passed her hand over her fiancé's face, closing his eyelids. When she looked up ag
ain, her eyes were hard and cold.
"All communications were jammed early on in the invasion," she stated in a voice
devoid of emotion. "The only way to contact your fleet is to get to it ourselve
s on a ship. And lucky for you, we--" - there was a break in her voice - "I have
just the ship."
====BtVS====
The three Jedi made their way silently to the edge of the compound where the mai
n hanger was located. Once part of a bustling space port, it had been shut down
since the occupation. The ships within had remained idle, though cared for by th
eir owners. Jacen had bought their ship directly from the manufacturer, who had
been storing several of their prototype ships in the hanger for an air show befo
re the occupation had shut it down. When he hadn't been busy leading the rebelli
on or spending time with Buffy, he had been in the hanger, tirelessly working on
making the ship the fastest ship in the quadrant.
Buffy was sure he had succeeded. At least, that was what she was counting on.
There were two heavy battle droids guarding the door to the hanger. Obi-Wan saw
this, and turned to the Skywalkers.
"Looks like only two of them. Okay, here is what we'll do-"
Before he could even finish, Buffy stood up and walked quickly out into the open
, directly towards the droids. The two machines noticed and immediately raised t
heir arms to activate their blasters. Before they could even get halfway up, Buf
fy had drawn her trusty sidearm and shot both droids in quick succession, follow
ed by two more shots into the door, blowing it open. The tow remaining Jedi shot
each other a worried look, then rose and hurried after the girl.
They found her just inside, looking up at the gleaming white hull of the ship in
front of them. It was saucer shaped, with twin mandibles emerging from the fron
t that housed the forward search lights and had an observation window nestled be
tween them. A large deflector dish sat on top on the right side of the ship, and
shooting off of the left side of the ship. Just forward of the port entrance ra
mp, was the cockpit, its circular window showing the dark interior that housed t
he flight controls and four chairs. The rear of the ship was all engines, specia
lly modified by Jacen to draw ever erg of energy for maximum thrust. Anakin noti
ced that it was armed as well with a pair of quad cannons; one on top and one on
the bottom.
"Here it is," Buffy said, a hint of pride seeping into her voice, "the Millenniu
m Falcon."
"Nice design," Anakin murmured, giving it a visual once-over.
"Is it a fast ship?" Obi-Wan asked, aware that this ship would have to outrun so
me of the fastest Separatist ships there were. Buffy just looked over at the Jed
i Master.
"A fast ship? Your ARC fighter won't outrun the Separatist fleet, that's for sur
e. And this baby could fly circles around the old Jedi Starfighters," Buffy sigh
ed and motioned towards the port entrance ramp, which opened obediently in respo
nse. "She's fast enough for you, old man."
Without further ado, she made her way onto the ship, followed closely by Obi-Wan
and Anakin. The three made their way into the cockpit. Buffy quickly settled in
to the pilot's chair and started powering up the ship. Anakin paused by the co-p
ilots chair.
"Uh, Buffy..." The Slayer looked up at her brother, and a grim smile flitted acr
oss her face.
"Jacen taught me a thing or two about flying," she snapped in the same voice so
devoid of anything warm. "Just sit down and strap in. Prepare to angle the defle
ctor dish. Obi-Wan, set the hyperdrive coordinates in the computer. I'm taking u
s out."
Everything felt so automatic now, as though her processing unit had decided to m
alfunction. Experienced fingers flew over the controls as she pressed a button a
nd the roof of the hanger began to retract. She powered up the engines and heard
a deep-set rumble of the ship rumbling to life. Pausing, she glanced up before
whispering, "Good girl. Just like your Daddy." Turning, she focused on the matte
r at hand and engaged the thrusters, Anakin's wary eyes following her every move
.
The Falcon gracefully lifted off and soared through the retracted roof. The rema
ining droids on the ground were taken completely by surprise as the freighter li
fted out of the hanger, and suddenly shot up and away.
Buffy expertly weaved the Falcon in and around the Vulture droids that broke off
of their attacks on the camps to attack the fleeing ship. Soon she had broken f
ree of the atmosphere, and pointed the ship directly at the droid command ship t
hat was orbiting the planet. As they drew nearer, Anakin began to worry.
"Uh, Buffy?" he said nervously.
"Yeah?" There was that voice again... so cold, so emotionless.
"You do see the big ship right in front of us?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. Good."
They drew closer and closer to the control ship, and Anakin's panic built, as di
d Obi-Wan's.
"Buffy, what are you doing?" Obi-Wan yelled, leaning over to examine her hands s
trangely slack on the steering controls. "You're going to get us all killed!"
Anakin looked closely at his sister's face, and saw the blank look in her eyes.
Instantly he realized that everything that had happened today had finally hit he
r. She was obviously in shock, if not worse. As soon as he how completed unrespo
nsive she was, he reached over and pulled back the hyperdrive activator, sending
the ship into hyperspace as explosions went off all around them...
And explosions seemed to go off right outside Buffy's window...
====BtVS====
She opened her eyes, taking in the darkened room that had served as her quarters
since her return to the temple. She drew in a shuddering breath, and then relea
sed it, pushing the memory back down into the recesses of her mind and trying in
vain to calm her emotions. Another explosion sounded, and Buffy got up. Though
her entire being was numb and cold, her mind also knew that the explosions she w
as hearing didn't belong there...
What in the world...she wondered as she moved to her door to see what was going
on outside. Before she could reach the door control, the door slid open to revea
l the panting form of Zett Jukassa.
"Ma-master Skywalker!" he panted, leaning on the doorframe to catch his breath.
Buffy swiftly walked over to him and placed a calming hand on the Padawan's shou
lder.
"Zett, I'm not a Master. Hell, technically, I'm not even a Jedi anymore. So calm
down and tell me what in the hell is going on?" she demanded. The Padawan looke
d up into her face, panic in his eyes. Even as he spoke his next words, she felt
an overwhelming force somewhere nearby, something that was drawing her attentio
n outwards... something deadly...
"We're under attack!" he exclaimed...
====BtVS====
To be started...
And so, it all begins...AGAIN.
Author: Naitch03
Star Wars
Episode III
Revenge of the Witch
After years of civil war, the Separatists have battered the already faltering Re
public nearly to the point of collapse. On Coruscant, the Senate watches anxious
ly as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine aggressively strips away more and more consti
tutional liberties in the name of safeguarding the Republic. Yoda, Mace Windu, a
nd their fellow Masters grapple with the Chancellor's disturbing move to assume
control of the Jedi Council
Anakin Skywalker, the prophesied 'Chosen One' destined to bring balance to the F
orce, is increasingly consumed by his fear that his secret love and wife, Senato
r Padmé Amidala, will die.
And Buffy Summers-Skywalker, who had left the order early in the war when she fe
ll in love on assignment to Corellia, awaits the decision on her whether or not
she will be reinstated to the Jedi Order after her new family was wiped out by h
er former friend, and now Sith Lord, Darth Traya; even as another Jedi, Nejaa Ha
lcyon, must confront his fears on the possible loss of his own secret family.
As the situation worsened General Grievous, under the command of the Dark Lord C
ount Dooku, attacked the Republic capital world of Coruscant and abducted Chance
llor Palpatine. As Obi-Wan and Anakin race to free the captive Chancellor, Buffy
must once again face her demons when Darth Traya invades the Jedi Archives...
====BtVS====
Disclaimer: Star Wars and its characters are owned by George Lucas and Lucas Fil
ms. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Mut
ant Enemy. I own neither.
While most of this story will focus on Buffy, there will be portions that will f
ocus on scenes that happened in the movie. For those scenes, I will be using the
novelization Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith by Mathew Stover.
====BtVS====
Dramatis Personae
Buffy Summers-Skywalker; Jedi Knight, Slayer (female human)
Darth Traya (Willow Rosenberg-Naberrie); Dark Lady of the Sith (female human)
Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Knight (human male)
Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master (human male)
Mace Windu; Jedi Master (male human
Yoda; Jedi Master (male your guess is as good as mine)
Zett Jukassa; Jedi Padawan (human male)
Aayla Secura; Jedi Master (female Twi'lek)
Serra Keto, Jedi Knight (human female)
Nejaa Halcyon, Jedi Master (human male)
Palpatine/Darth Sidious; Dark Lord of the Sith, Supreme Chancellor of the Republ
ic (male human)
Nute Gunray; Viceroy of the Trade Federation (male Neimoidian)
General Grievous; Commander of the Separatists (Alien/Droid Hybrid)
====BtVS====
Previously on Revenge of the Witch:
And explosions seemed to go off right outside Buffy's window, and she opened her
eyes, taking in the darkened room that had served as her quarters since her ret
urn to the temple. She drew in a shuddering breath, and then released it, pushin
g the memory back down into the recesses of her mind and trying in vain to calm
her emotions. Another explosion sounded, and Buffy got up.
What in the worlds..." she wondered as she moved to her door to see what was goi
ng on outside. Before she could reach the door control, the door slid open to re
veal the panting form of Zett Jukassa.
"Ma-master Skywalker!" he panted, leaning on the doorframe to catch his breath.
Buffy swiftly walked over to him and placed a calming hand on the Padawan's shou
lder.
"Zett, what in the blue hell is going on?" she demanded. The Padawan looked up i
nto her face, panic in his eyes.
"We're under attack!" he exclaimed...
====BtVS====
Buffy looked out the windows in the hall and saw dozens of ships high overhead e
ngaged in a fierce battle. She saw the rather unfamiliar Clone ships firing to t
he all-too familiar Droid ships. As pieces of the ships were blown away, the sky
was filled with color and metal. Explosions rattled the windows from time to ti
me highlighting exactly how close the battle was. Buffy looked to Zett in exaspe
ration.
"Why the hell didn't anybody come and get me before?" she demanded. The young Pa
dawan just shrugged his shoulders.
"They told us not to disturb you unless there was a dire emergency," he replied.
Another explosion, louder and closer than the previous ones, caused Buffy to lo
ok out of the windows as one of the Republic's Venator-class star destroyers plu
mmeted from orbit and impacted into a cluster of high-rise residential towers. A
large plume of flame and smoke rose immediately from impact. Sucking in her bre
ath, Buffy turned her attention back to the Padawan.
"I'd say the situation is dire," Buffy deadpanned. "What's the sitch?"
"The Supreme Chancellor has been kidnapped by General Grievous-"
"Is he dead?" Buffy interrupted. When Zett shook his head in a negative, Buffy s
cowled. "Damn."
"Right...um, anyway, Master's Kenobi and Skywalker were dispatched to retrieve h
im-"
"Double damn."
Zett looked at the smaller girl in sympathy. "I'm sure they'll be okay," he said
slowly, knowing that both men were important to her. Buffy just rolled her eyes
and snorted.
"Of course they'll be okay. And they'll manage to pull it off. That's what I'm u
pset about. So, why'd you come and get me?"
Zett took a deep breath and then continued. "Because there is a Sith in the Temp
le Archives. Master Halcyon is trying to subdue her, but he was having little su
ccess. There are also a number of younglings in there..."
"Who?" Buffy demanded, her eyes hard. Zett was silent for a moment, and then spo
ke.
"Darth Traya."
Buffy exhaled the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding. Darth Traya w
as here, in the Archives, fighting her friend. The woman responsible for the dea
th of her family...
In an instant, she had made her decision. She would not succumb to the need for
revenge. Besides, the best revenge, the best justice, would be for her to captur
e Traya and purge her from the good person that Willow had been. Though she was
still numb from her meditations, she felt as though her body was awakening to th
e sudden promise of violence. She would get a chance to look Jacen's executioner
in the eye. And then she would show Traya "justice". She reached out her hand a
nd called her silver and red lightsaber to her hand and marched towards the Arch
ives.
Zett sighed. This won't end well, he thought as he rushed after the former Jedi.
====BtVS====
Nejaa Halcyon was having a bit of a day.
As if the attack on Coruscant hadn't been enough, this bloody Sith had to infilt
rate the Archives, searching for the Force knows what, attacking Younglings and
Padawan's who interfered with her search.
Including him.
"You really are a rather pathetic Jedi, you know?" Traya taunted, her hands stil
l, somehow, buried in a computer terminal, seemingly absorbing the vast amounts
of knowledge in the computer. Halcyon kept trying to dislodge her, pounding away
at her with his blue lightsaber. Unfortunately, the blade couldn't seem to pene
trate the shield she had erected around herself. "I mean, seriously. If you want
ed me out of here, all you have to do is yank me away. Oh, but that's right - yo
u never were powerful enough to tap into the telekinetic aspects of the Force, w
ere you?"
Halcyon growled in frustration. "I never felt the need."
Willow sneered, "No, you never had the power. Too much of a goody-goody Jedi to
even think about it...of course, you're not exactly the model Jedi, are you?"
Halcyon froze. She couldn't know...
Willow smiled malevolently. "Yeah, I do know, Hal. Your two special people back
on Corellia...lucky they managed to escape the execution squads...of course, I c
ould always go back and finish the job..."
Halcyon felt the rage build up in him and, for once, he did nothing to suppress
it. He used his rage to fuel his power, and reached out with the Force to rip Tr
aya away from the computer - and almost succeeded. Traya grinned triumphantly.
"Now you're getting it, Hal." She withdrew one of her hands and pointed it at th
e Jedi, "Just not quite good enough. Now, let me show you how it's really done..
." With a flick of her wrist, she sent the Jedi flying back towards the doors, w
here he impacted hard next to an arriving Buffy. Seeing her old friend, Traya sm
iled. "Buffy! What a nice surprise!"
Buffy looked around the room, and saw Jocasta Nu's body lying still on the floor
. She reached out with the Force towards both her and the fallen form of Halcyon
and found both of them to be unconscious, but uninjured. She then reached throu
gh the Force to the Jedi Masters, alerting them to what was going on and asking
them to return at once. All the while, her eyes never left Traya's.
"Darth Traya. Always a pleasure."
"Buffy. How have you been? The husband, the kids? Oh, that's right - they're dea
d."
"Yes, they are. And now I'm back here." She paused. "A little flaw in your plan,
I assume?"
Traya chuckled. "No matter. Just means I get to kill you personally." She withdr
ew her lightsaber and ignited the crimson blade.
"Don't suppose you want to talk about this?" Buffy queried, igniting her own sil
ver blade. "Zett, get the kids out of here. I'll hold Traya off. GO!" she shoute
d as she blocked Traya's attacks with ease. Soon, her parries turned into thrust
s and small swipes that were meant to disarm Traya. As Buffy drove the Sith back
, she risked a glance and saw that Zett had gathered the Younglings and was slow
ly leading them around the battle towards the door. Trying to buy time, she shoo
k her head in disappointment.
"Can't say I'm impressed, Traya. I'm not even trying here, and I'm still beating
you. Willow would have probably already kicked my ass by now..."
Traya snarled. "Willow was a pathetic weakling who could barely care for herself
. I have the power, now! I AM the power!"
"Blah, blah, blah. I'm hearing a lot of talk, but I'm not seeing much. Tell you
what," she added, blocking another blow and turning it aside, following it up wi
th a swipe that sliced through the top layer of Traya's robes, "Let's say you st
op all of this foolishness and turn yourself in?" A hard blow from Buffy set Tra
ya reeling back. Sensing this was a battle she wasn't going to win, Traya opted
to use the Sith's greatest weapon - treachery.
Traya reached her arm towards the balcony, letting loose a blast of Force lighte
ning. The energy impacted on one of the support columns, fracturing it and bring
ing the balcony down on top of the Younglings that were currently scampering und
erneath to escape the Archives and, with a flick of her wrist, brought it down.
Without a moment's hesitation, Buffy dropped her lightsaber and reached towards
the collapsing balcony, grasping it with the Force and holding it up so the Youn
glings could make their escape.
Willow cackled with glee. "Well Buffy, it's been fun, but it's time I departed.
But if you ever want to finish this, all you got to do is go back to the beginni
ng!" A flurry of wind and lightning enveloped the Sith, and in a flash, she was
gone. Buffy scowled, and then turned her attention back onto the balcony, which
she raised back into place with little effort. Simultaneously, she used the forc
e to re-form the pillar, and then sent her own blast of Force lightening at the
stone to fuse it together.
Zett poked his head back into the Archives. "Did you get her?"
Buffy sighed in disappointment. "No, I most certainly did not."
====BtVS====
Mace Windu stood on the Senate landing platform, patiently waiting for Obi-Wan a
nd Anakin to deliver the Chancellor. Around him were a variety of Senators and s
ecurity guards, anxiously awaiting their return as well.
Mace was unusually anxious. The attack on Coruscant had been too close to home.
Even thought the main attack force had been driven off, Yoda and the rest of the
Jedi were still mopping up the remaining droids. Shaak Ti was dead - he felt he
r death through the Force. Add to that Buffy's tumultuous return to the Temple,
and Mace had a whole list of things that were just setting him ill at ease. It w
as like there was something on the edge of the Force, just waiting for him to se
e, to understand, but it was just beyond his reach.
Mace pushed his musings to the back of his mind as the shuttle carrying the Chan
cellor and his two Jedi touched down, and sighed with relief as Anakin Skywalker
and Obi-Wan Kenobi followed the Chancellor out.
"Chancellor," Mace said as he walked up to the elderly statesman, carefully hidi
ng his distrust of Palpatine deep down. "Are you well? Do you need medical atten
tion?" he gestured to a field surgery unit waiting in a gunship a few feet away.
"No, no, no need," Palpatine responded faintly. "Thank you, Master Windu. But I
am well, thanks to your two Jedi knights."
Mace nodded, and then turned to the two Jedi. "Master Kenobi? Anakin?"
"Never better," Anakin replied with a slight grin. Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulder
s, and then winced as he reached up to tough the scalp wound he had received.
"Only a bump on the head. Surely that field surgery unit is needed elsewhere."
"It is," Mace said in agreement. "We don't have even a preliminary estimate of t
he civilian casualties." He waved off the gunship, and it took off, hurtling tow
ards the fires that were smoldering in the distance.
"The Senate is prepared to receive you, Chancellor," Mace said, turning back to
the matter at hand. "The HoloNet has already been notified that you will want t
make a statement.."
"I will. I will indeed," Palpatine said, then placed a fatherly hand on Mace's a
rm. "You have always been of great value to me, Master Windu. Thank you."
"The Jedi are honored to serve the Senate, sir," Mace replied, perhaps emphasizi
ng the word Senate. He subtly moved his arm away from Palpatine's hand and turne
d back to the two Jedi. "Is there anything else to report, Master Kenobi? What o
f General Grievous?"
"Grievous escaped," Obi-Wan replied. "Count Dooku, however, is dead."
"Dead?" Mace said in shock. "You mean to say you killed Count Dooku?"
"Ah, no," Obi-Wan admitted, somewhat embarrassed. "Actually, Anakin killed Count
Dooku." He reached up to touch his wound again. "I was taking a bit of a nap at
that time."
"Yes, it was most extraordinary," Palpatine agreed. "I know little to nothing of
sword play, but Anakin was amazing. His speed and grace was unmatched - it almo
st seemed as if he was more motivated." He gushed, shifting his eyes slightly to
wards Obi-Wan as he said the last part. Obi-Wan's face reddened slightly, even a
s Anakin shifted uncomfortably under Palpatine's praise and Mace's darkening sco
wl.
"Yes, well - the Council and I will enjoy a full report once we get things settl
ed planet-side. In the mean-" Mace suddenly trailed off, as he suddenly heard Bu
ffy's voice, clear as day, through the Force, alerting them to an attack on the
Temple. Judging from Obi-Wan and Anakin's reaction, they heard it too. "Anakin,"
he said suddenly, "Stay here and guard the Chancellor. Obi-Wan and I will head
back to the Temple." At the look of protest that suddenly appeared on Anakin's f
ace, he cut him off. "Don't argue, Anakin. You're talents would best be served h
ere." He turned to the Chancellor. "I must apologize for our sudden departure, C
hancellor, but I've just been informed of a situation at the Temple that we need
to tend to."
"Of course, Master Windu. I hope everything is well."
"As do I, Chancellor," Mace replied grimly. "As do I."
====BtVS====
A few minutes later, Masters Kenobi and Windu joined Master Yoda in the main han
ger and the three hurried down the hall towards the Archives. As they neared the
doorway, they saw Buffy, leaning against the doorframe with a cocky smirk on he
r face.
"Good morning!" she greeted. "Nice of you to show up... finally."
"Buffy, what happened?" Obi-Wan asked as the three Masters stepped up to her. Al
l three came up short at her scowl.
"What happened, besides you letting me meditate through an invasion?" she said s
arcastically. "Oh, nothing much. Aside from Darth Traya breaking into the Archiv
es, nearly killing Madame Pince and Master Halcyon, sucking the Archives dry, an
d nearly killing a bunch of Younglings. I put the balcony back up, by the way."
"And Traya?" Mace asked. Buffy shook her head.
"Got away. But I figured you'd want the Younglings alive more than you'd want Tr
aya captured." As much as she hated that blow to her pride, she knew what had be
en the most important. Traya would, after all, be dealt with later.
"The right decision you made," Yoda said quietly, bringing a gnarled hand to his
scalp. Even from where he was standing he could see the relieved faces of the Y
ounglings as they hovered in the corridors, waiting to see what would happen to
the one that had rescued them.
"Glad you think so," Buffy replied dryly.
"We'll take care of things here, Buffy," Mace said. "You should go back to your
meditation." Obi-Wan suddenly glanced over at him, but held his tongue. He knew
from the expression on her face that she was going to disagree anyway.
"Nah. I need to do some work on the Falcon. At least that way, I'll be ready for
any more invasions today." She bowed in turn to each of them. "Master Benny, Ma
ster Kermit, Master Clean." With that, she walked past the three Masters and hea
ded down to the hanger. Mace looked after his former Padawan and sighed.
"She's not making this easy for herself," he remarked.
"On the contrary, very easy she makes this decision," Yoda responded. Obi-Wan no
dded in agreement.
"Calling us through the Force, attempting to capture Traya instead of blindly go
ing for revenge, putting the lives of the Younglings first, reassembling the bal
cony - all of this shows a mastery of the Force that hasn't been seen in a long
time."
"Better than me, she has gotten," Yoda remarked. "Her mastery of the Force, come
s naturally to her, it does."
"Then it is decided?" Mace stated, already knowing the answer. Yoda nodded.
"Tend to the Younglings and Master's Halcyon and Nu now, we will. After, we will
tend to Buffy."
====BtVS====
Halcyon walked into the hanger and instantly saw Buffy, hard at work under the Y
T-1300 freighter, pulling out the port thruster. It had only been a few hours si
nce the attack, but already her clothes where rumpled and dirty, and her face an
d hair were spotted with engine grease. She didn't seem to notice, though, as he
r attention was fully fixed on the last 'member' of her family. Halcyon stood ba
ck for a few moments and watched her work, admiring the calmness that seemed to
wrap around her like a protective cloak. He tried to figure out how she did it.
Here she was, a woman ripped away from one family, had watched her second family
be destroyed, and had seen her friend descend into darkness. And yet, she had a
calm serenity around her now, she seemed more attuned with the Force...
He didn't know how she did it, and he wished he did.
"You gonna stand there enjoying the view all day, Hal? Or are you going to help
me pull this gorram thing out?"
Halcyon smiled. "How long have you known I was here?" he asked as he came beside
the Slayer and helped her maneuver the thruster out of its housing and onto the
floor.
Buffy shrugged. "Since you walked through the door," she replied casually. Halcy
on chuckled.
"You really have gotten powerful with the Force, you know?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, that's what they tell me. Grief's a good motivator, it seem
s."
"I don't know how you do it, Elizabeth. I don't think I could."
Buffy looked up at Halcyon shrewdly, her arms still dangling above her head "You
had a bit of an accident with Traya, didn't you?"
Halcyon lowered his eyes in shame. "The Council already dressed me down today, B
uffy. I'd appreciate it if you didn't as well."
Buffy just shrugged. "I wasn't going to. If I did, I'd be a hypocrite. I'll just
say that I've lost family, Hal. If you let it hang over you, it will destroy yo
u. And that's the road to the Dark Side." She paused as she considered her next
words.
Halcyon looked around, then leaned in and whispered, "I love my family, Elizabet
h. I couldn't bear it if they were killed because of what I am."
"And I hope you never have to, Hal," Buffy said sincerely, a bit of sadness cree
ping into her voice. "But someday, you may have to. You just have to be sure you
don't lose yourself in the grief and anger you'll feel. Whatever Traya said, wh
atever she threatened... don't think about it. If you do, then they will suffer.
Just put it out of your mind. It's what I have to do." She turned her attention
back to her ship.
Halcyon nodded. "I'll try. Hopefully, I won't have to worry about it," the Jedi
sighed. "But that's not what I'm here to talk to you about. Go get cleaned up; t
he Council has reached a decision."
Buffy smiled wryly. "Should I finish up the Falcon first so I'm ready to leave w
hen they kick me out?" she asked half-jokingly.
Halcyon chuckled. "I really don't think you have to worry about that," he replie
d, casting an appreciative glance at the stunning ship. "Tell you what - I'll fi
nish this, you go get cleaned up. It wouldn't do to keep the Council waiting."
====BtVS====
Twenty minutes later, Buffy strode into the Council chamber, fresh from the show
er and wearing clean clothes. She moved to the center of the room and stood at e
ase with her arms behind her back. All around her the Council members sat; some
were real, some were holograms sent from where they were stationed around the ga
laxy. She noticed two empty chairs and briefly felt a pang of grief at the loss
of yet more people she had known, but quickly let it go - it wouldn't do to dwel
l on the loss of more friends.
She had lost more than enough as it was.
"You rang?" Buffy said, a small smile on her face. She knew she was getting the
boot; she might as well have some fun before she left...
"Yes, and we did it twenty minutes ago," Obi-Wan replied, amusement clear in his
voice. She turned to blink at him, her lips curving.
"What can I say? I wanted to look pretty for you," she replied cheekily.
"We've reached a decision on your request to be re-instated to the Jedi Order, B
uffy," Mace said, interrupting their banter. She turned her head back to the Jed
i Master and lowered her arms, standing at ease, though she felt anything but.
"The decision was most difficult, considering the circumstances of your leaving,
" the hologram of Ki-Adi-Mundi toned. "Not only did you abandon the Order while
on a mission for the Republic, but you also allowed your personal feelings to cl
oud your judgment."
"How do you figure that?" Buffy demanded, her voice suddenly hard.
"You were to be married, Buffy," Master Aayla Secura interjected, not unsympathe
tically. "You had a child. These things are against the code."
"I wasn't a member of the Order when I did these things," Buffy replied, coolly
yet calmly. "I considered all of this before I made my decision. And when I deci
ded that I wanted to spend my life with Jacen, I tendered my resignation. And no
," she said, cutting off Mace before he could speak, "this isn't something that
I plan to do often. What I had with Jacen...it was special. And I thought long a
nd hard about my decision. And," she added, her tone icy as she stared hard at t
he hologram of Ki-Adi-Mundi, "there was no judgment clouded. If I had abandoned
the Order, I wouldn't have been here to stop Traya from killing all of the Young
lings and likely the rest of you." She hated sounding so crass, but this had bee
n her call. Had she not intervened, many Jedi could have been killed.
"Do you think you would make the same decision again?" Obi-Wan asked softly. Buf
fy met his gaze and slowly shook her head.
"No." she said definitively. "There was only one Jacen. Nobody could replace him
." As she said this, she felt as though this was the best closure she could find
. No one could take what she felt for him away... not even the Jedi surrounding
her. Though they blinked and scowled at her, passing judgment for her rather ina
ne (to them, at least) decision, she knew in her heart that it was the best thin
g she had done. "I... I couldn't put myself through that again," she appended. S
he kept her gaze to Obi-Wan's. She wanted to say that she had learned her lesson
, but she thought the only way that would happen would be if Traya was in her gr
asp.
There was a pause as all of the Masters looked to one another. Buffy carefully k
ept her gaze averted. Finally, Mace spoke.
"We've all thought long and hard about this, Buffy. And while some of us were di
sappointed that you decided to leave the Order in the first place, we could all
agree that you respected the Order enough to resign and, by proxy, respect the c
ode. That, coupled with what happened today - we saw holo-recordings of what hap
pened in the archives, and witnessed both your restraint in dealing with Darth T
raya, as well as your apparent mastery of the Force - we have agreed to welcome
you back to the Jedi Order."
Buffy blinked in surprise as his words slowly sunk into her brain which had been
chanting the words she thought she'd hear - "get out, go away, you're through,
we don't need you, you did the wrong thing"... but her mind froze with the "welc
ome you back" part. Buffy sighed in relief. Guess I won't be bunking with Padmé, s
he thought wryly. But before she could thank her former Master, his next words b
rought her attention back to the present with a rather pleasant lurch.
Mace gestured to the empty chair next to Obi-Wan. "Take your seat, Master Skywal
ker."
Episode 3 Chapter 2
What Dreams May Come
====BtVS====
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss Wheedon and George Lucas. The overall
story belongs to Lucas and Lucas Arts. Certain scenes were pulled from the novel
ization by Mathew Stover and modified for the purpose of this story.
As always, a great big thank you goes out to my three betas- Fallenstar2, Shadow
Master, and Winterd.
====BtVS====
Previously On Revenge of the Witch
"We've reached a decision on your request to be reinstated to the Jedi Order, Bu
ffy," Mace said, interrupting their banter.
"The decision was most difficult, considering the circumstances of your leaving,
" the hologram of Ki-Adi-Mundi continued. "Not only did you abandon the Order wh
ile on a mission for the Republic, but you also allowed your personal feelings t
o cloud your judgment.
"How do you figure that?" Buffy demanded, her voice suddenly hard.
"You were to be married, Buffy," Master Aayla Secura interjected, not unsympathe
tically. "You had a child. These things are against the code."
"I wasn't a member of the Order when I did these things," Buffy replied, coolly
yet calmly. "I considered all of this before I made my decision. And when I deci
ded that I wanted to spend my life with Jacen, I tendered my resignation. And no
," she said, cutting off Mace before he could speak, "this isn't something that
I plan to do often. it was?What I had with Jacen special. And I thought long and
hard about my decision."
"Do you think you would make the same decision again?" Obi-Wan asked. Buffy shoo
k her head.
"No," she said definitively. "There was only one Jacen. Nobody could replace him
."
There was a pause as all of the Masters looked to one another. Finally, Mace spo
ke.
"We've all thought long and hard about this, Buffy. And while some of us were di
sappointed that you decided to leave the Order in the first place, we could all
agree that you respected the Order enough to resign and, by proxy, respect the c
ode. That, coupled with what happened today- we saw holorecordings of what happe
ned in the archives, and witnessed both your restraint in dealing with Darth Tra
ya, as well as your apparent mastery of the Force- we have agreed to welcome you
back to the Jedi Order."
Buffy sighed in relief. Guess I won't be bunking with Padmé. She thought wryly. Bu
t before she could thank her former Master, his next words brought her up sort.
Mace gestured to the empty chair next to Obi-Wan. "Take your seat, Master Skywal
ker."
====BtVS====
Buffy blinked. Then what her former Master said sunk in, and she began to shake
her head in denial.
"Whoa - wait, what? Are you guys nuts? Taking me back is one thing - promoting m
e is another."
"We are at war, Buffy," Mace said simply. "You have fought wars in the past, aga
inst foes as dark as this mysterious Dark Lord of the Sith. Your mastery over th
e Force has grown strong. We need your experience on this Council."
"I'm not Council material!" Buffy retorted. "Hell, the last Council I worked for
fired me!" Well, this was sort of half-true...
"I thought you quit?" Obi-Wan retorted, amusedly. His slight smirk disappeared a
s she turned her wrath upon him.
"That's not the point! I'm not management material!"
"Another reason, there is," Yoda interrupted, looking at the Slayer. "Your broth
er."
"Anakin?"
"Dark and troubled, his thoughts have been of late. And keen has been Chancellor
Palpatine's interest in him."
Buffy's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"The Chancellor has always had an interest in Anakin's development, Buffy. You k
now that," Mace replied. "But as of late, he has increasingly pushed for Anakin
to be given more responsibilities, even be put in total command of his own legio
n. That, coupled with his increasing push to gain total control over the governm
ent - there are rumors now that he's looking to pass another amendment to give h
im or a representative of him a seat on this Council."
"Why we need you on this Council, that is," Yoda concluded. "To watch over your
brother and to keep in check the Chancellor."
Buffy looked around helplessly at the other Masters, looking for a way out. Seei
ng nothing but bemusement at her slightly panicked expression, she sighed in def
eat and took the proffered seat next to Obi-Wan.
====BtVS====
Anakin lurched upright in bed, gasping, staring blindly into alien darkness.
How she had screamed for him-how she had begged for him, how her strength had fa
iled on that alien table... How at the last she could only whimper, Anakin, I'm
sorry. I love you. I love you-thundered inside his head, the only sounds he hear
d was the jackhammer-like pounding of his heart.
Only a few hours ago, Padmé had made him the happiest man in the galaxy when she t
old him in the shadows of the Senate that she was pregnant. He was going to be a
father. He, who had never known his own father, would soon be helping his wife
raise their first child.
How quickly those happy feelings could turn to terror.
His human hand grasped the silken sheets gathered round his waist. After a few m
oments, he finally he remembered where he was.
He half-turned and glanced at the spot on the bed next to him, feeling the body
next to him. With the slow rise and fall of her chest, she was fast asleep. He r
eached out with his hand, hovering over her eyes with their half-moon lashes fra
ming those delicate orbs. She was smiling slightly, with that glorious hair fann
ing across the pillows. He felt his own lips twist into a bittersweet smile and
felt his stomach soar for a moment before the grief of what he had just seen ret
urned to him. He turned away from her, buried his face in his hands and sobbed.
The tears that ran between his fingers then were tears of gratitude.
She was alive and she was with him.
In silence so deep he could hear the whirring of the electro-drivers in his mech
anical hand, he disentangled himself from the sheets and got up.
Through the closet, a long curving sweep of stairs led to the veranda that overl
ooked Padmé's private landing deck. Leaning on the night-chilled rail, Anakin star
ed out upon the endless nightscape of Coruscant. Hours after the battle had ende
d parts of the city were still burning.
Coruscant at night had always been an endless galaxy of light, shining from tril
lions of windows in billions of buildings that reached kilometers into the sky,
with navigation lights and advertising and the infinite streams of speeders' run
ning lights coursing the rivers of traffic lanes overhead. But tonight, local po
wer outages had swallowed ragged swaths of the city into vast nebulae of darknes
s, broken only by the malignant red-dwarf glares of innumerable fires.
Anakin didn't know how long he stood there, staring. The city looked like he fel
t. Damaged. Broken in battle.
Stained with darkness.
Even as part of his mind dwelled on his dream, another part thought of what he h
ad done that day. He had defeated Count Dooku, true. But in doing so, he had fou
nd himself giving in to the dark urges once again. It was something he had found
easier to do over the past few years, especially when he had thought Buffy to b
e dead. It was a rush, the power he felt. But afterwards, all he could feel was
the shame of his weakness.
And then Buffy came back. And he found a whole new reason to feel shame.
====BtVS====
She moved more quietly than the smoky breeze, but he felt her approach.
She took a place beside him at the railing and laid her soft human hand along th
e back of his hard mechanical one. And she simply stood with him, staring silent
ly out across the city that had become her second home. Waiting patiently for hi
m to tell her what was wrong and trusting that he would.
He could feel her patience and her trust. He was so grateful for both that tears
welled once more. He had to blink out at the burning night and blink again to k
eep those fresh tears from spilling over onto his cheeks. He put his flesh hand
on top of hers and held it gently until he could let himself speak. "It was a dr
eam," he said finally.
"Bad?" she asked. Anakin nodded.
"It was-like the ones I used to have." He couldn't look at her. "About my mother
."
Padmè nodded slowly, accepting his explanation. "And?"
"And-" He looked down at her small, slim fingers, and he slipped his between the
m, clasping their two hands into a knot of prayer. "It was about you."
Now she turned aside, leaning once more upon the rail and star¬ing out into the ni
ght. In the slowly pulsing rose-glow of the distant fires she was more beautiful
than he had ever seen her. "All right," she said softly. "It was about me."
When Anakin could finally make himself tell her, his voice was raw and hoarse as
 though he'd been shouting all day. "It was... about you dying," he said. "I cou
ldn't stand it. I can't stand it." He couldn't look at her. He looked at the cit
y, at the deck, at the stars and he found no place he could bear to see. All he
could do was close his eyes. "You're going to die in childbirth."
Padmè blinked. "Oh," was all she said.
She had only a few months left to live. They had only a few months left to love
each other. She would never see their child. After a moment, the touch of her ha
nd to his cheek brought his eyes open again, and he found her gazing up at him c
almly. "And the baby?"
He shook his head. "I don't know."
She nodded and pulled away, drifting toward one of the ve¬randa chairs. She lowere
d herself into it and stared down at her hands, clasped together in her lap. He
couldn't take it. He couldn't watch her be calm and ac¬cepting about her own death
. He came to her side and knelt.
"It won't happen, Padmé. I won't let it. I've done it before- I helped stop my mot
her from dying. I swear to you - this dream will not become real."
She nodded. "I didn't think it would."
He blinked. "You didn't?"
"This is Coruscant, Ani, not Tatooine. Women don't die in childbirth on Coruscan
t-not even the people in the lower levels. And I have a top-flight medical droid
, who assures me I am in perfect health. Your dream must have been... some kind
of metaphor or something."
"I-my dreams are literal, Padmé. I wouldn't know a metaphor if it bit me. And I co
uldn't see the place you were in you might not even be on Coruscant..."
She looked away. "I had been thinking-about going some¬where... somewhere else. Ha
ving the baby in secret to protect you. So you can stay in the Order."
"I don't want to stay in the Order!" He took her face between his palms so that
she had to look into his eyes, so that she had to see how much he meant every wo
rd he said. "Don't pro¬tect me. I don't need it. We have to start thinking, right
now, about how we can protect you. Because all I want is for us to be together."
"And we will be," she said. "But there must be more to your dream than death in
childbirth. That doesn't make any sense."
"I know. But I can't begin to guess what it might be. It's too-I can't even thin
k about it, Padmé. I'll go crazy. What are we going to do?"
She kissed the palm of his hand of flesh. "We're going to do what you told me, w
hen I asked you the same question this after¬noon. We're going to be happy togethe
r."
"But we-we can't just... wait. I can't. I have to do some¬thing."
"Of course you do." She smiled fondly. "That's who you are. That's what being a
hero is. What about Obi-Wan? Or Buffy?"
He frowned. "What about them?"
"You told me once that he is as wise as Yoda and as powerful as Mace Windu. And
Buffy is your sister - she would help you no matter what. Couldn't they help us?
"
"No." Anakin's chest clenched like a fist squeezing his heart. "I can't-I'd have
to tell them"
"Obi-Wan's your best friend, Ani. He must suspect already."
"It's one thing to have him suspect. It's something else to shove it in his face
. He's still on the Council. He'd have to report me. And Buffy..." his voice tra
iled off for a moment, before he found the strength to carry on. "Buffy went thr
ough the same thing we are going through, with one difference - she chose to lea
ve the Order beforehand. What would she think of me, hiding in all of this secre
cy? And..."
"And what? Is there something you haven't told me?"
He turned away. "I'm not sure they're on my side."
"Your side? Anakin, what are you saying?"
"They're on the Jedi Council, Padmé. I know my name has come up for Mastery-I'm mo
re powerful than any Jedi Master alive. But someone is blocking me. Obi-Wan coul
d tell me who, and why... but he doesn't. I'm not sure he even stands up for me
with them. And now my sister has been appointed to the Council..."
"Jealousy doesn't become you, Anakin." Padmé reprimanded softly. "Remember- she ha
s been a Jedi Knight longer than you. As for Obi-Wan blocking you- I just can't
believe that."
"It has nothing to do with believing," he murmured, his tone soft and bitter. "I
t's the truth."
"There must be some reason, then. Anakin, Obi-Wan's your best friend, your mento
r. He loves you."
"Maybe he does. But I don't think he trusts me." His eyes went as bleak as the e
mpty night. "And I'm not sure we can trust him."
"Anakin!" She clutched at his arm. "What would make you say that?"
"None of them trust me, Padmé. None of them. You know what I feel, when they look
at me?"
"Anakin-"
He turned to her, and everything in him ached. He wanted to cry and he wanted to
rage and he wanted to make his rage a weapon that would cut himself free foreve
r. "Fear," he said. "I feel their fear. And for nothing?"
He could show them something, though. He could show them a reason for their fear
. He could show them what he'd discovered within himself in the General's Quarte
rs on Invisible Hand. What he had discovered in that ruined temple on Yavin IV.
Something of it must have risen on his face, because he saw a flicker of doubt s
hadow her eyes, just for a second, just a flash, but still it burned into him li
ke a lightsaber and he shuddered. His shudder turned into a shiver that became s
haking, and he gathered her to his chest and buried his face in her hair, and th
e strong sweet warmth of her cooled him. Just enough.
"Padmé," he murmured, "Oh, Padmé, I'm so sorry. Forget I said anything. None of that
matters now. I'll be gone from the Order soon-because I will not let you go awa
y to have our baby in some alien place. I will not let you face my dream alone.
I will be there for you, Padmé. Always. No matter what."
"I know it, Ani. I know." She pulled gently away and looked up at him. Tears spa
rkled like red gems in the firelight. "Come upstairs, Anakin," she said. "The ni
ght's getting cold. Come up to our bed."
"All right. All right." He found that he could breathe again, and his shaking ha
d stilled. "Just-" He put his arm around her shoulders so that he didn't have to
meet her eyes. "Just don't say anything to Obi-Wan or Buffy, all right?"
Padmé sighed, then nodded. "All right. I won't say anything."
====BtVS====
Buffy and Obi-Wan sat beside Mace Windu while they watched Yoda scan the report.
Here in Yoda's simple living space within the Jedi Temple, every softly curving
pod chair and knurled organi¬form table hummed with gentle, comforting power: the
same warm strength that Obi-Wan remembered enfolding him even as an infant. The
se chambers had been Yoda's home for more than eight hundred years. Everything w
ithin them echoed with the harmonic resonance of Yoda's calm wisdom, tuned throu
gh cen¬turies of his touch. To sit within Yoda's chambers was to inhale serenity;
to Obi-Wan, this was a great gift in these troubled times.
But when Yoda looked at them through the translucent shimmer of the holoprojecte
d report on the contents of the lat¬est amendment to the Security Act, his eyes we
re anything but calm: they had gone narrow and cold, and his ears had flattened
back along his skull.
"This report-from where does it come?"
"The Jedi still have friends in the Senate," Mace Windu replied in his grim mono
tone, "for now."
"When presented this amendment is, passed it will be?"
Mace nodded. "My source expects passage by acclamation. Overwhelming passage. Pe
rhaps as early as this afternoon."
"The Chancellor's goal in this-unclear to me it is," Yoda said slowly. "Thoug no
minally in command of the Council, the Senate may place him, the Jedi he cannot
control. Moral, our au-thority has always been; much more than merely legal. Sim
ply follow orders, Jedi do not!"
"I don't think he intends to control the Jedi," Mace said. "By placing the Jedi
Council under the control of the Office of the Supreme Chancellor, this amendmen
t will give him the con¬stitutional authority to disband the Order itself."
"Surely you cannot believe this is his intention."
"His intention?" Buffy said darkly. "Maybe not. But his in¬tentions are irrelevant
; all that matters now is the intent of the Sith Lord who has the government in
his grip. And the Order may be all that stands between him and galactic domina¬tio
n. What do you think he will do?"
"Authority to disband the Jedi, the Senate would never grant," Yoda replied, bli
nking at her.
"The Senate will vote to grant exactly that. This afternoon."
"The implications of this, they must not comprehend!"
"It no longer matters what they comprehend," Mace said.
"They know where the power is," Buffy noted darkly.
"But even disbanded, even without legal authority, still Jedi we would be," Yoda
said, the pride evident in his voice. "Jedi Knights served the Force long befor
e there was a Galactic Republic, and serve it we will when this Republic is but
dust."
"Yeah, and as soon as he disbands the Order, what's to stop him from declaring t
he Jedi to be enemies of the state?" Buffy mused. "He could order the execution
of every Jedi alive and it would be within his rights."
"Master Yoda, that day may be coming sooner than any of us think. That day may b
e today." Mace shot a frustrated look at Obi-Wan, who picked up his cue smoothly
.
"We don't know what the Sith Lord's plans may be," Obi-Wan said, "but we can be
certain that Palpatine is not to be trusted. Not anymore. This draft resolution
is not the product of some overzealous Senator. We may be sure Palpatine wrote i
t himself and passed it along to someone he controls-to make it-look like the Se
nate is once more 'forcing him to reluctantly ac¬cept extra powers in the name of
security.' We are afraid that they will continue to do so until one day he's 'fo
rced to reluctantly ac¬cept' dictatorship for life!"
"And I'm sure that's in everyone's best interest," Buffy mumbled under her breat
h.
"I am convinced this is the next step in a plot aimed directly at the heart of t
he Jedi," Mace said. "This is a move toward our de¬struction. The dark side of the
Force surrounds the Chancellor."
Obi-Wan added, "As it has surrounded and cloaked the Sep¬aratists since even befor
e the war began. If the Chancellor is being influenced through the dark side, th
is whole war may have been, from the beginning, a plot by the Sith to destroy th
e Jedi Order."
"Speculation!" Yoda thumped the floor with his gimer stick, making his hoverchai
r bob gently. "On theories such as these we cannot rely. Proof' we need. Proof!"
"Proof may be a luxury we cannot afford." A dangerous light had entered Mace Win
du's eyes. "We must be ready to act!"
"Act?" Obi-Wan asked mildly.
"He cannot be allowed to move against the Order. He can¬not be allowed to prolong
the war needlessly. Too many Jedi have died already. He is dismantling the Repub
lic itself! I have seen life outside the Republic; so have you, Obi-Wan. Slavery
. Torture. Endless war." Mace's face darkened with the same distant, haunted sha
dow Obi-Wan had seen him wear the day before. "I have seen it in Nar Shaddaa, an
d I saw it on Haruun Kal. I saw what it did to Depa, and to Sora Bulq. Whatever
its flaws, the Republic is our sole hope for justice and for peace. It is our on
ly defense against the dark. Palpatine may be about to do what the Separatists c
an¬not: bring down the Republic. If he tries, he must be removed from office."
"Removed?" Obi-Wan said. "You mean, arrested?"
"To hell with arrested. Let's kill the old bastard and be done with it." Buffy s
aid, ignoring the glares the other three Masters sent her way.
Yoda shook his head. "To a dark place, this line of thought will lead us. Great
care, we must take."
"The Republic is civilization. It's the only one we have." Mace looked deeply in
to Yoda's eyes and into Obi-Wan's. Obi-Wan could feel the heat in the Korun Mast
er's gaze. "We must be prepared for radical action. It is our duty."
"But," Obi-Wan protested numbly, "you're talking about treason..."
"I'm not afraid of words, Obi-Wan! If it's treason, then so be it. I would do th
is right now, if I had the Council's support. The real treason," Mace said, "wou
ld be failure to act!"
"One man's treason is another's justice," Buffy noted mildly.
"Such an act, destroy the Jedi Order it could," Yoda said. "Lost the trust of th
e public, we have already-"
"No disrespect, Master Yoda," Mace interrupted, "but that's a politician's argum
ent. We can't let public opinion stop us from doing what's right.''
Buffy sighed. "And here is where I reluctantly have to agree with Master Yoda, M
aster Windu," Buffy said, reluctance obvious in her voice. "Public opinion is ke
y, especially if we are to survive. If the Order is so vilified in the publics e
yes, if Palpatine gives the order to have us killed the public would not questio
n the order. They will believe us to be a threat to everything they live for!"
"And convinced it is right, I am not," Yoda said severely. "Work¬ing behind the sc
enes we should be, to uncover Lord Sidious! To move against Palpatine while the
Sith still exist-this may be part of the Sith plan itself, to turn the Senate an
d the public against the Jedi! So, like Buffy said, we are not only disbanded, b
ut outlawed."
Mace was half out of his pod. "To wait gives the Sith the ad¬vantage-"
"Have the advantage already, they do!" Yoda jabbed at him with his gimer stick.
"Increase their advantage we will, if in haste we act!"
"Masters, Masters, please," Obi-Wan said. He looked from one to the other and in
clined his head respectfully. "Perhaps there is a middle way."
"Ah, of course: Kenobi the Negotiator." Mace Windu settled back into his seating
pod. "I should have guessed. That is why you asked for this meeting, isn't it?
To mediate our differences? If you can..."
"So sure of your skills you are?" Yoda folded his fists around the head of his s
tick. "Easy to negotiate, this matter is not!"
"I'll go anyway you want, Ben," Buffy said, leaning back in her chair and foldin
g her hands behind her head. "Though, as always, I'm more open to the more viole
nt solutions. I'm not much diplomacy-girl."
Obi-Wan sighed, then continued. "It seems to me," he said care¬fully, "that Palpat
ine himself has given us an opening. He has said-both to you, Master Windu, and
in the HoloNet address he gave following his rescue-that General Grievous is the
true obstacle to peace. Let us forget about the rest of the Separatist leadersh
ip, for now. Let Nute Gunray and San Hill and the rest run wherever they like, w
hile we put every available Jedi and all of our agents-the whole of Republic Int
elligence, if we can-to work on locating Grievous himself. This will force the h
and of the Sith Lord. He will know that Grievous cannot elude our full efforts f
or long, once we devote ourselves exclusively to his cap¬ture. It will draw Sidiou
s out; he will have to make some sort of move, if he wishes the war to continue.
"
"If?" Mace asked calmly. "The war has been a Sith operation from the beginning,
with Dooku on one side and Sidious on the other- it has always been a plot aimed
at us. At the Jedi. To bleed us dry of our youngest and best. To make us into s
omething we were never intended to be."
"Seen glimpses of this truth, we all have," Yoda said sadly. "Our arrogance it i
s, which has stopped us from fully opening our eyes."
"Until now," Obi-Wan put in gently. "We understand now the goal of the Sith Lord
, we know his tactics, and we know where to look for him. His actions will revea
l him. He cannot es¬cape us. He will not escape us."
Yoda and Mace frowned at each other for one long moment, then both of them turne
d to Obi-Wan and inclined their heads in mirrors of his respectful bow.
"Seen to the heart of the matter, young Kenobi has."
Mace nodded. "Yoda and I will remain on Coruscant, monitoring Palpatine's advise
rs and lackeys. We will move against Sidious the instant he is revealed. But who
will capture Grievous? I have fought him blade-to-blade. He is more than a matc
h for most Jedi."
"Then maybe you shouldn't send a Jedi after him," Buffy said slowly, a smile cre
eping across her face. "Instead, maybe you should send a Slayer..."
====BtVS====
The next morning, a troubled Jedi found himself aimlessly walking the halls of t
he ancient Jedi Temple. Anakin hadn't gotten much rest last night, and had arriv
ed much later than he had intended, missing the morning briefing. Instead of hur
rying to find Obi-Wan, as he knew he should, he found himself wandering about, a
ttempting to clear his mind and calm his spirit.
He met with very little success for either.
After about an hour, he found himself standing at the door to Master Yoda's quar
ters. Many a student had found themselves in the ancient Jedi's quarters at one
time or another, seeking guidance from the wizened Master. Anakin never had, tho
ugh - Yoda's initial hesitance to bring him and his sister into the Order had no
t fully mellowed over the years, especially in his case. He had always felt that
Yoda never fully trusted him, maybe even actively disliked him.
And yet, on this troubled day, he found himself being welcomed into Yoda's priva
te chambers by the Master himself, and ushered over to one of the rounded pod se
ats. He sat quietly and the two meditated together for a time.
"Premoni¬tions... premonitions..." Yoda spoke after a time. "Deep questions they a
re. Sense the fu¬ture, once all Jedi could; now few alone have this skill. Visions
... gifts from the Force, and curses. Signposts and snares. These vi¬sions of your
s..."
"They are of pain ...of suffering." Anakin said, then hesitantly added, "and dea
th."
"In these troubled times, no surprise this is," Yoda replied. "Yourself you see,
or someone you know? Someone close to you?"
"Yes," Anakin had replied quietly, hoping Yoda would think he was talking about
Obi-Wan.
"The fear of loss is a path to the dark side, young one," Yoda said gently. "Rej
oice for those who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not
."
"I won't let my visions come true, Master. I won't,"Anakin said fiercely. "I pre
vented the vision of my mother's death..." He didn't mention the price of that v
ictory, either.
"But had help, you did," Yoda replied calmly. "And not honest help, it was. Reme
mber - fluid, the future is. Always in motion. And by taking action, bring about
his vision, a Jedi can!"
Anakin sighed in frustration, then took a deep breath. "What must I do, Master?"
"What you fear to lose, train yourself to release," Yoda replied. "Let go of fea
r and loss cannot harm you."
"Yes, Master," Anakin replied, hiding his disappointment in what little the Jedi
Master had to offer him. Silently, the two slipped back into meditation.
A short time later, Anakin found himself wandering again through the temple, thi
s time in search of his Master. All the while, his thoughts were on how to stop
his vision from coming to pass. Surely there must be a way...
His first thought, of course, was to go to his sister as Padmé had suggested. But
again he thought of what she had just been through - she been strong enough to g
ive up everything for her love, unlike him. And then she had lost them all. He w
asn't sure what he was more afraid of - the disappointment she would feel in him
or the pain he would cause her by essentially making her re-live that horrible
experience. He refused to cause her any more heartbreak. He had seen her face th
e moment she realized that she had lost everything she believed she earned. Anak
in believed that she had earned this.
His thoughts then turned to the Jedi Archives, and its vast library that encompa
ssed the Order's entire twenty-five millennia of existence: everything from the
widest-ranging cosmographical sur-veys to the intimate journals of a billion Jed
i Knights. It was there Anakin hoped to find everything that was known about pro
phetic dreams-and everything that was known about pre-venting these prophecies f
rom coming to pass.
The only problem with that plan was that the deepest secrets of the greatest Mas
ters of the Force were stored in restricted holocrons; and access to those holoc
rons was denied to all but Jedi Masters.
And he couldn't exactly explain to the archives Master why he wanted them, so he
couldn't touch them.
But Obi-Wan could. As a Master, and his friend, Anakin knew he would help him- i
f only he could find the right way to ask.
"You missed the report on the Outer Rim sieges," Obi-Wan greeted as Anakin enter
ed the briefing room.
"I-was held up," Anakin said. "I have no excuse."
"In short, they are going very well," Obi-Wan replied. "But that isn't the big n
ews.."
Anakin's brow furrowed. "What is 'the big news'?"
"Chancellor Palpatine wants to see you."
It took a few moments for the words to register in his sleep-deprived brain "Is
Palpatine here?" Anakin asked. "Has something happened?"
"Quite the opposite," Obi-Wan said. "That shuttle did not bring the Chancellor.
It is waiting to bring you to him."
"Waiting? For me?" Anakin frowned. "But-my beacon hasn't gone off. If the Counci
l wanted me, why didn't they-"
"The Council," Obi-Wan said, "has not been consulted."
"I don't understand."
"Nor do I," Obi-Wan replied quietly. "They simply arrived some time ago. When th
e deck-duty Padawans questioned them, they said the Chan¬cellor has requested your
presence."
"Why wouldn't he go through the Council?"
"Perhaps he has some reason to believe," Obi-Wan said care¬fully, "that the Counci
l might have resisted sending you. Perhaps he did not wish to reveal his reason
for this summons. Relations between the Council and the Chancellor are... stress
ed."
Anakin shifted uneasily, a queasy feeling settling in his stomach. "Obi-Wan, wha
t's going on? Something's wrong, isn't it? You know something, I can tell."
Obi-Wan sighed. "And that's why I am out here, Anakin. So I can talk to you. Pri
vately. Not as a member of the Jedi Council-in fact, if the Council were to find
out about this conversation... well, let's say, I'd rather they didn't."
"What conversation? I still don't know what's going on!"
"None of us does. Not really." Obi-Wan put a hand on Anakin's shoulder and frown
ed deeply into his eyes. "Anakin, you know I am your friend."
"Of course you are-"
"No. No of courses, Anakin. Nothing is of course anymore. I am your friend, and
as your friend, I am asking you: be wary of Palpatine."
"What do you mean?"
"I know you are his friend. I am concerned that he may not be yours. Be careful
of him, Anakin. And be careful of your own feelings."
"Careful? Don't you mean, mindful?"
Obi-Wan's frown deepened. "No. I don't. The Force grows ever darker around us, a
nd we are all affected by it, even as we affect it. This is a dangerous time to
be a Jedi. Please, Anakin- please be careful"
Anakin tried for his old rakish smile. "You worry too much."
"I have to-"
"-because I don't worry at all, right?" Anakin finished for him.
Obi-Wan's frown softened towards a smile. "Actually, I was going to say that I h
ave to worry; because if you get hurt your sister will come after me first."
Anakin smiled, then turned and walked towards the hanger. He stopped for a momen
t and called back to his Master, "If you see Buffy before me, tell her I said co
ngratulations on her promotion."
Obi-Wan smiled at his former Padawan. "I'll be sure to tell her. Just be careful
."
Anakin turned around briefly, walking backwards for a few steps as he smirked at
Obi-Wan. "Hey. It's me!" he quipped, spinning back around and heading into the
hanger and to the waiting shuttle. Obi-Wan sighed.
"I know," he said to no one in particular. "And that's what worries me."
Episode 3 Chapter 3
The Masters of their Domain
====BtVS====
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a bit of the plot. Star Wars and its affiliated ch
aracters are owned by George Lucas and Lucas Arts. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
its characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Certain scenes were ta
ken from 'Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the novelization by Matthe
w Stover.
====BtVS====
"Once more, Aanja. Only this time, don't drop your left elbow. Keep it up - good
!" Buffy nodded appreciatively at the young Padawan as she managed to deflect th
e small stinging bolt from the remote. "See how that worked? Keep the elbow up a
nd you shouldn't have any more problems. Okay?"
"Yes, Master," Aanja replied, bowing slightly in respect. Buffy smiled and rolle
d her eyes.
"Ugh, please don't call me 'Master'. It makes me feel old."
"Now you know how I feel, Elizabeth," Halcyon greeted as he came into the traini
ng room. Buffy chuckled and with a dismissive nod to Aanja she turned to greet h
er fellow Master.
"You know, I had my doubts about this whole promotion deal. But I got to say, on
the up side? The Padawans actually listen to me now. Zett actually took my advi
ce on adjusting his lightsaber form - the same advice I'd been giving him for ye
ars!"
Halcyon chuckled. "Yes, the Padawans actually do listen to Masters more than Kni
ghts. Of course, now the Knights will ignore you... of course, you'd know all ab
out that..."
Buffy smiled impishly. "I do seem to recall..."
The two Masters chuckled and then turned their attention back on to the Padawans
. After a few moments, Nejaa spoke. "So, how are you holding up, Elizabeth?"
"As well as can be expected, I suppose," she replied after a few moments. "It ma
y sound weird, but even though I miss my family, I know I'll see them again some
day. That knowledge makes it easier."
"A wise opinion, Master Skywalker."
Buffy rolled her eyes and turned to look at the approaching Obi-Wan. "Don't call
me Master."
"It's your title."
"I'll take the pay raise, but you keep the title." Obi-Wan chuckled at her antic
s, and Buffy couldn't help but let out a small grin. "So, have you seen my waywa
rd brother yet? I was looking forward to rubbing my promotion in his face at the
briefing today..."
"Ah, yes. The model Jedi," Nejaa quipped, earning a slap on his arm from Buffy.
He grimaced and rubbed the spot, trying to restore circulation. "Sithspawn, Buff
y. That was your bionic arm."
"Oh, grow up. You know my real arm is just as bad," Buffy joked before turning b
ack to Obi-Wan. "So, where is he?" At the hesitation on the Jedi's face, Buffy's
look darkened. "Benny..."
Obi-Wan glanced at Nejaa, who took his cue to leave. "Why don't I watch over the
Younglings, while you two chat?" he asked, moving towards the dueling Padawans.
Obi-Wan gently took her real arm and guided her out onto the balcony that overl
ooked the city. "Anakin's been sent on... a bit of an errand."
"Funny - I don't recall the Council sending anybody on any errands today," Buffy
said dangerously. Obi-Wan gulped - he knew that tone.
"Well, you see-"
"Ben, cut to the chase, or so help me..."
"The Chancellor sent for him..."
There was a pause. Obi-Wan watched her carefully neutral face before he noticed
the cords in her neck tighten. Her eyes brightened suspiciously. And then as exp
ected Buffy exploded. "Huh choo-shung tza-jiao duh tzang-huo! How could you let
him go?"
Obi-Wan sighed. "Buffy, one does not just refuse a summons from the supreme Chan
cellor-"
"I have!" Buffy responded hotly.
"And notice you haven't been invited back."
"The man's evil!"
"We don't know that for sure." At Buffy's look, Obi-Wan continued. "I told Anaki
n to be wary, Buffy."
"He shouldn't be seeing him at all!" Buffy pressed. "He always listened to me on
this before I left. I leave a few years, I come back, and all of the sudden he'
s getting buddy-buddy with the bastard again!"
Obi-Wan looked on Buffy with concern. "Buffy, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? Palpatine is evil! He's going to be the death of us all, mark my
words! And don't talk to me about proof - I'm a Slayer. It's my job to know whos
e evil-"
"Buffy, stop stalling and answer my question," Obi-Wan interrupted. Then in a ge
ntler tone, he added, "Elizabeth, what's troubling you?"
Buffy took a shuddering breath as she observed the cityscape before her. "I've l
ost two families, Benny," she finally said after a few minutes. Her voice was so
small and forlorn. "Shmi and Ani are the only family I have left. If I were to
lose them... I don't know what I'd do." She looked at Obi-Wan with watery eyes.
"I can't lose him too, Ben. Not after Jacen and the kids. Not after Willow..." B
uffy took a calming breath and turned from Obi-Wan to face the city."I don't tru
st Palpatine, Ben. You mark my words - that man will be the death of us."
====BtVS====
Anakin stood in the Chancellor's office looking out at the ruined city. Large sw
atches of buildings were still burning even hours after the battle had ended. Ev
en as he looked out at the city though he couldn't help but dwell on Obi-Wan's w
arning - Be wary of Palpatine. It was absurd, of course. Palpatine was his frien
d and had been his friend since he had first arrived on this planet. Even though
Buffy didn't fully trust the man, Anakin's faith in his leadership had never wa
vered.
"Do you see, Anakin?" Palpatine's voice was soft, hoarse with emotion. "Do you s
ee what they have done to our magnifi¬cent city? This war must end! We cannot allo
w such... such..."
His voice trailed away and he shook his head. Gently, Anakin laid a reassuring h
and on Palpatine's shoulder. "You know you have my best efforts and those of eve
ry Jedi," he said.
Palpatine nodded, lowering his head. "I know I have yours, Anakin. The rest of t
he Jedi..." He sighed, looking even more exhausted than he had yesterday.
"I have asked you here," he said slowly, "because I need your help on a matter o
f extreme delicacy. I hope I can depend upon your discretion, Anakin."
Be wary of Palpatine Anakin heard Obi-Wan's voice tell him. "As a Jedi, there ar
e... limits... to my discretion, Chan¬cellor."
"Oh, of course. Don't worry, my boy." A flash of his familiar fatherly smile for
ced its way into his eyes. "Anakin, in all the years we have been friends, have
I ever asked you to do anything even the slightest bit against your conscience?"
"Well-"
"And I never will. I am very proud of your accomplishments as a Jedi, Anakin. Yo
u have won many battles the Jedi Council in¬sisted to me were already lost-and you
saved my life. It's frankly appalling that they still keep you off the Council
yourself. Especially now that your sister has been appointed to it."
"My time will come... when I am older. And, I suppose, wiser." He didn't want to
get into this with Palpatine; talking with the Chancellor like this-seriously,
man-to-man-made him feel good, feel strong, despite Obi-Wan's warning. He cer¬tain
ly didn't want to start whining about being passed over for Mastery like some pr
eadolescent Padawan, especially since his sister had been given the honor instea
d of him. That even after everything she had done against the Jedi, they not onl
y had let her back in, but promoted her of all things...
"Nonsense. Age is no measure of wisdom. They keep you off the Council because it
is the last hold they have on you, Anakin; it is how they control you. Once you
're a Master, as you deserve, low will they make you do their bidding?"
"Well..." Anakin gave him a half-sheepish smile. "They can't exactly make me, ev
en now."
"I know, my boy. I know. That is precisely the point. You are not like them. You
are younger. Stronger. Better. If they cannot control you now, what will happen
once you are a Master in your own right? How will they keep your toes on their
political line? You may become more powerful than all of them together. That is
why they keep you down. They fear your power. They fear you."
Anakin looked down. This had struck a little close to the bone. "I have sensed..
. something like that."
"I have asked you here today, Anakin, because I have fears of my own." He turned
, waiting, until Anakin met his eye and on Palpatine's face was something approa
ching bleak despair. "I am coming to fear the Jedi themselves."
"Oh, Chancellor-" Anakin broke into a smile of disbelief. "There is no one more
loyal than the Jedi, sir-surely, after all this time-"
But Palpatine had already turned away. He lowered himself into the chair behind
his desk and kept his head down as though he was ashamed to say this directly to
Anakin's face. "The Coun¬cil keeps pushing for more control. More autonomy. They
have lost all respect for the rule of law. They have become more con¬cerned with a
voiding the oversight of the Senate than with win¬ning the war."
"With respect, sir, many on the Council would say the same of you." He thought o
f Obi-Wan and Buffy and he had to stop himself from wincing. Had he betrayed a c
onfidence just now? Or had Obi-Wan been doing the Council's bidding after all?..
. Be wary of Palpatine, he'd said, and be careful of your feelings...Were these
honest warnings, out of concern for him? Or had they been calculated: seeds of d
oubt planted to hedge Anakin away from the one man who really understood him?
The one man he could really trust...
"Oh, I have no doubt of it," Palpatine was saying. "Many of the Jedi on your Cou
ncil would prefer I was out of office altogether-because they know I'm on to the
m, now. They're shrouded in secrecy, obsessed with covert action against mysteri¬o
usly faceless enemies-"
"Well, the Sith are hardly faceless, are they? I mean, Dooku himself-"
"Was he truly a Lord of the Sith? Or was he just another in your string of falle
n Jedi, posturing with a red lightsaber to in¬timidate you?"
"I..." Anakin frowned. He was sure Dooku was a Sith. Wasn't he? "But Sidious..."
"Ah, yes, the mysterious Lord Sidious. The Sith infiltrator in the highest level
s of government. Doesn't that sound a little overly familiar to you, Anakin? A l
ittle overly convenient? How do you know this Sidious even exists? How do you kn
ow he is not a fiction, an illusion created by the Jedi Council, to give them an
excuse to harass their political enemies?"
"The Jedi are not political-"
"In a democracy, everything is political, Anakin. And every¬one. This imaginary Si
th Lord of theirs-even if he does exist, is he anyone to be feared? To be hunted
down and exterminated without trial?"
"The Sith are the definition of evil-"
"Or so you have been trained to believe. I have been read¬ing about the history of
the Sith for some years now, Anakin. Ever since the Council saw fit to finally
reveal to me their... assertion... that these millennium-dead sorcerers had supp
os¬edly sprung back to life. Not every tale about them is sequestered in your conv
eniently secret Temple archives. From what I have read, they were not so differe
nt from Jedi; seeking power, to be sure, but so does your Council."
"The dark side-"
"Oh, yes, yes, certainly, the dark side. Listen to me: if this 'Darth Sidious' o
f yours were to walk through that door right now-and I could somehow stop you fr
om killing him on the spot-do you know what I would do?" Palpatine rose, and his
voice rose with him. "I would ask him to sit down, and I would ask him if he ha
s any power he could use to end this war!"
"You would-you would-" Anakin couldn't quite make himself believe what he was he
aring. He knew how evil the Dark Side was. Surely the Chancellor, his friend, wo
uldn't consort with the type of person who would use that power...
"And if he said he did, I'd bloody well offer him a brandy and talk it out!"
"You-Chancellor, you can't be serious-"
"Well, not entirely," Palpatine sighed and shrugged, lowering himself once more
into his chair. "It's only an example, Anakin. I would do anything to return pea
ce to the galaxy, do you understand? That's all I mean. After all-" He offered a
tired, sadly ironic smile, "what are the chances of an actual Sith Lord ever wa
lking through that door?"
"I wouldn't know," Anakin said feelingly, "but I do know that you probably shoul
dn't use that... example... in front of the Jedi Council."
"Oh, yes," Palpatine chuckled. "Yes, quite right. They might take it as an excus
e to accuse me."
"I'm sure they'd never do that-"
"I am not. I am no longer sure they'll stop at anything, Anakin. That's actually
the reason I asked you here today." He leaned forward intently, resting his elb
ows on the desk. "You may have heard that this afternoon, the Senate will call u
pon this office to assume direct control of the Jedi Council."
Anakin's frown deepened. "The Jedi will no longer report to the Senate?"
"They will report to me. Personally. The Senate is too unfo¬cused to conduct this
war; we've seen this for years. Now that this office will be the single authorit
y to direct the prosecution of the war, we'll bring a quick end to things."
Anakin nodded. "I can see how that will help, sir, but the Council probably won'
t. I can tell you that they are in no mood for further constitutional amendments
."
"Yes, thank you, my friend. But in this case, I have no choice. This war must be
won."
"Everyone agrees on that."
"I hope they do, my boy. I hope they do."
Inside his head, he heard the echo of Obi-Wan, murmuring relations between the C
ouncil and the Chancellor are... stressed. What had been going on here in the ca
pital? Weren't they all on the same side?
"I can assure you," he said firmly, "that the Jedi are ab¬solutely dedicated to th
e core values of the Republic."
One of Palpatine's eyebrows arched. "Their actions will speak more loudly than t
heir words-as long as someone keeps an eye on them. And that, my boy, is exactly
the favor I must ask of you."
"I don't understand."
"Anakin, I am asking you-as a personal favor to me, in re¬spect for our long frien
dship-to accept a post as my personal representative on the Jedi Council."
Anakin blinked. He blinked again. He said, "Me?"
"Who else?" Palpatine spread his hands in a melancholy shrug. "You are the only
Jedi I know, truly know, that I can trust. I need you, my boy. There is no one e
lse who can do this job: to be the eyes and ears-and the voice-of the Republic o
n the Jedi Council."
"On the Council...," Anakin murmured. He could see himself seated in one of the
low, curving chairs, opposite Mace Windu. Opposite Yoda. He might sit next to Ki
-Adi-Mundi, or Plo Koon-or even beside his sister! And he could not quite ignore
the thought that he was about to become the youngest Master in the twenty-five-
thousand-year history of the Jedi Order...
But none of that really mattered.
Palpatine had somehow seen into his secret heart, and had chosen to offer him th
e one thing he most desired in the entire galaxy. He didn't care about the Counc
il, not really-that was a childish dream. He didn't need the Council. He didn't
need recognition, and he didn't need respect. What he needed was the rank itself
.
All that mattered was Mastery.
All that mattered was Padmé.
This was a gift beyond gifts: as a Master, he could access those forbidden holoc
rons in the restricted vault.
He could find a way to save her from his dream...
He shook himself back to the present. "I... am over¬whelmed, sir. But the Council
elects its own members. They will never accept this."
"I promise you they will," Palpatine murmured imper¬turbably. He swung his chair a
round to gaze out the window toward the distant spires of the Temple. "They need
you more than they realize."
====BtVS====
Buffy sat in her quarters, staring pensively at the holopic before her. In it, a
younger looking Buffy leaned back against her fiancé, Jacen's strong arms wrapped
around her waist, his chin resting lightly on her shoulder. In her arms was her
baby girl, Joyce, and lying on his side on the floor with his head propped up w
ith one hand was Han. She smiled at her family, and then looked back up at the m
irror on her desk.
What a difference a few months can make. Eh, Buffy? What a difference a few mont
hs can make. Eh, Buffy? She thought to herself. Her hair was cut short once more
, only coming down to about an inch above her shoulders and was lined with grey
hairs. The lines on her face had become more pronounced now then they were then,
though her laugh lines had seemed to recede.
Thirty-six years old... 36, she thought to herself. The oldest living Slayer on
record. And I've managed to lose not one, but two families. Got to be a record..
.
A chime sounded, pulling her from these thoughts. Buffy waved her hand at the do
or, causing it to open. She then smiled at the face that greeted her.
"Master Secura. What can I do for you?"
Aayla Secura smiled and entered the room. "We're both Masters now, Buffy. You ma
y call me Aayla."
"Very well, Aayla," Buffy replied. "What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to tell you the Council is convening," the Twi'lek replied. "The Chanc
ellor has appointed a personal representative to report back to him. It's Anakin
, Buffy."
Buffy sighed. "He's up to something. I can't see what... but it isn't good, what
ever it is."
Aayla nodded in agreement, and then noticed the holopic. "Was that your family?"
she asked, motioning to the picture. Buffy nodded in return.
That's Jacen," she said, pointing to each person in turn, "and that's Han and th
e little girl was Joyce."
"Do you miss them?" Aayla asked carefully in a neutral tone. Buffy gave the Mast
er a small smile.
"Of course. But I know that they're in a better place now. And I know that, one
day, I'll see them again. And that's good enough for me."
Master Secura smiled. "That's a very wise observation, Buffy," she said, placing
a hand on her shoulder. "I must admit, Buffy - I was worried about you. When we
stopped hearing from you, I feared you had died. And when you came back - well,
I feared you would be lost to the Jedi. You know the rules of attachment..."
"And you know my feelings on them, Aayla," Buffy responded. "The Watcher's Counc
il had similar rules. And as a result, most Slayers didn't live past sixteen." S
he placed the holopic gently down on her desk. "I don't regret what I did, nor d
o I apologize for it."
"I can't say I fully understand, Buffy," Aayla replied solemnly. "But I am glad
you are back. So, shall we adjourn to the meeting?"
Five minutes later, the two Masters entered the Council chambers and took their
seats. "So, I hear Mein Fuhrer made my brother his spokesman. Can we all agree n
ow that he's evil and must be destroyed?"
"Buffy..." Obi-Wan started, and then let it drop when the Slayer raised her hand
s in defeat.
"Appointed by the Chancellor or not, we could simply refuse his appointment, and
appoint someone else." Mace said, looking at Obi-Wan. "Do you trust Anakin to d
o his duty?"
"Yes, of course I trust him," he said patiently. "We can always trust Anakin to
do what he thinks is right. But we can't trust him to do what he's told. He can'
t be made to simply obey. Believe me: I've been trying for many years."
"Amen to that, brother." Buffy added with a snort.
"An unintentional opportunity, the Chancellor has given us," Yoda said gravely.
"A window he has opened into the opera¬tions of his office. Fools we would be, to
close our eyes."
"Then we should use someone else's eyes," Obi-Wan said quietly. "Forgive me, Mas
ter Yoda, but you just don't know him the way I do. None of you does. He is fier
cely loyal, and there is not a gram of deception in him. You've all seen it; it'
s one of the argu¬ments that some of you, here in this room, have used against el¬ev
ating him to Master: he lacks true Jedi reserve, that's what you've said. And by
that we all mean that he wears his emotions like a HoloNet banner. How can you
ask him to lie to a friendto spy upon him?"
"That is why we must call upon a friend to ask him," said Agen Kolar in his gent
le Zabrak baritone.
"You don't understand. Don't make him choose between me and Palpatine-"
"Why not?" asked the holo-presence of Plo Koon from the bridge of Courageous, wh
ere he directed the Republic Navy strike force against the Separatist choke poin
t in the Ywllandr system. "Do you fear you would lose such a contest?"
"I don't think he's worried about losing, per say," Buffy interjected. "He's mer
ely worried that Anakin won't be able to lie to a friend. He's a terrible liar i
n the first place - he won't be able to keep this from Palpatine. The old man's
too cunning for that."
"And you don't know how much Palpatine's friendship has meant to him over the ye
ars," Obi-Wan added, "especially during Buffy's absence. You're asking him to us
e that friendship as a weapon! To stab his friend in the back. Don't you underst
and what this will cost him, even if Palpatine is entirely innocent? Especially
if he's innocent. Their relationship will never be the same-"
"And that," Mace Windu said, "may be the best argument in favor of this plan. I
have told you all what I have seen of the en¬ergy between Skywalker and the Suprem
e Chancellor. Anything that might distance young Skywalker from Palpatine's infl
uence is worth the attempt."
"I agree with Master Windu," Buffy replied. "They're too close. This may be the
best way to distance them. I'd offer to do this, but Anakin knows my feeling abo
ut Palpatine."
Obi-Wan didn't need to reach into the Force to know that he would lose this argu
ment. He inclined his head. "I will, of course, abide by the ruling of this Coun
cil."
"Doubt of that, none of us has." Yoda turned his green gaze on the other council
ors. "But if to be done this is, decide we must how best to use him."
The holopresence of Ki-Adi-Mundi flickered in and out of focus as the Cerean Mas
ter leaned forward, folding his hands. "I, too have reservations on this matter,
but it seems that in these des-perate times, only desperate plans have hope of
success. We have seen that young Skywalker has the power to battle a Sith Lord a
lone, if need be; he has proven that with Dooku. If he is indeed the chosen one,
we must keep him in play against the Sith-keep him in a position to fulfill his
destiny."
"And even if the prophecy has been misread," Agen Kolar added, "Anakin is one of
the Jedi we can best hope would survive an encounter with a Sith Lord. So let u
s also use him to help us set our trap. In Council, let us emphasize that we are
intensifying our search for Grievous. Anakin will certainly report this to the
Chancellor's Office. Perhaps, as you say, that will draw Sidious into action."
"It may not be enough," Mace Windu said. "Let us take this one step farther-we s
hould appear shorthanded and weak, giv¬ing Sidious an opening to make a move he th
inks will go unob¬served. I'm thinking that perhaps we should let the Chancellor's
Office know that Yoda and I have both been forced to take the field-"
"Too risky that is," Yoda said. "And too convenient. One of us only should go."
"Then it should be you, Master Yoda," Agen Kolar said. "It is your sensitivity t
o the broader currents of the Force that a Sith Lord has most reason to fear."
Obi-Wan felt the ripple of agreement flow through the Chamber and Yoda nodded so
lemnly. "The Separatist attack on Kashyyyk, a compelling excuse will make. And g
ood relations with the Wookiees I have; destroy the droid armies I can, and stil
l be available to Coruscant, should Sidious take our bait."
"Agreed." Mace Windu looked around the half-empty Council Chamber with a deepeni
ng frown. "And one last touch...let's let the Chancellor know, through Anakin, t
hat our most cunning and insightful Master-as well as the Slayer-is to lead the
hunt for Grievous."
"So Sidious will need to act, and act fast, if the war is to be maintained," Plo
Koon added approvingly.
Yoda nodded judiciously. "Agreed," Agen Kolar assented as well, as did Ki-Adi-Mu
ndi.
"This sounds like a good plan," Obi-Wan said. "But what Master do you have in mi
nd?"
For a moment no one spoke, as though astonished he would ask such a question.
Only after a few seconds during which Obi-Wan looked from the faces of one Maste
r to the next, puzzled by the expressions of gentle amusement each and every one
of them wore, did it finally register that all of them were looking at him.
Buffy smirked. "Sucks to be you, Benny." She quipped.
====BtVS====
By the time the doors to the Jedi Council Chamber finally swung open, Anakin had
been waiting for some time. He was annoyed that they had made him wait so long.
Him, a hero of the Republic, the man who had single-handedly beaten Count Dooku
...
Anakin walked in through the opened doors, carefully controlling his temper. He
remembered too well the first time he had entered this Chamber, the first time h
e had stood within a ring of Jedi Mas¬ters gathered to sit in judgment upon his fa
te. He remembered how Yoda's green stare had seen into his heart, had seen the c
old worm of dread eating away at him, no matter how hard he'd tried to deny it:
the awful fear he'd felt that he might never see his mother again.
He moved slowly into the center of the circle of brown-toned carpet, and turned
toward the Senior Members.
Yoda was unreadable as always, his rumpled features com¬posed in a mask of serene
contemplation.
Mace Windu could have been carved from stone.
Ghost-images of Ki-Adi-Mundi and Plo Koon hovered a centimeter above their Counc
il seats, maintained by the seats' inter¬nalholoprojectors. Agen Kolar sat next to
Aayla Secura, who herself sat next to the empty chair belonging to Shaak Ti.
Obi-Wan sat in the chair that once had belonged to Oppo Rancisis, looking pensiv
e. Even worried. As did his sister, who sat next to his former Master.
"Anakin Skywalker." Master Windu's tone was so severe that Anakin had to fight h
imself not to wince. "The Council has decided to comply with Chancellor Palpatin
e's directive, and with the instructions of the Senate that give him the unprece¬d
ented authority to command this Council. You are hereby granted a seat at the Hi
gh Council of the Jedi, as the Chancel¬lor's personal representative."
Anakin stood very still for a long moment, until he could be absolutely sure he
had heard what he thought he'd heard.
Palpatine had been right. He seemed to be right about a lot of things, these day
s. In fact-now that Anakin came to think of it-he couldn't remember a single ins
tance when the Supreme Chancellor had been wrong.
Finally, as it began to sink in upon him, as he gradually al¬lowed himself to unde
rstand that the Council had finally decided to grant him his heart's desire, tha
t they finally had recognized his accomplishments, his dedication, his power, he
took a slow, deep breath.
"Thank you, Masters. You have my pledge that I will uphold the highest principle
s of the Jedi Order."
"Allow this appointment lightly, the Council does not." Yoda's ears curled forwa
rd at Anakin like accusing fingers. "Disturbing is this move by Chancellor Palpa
tine. On many levels."
They have become more concerned with avoiding the oversight of the Senate than t
hey are with winning the war...
Anakin inclined his head. "I understand."
"I'm not sure you do." Mace Windu leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.
Anakin was barely paying attention; in his mind, he was already leaving the Coun
cil Chamber, riding the turbolift to the archives, demanding access to the restr
icted vault by authority of his new rank-
"You will attend the meetings of this Council," the Korun Master said, "but you
will not be granted the rank and privileges of a Jedi Master."
"What?"
It was a small word, a simple word, an instinctive recoil from words that felt l
ike punches, like stun blasts exploding inside his brain that left his head ring
ing and the room spinning around him-but even to his own ears, the voice that ca
me from his lips didn't sound like his own. It was deeper, darker, clipped and o
iled, resonating from the depths of his heart.
It didn't sound like him at all and it smoked with fury.
"How dare you? How dare you?"
Anakin stood welded to the floor, motionless. He wasn't even truly aware of spea
king. It was as if someone else was using his mouth-and now, finally, he recogni
zed the voice.
It sounded like Dooku. But it was not Dooku's voice.
It was the voice of Dooku's destroyer.
"No Jedi in this room can match my power-no Jedi in the galaxy! You think you ca
n deny Mastery to me?"
"The Chancellor's representative you are," Yoda said. "And it is as his represen
tative you shall attend the Council. Sit in this Chamber you will, but no vote w
ill you have. The Chancellor's views you shall present. His wishes. His ideas an
d directives. Not your own."
"This is an insult to me, and to the Chancellor," he responded coldly, fury evid
ent in his voice nonetheless. "Do not imagine that it will be tolerated."
Mace Windu's eyes were as cold as the voice from Anakin's mouth. "Take your seat
, young Skywalker."
Anakin matched his stare. Perhaps I'll take yours. His own voice inside his head
, had a hot black fire that smoked from the depths of his furnace heart. You thi
nk you can stop me from sav¬ing my love? You think you can make me watch her die?
Go ahead and Vaapad this, you-
"Anakin, pull yourself together and sit your ass down." Anakin spun to face the
owner of the blunt voice and he saw his sister's disappointed and yet concerned
face looking back at him. "Sit down, Ani," she continued, her tone becoming more
soft and deadly, "before you make an even bigger ass of yourself."
And something in Buffy's tone - the disappointment, the worry - dissipated his a
nger. Ashamed, Anakin found himself alone on the carpet in the middle of the Jed
i Council, blinking.
He suddenly felt very young, and very foolish. "Forgive me, Masters." His bow of
contrition couldn't hide the blaze of embarrassment that climbed his cheeks.
The rest of the session passed in a haze; he was so numbly astonished by his beh
avior that he barely regis¬tered what they were saying about a droid landing on Ka
shyyyk-but he had to say something, he couldn't just sit here for his whole firs
t meeting of the Council, Master or not-and he knew the Kashyyyk system almost a
s well as he knew the back al¬leys of Mos Espa. "I can handle it," he offered, sud
denly bright¬ening. "I could clear that planet in a day or two-"
"Skywalker, your assignment is here."Mace Windu's stare was hard as durasteel, a
nd only a scrape short of openly hostile.
Then Yoda volunteered, and for some reason, the Council didn't even bother to vo
te.
"It is settled then," Mace said. "May the Force be with us all."
And as the holopresences of Plo Koon and Ki-Adi-Mundi winked out, as Obi-Wan and
Buffy rose and spoke together in tones softly grave, as Yoda and Mace Windu wal
ked from the room, Anakin could only sit, sick at heart, stunned with helpless¬nes
s.
Padme-oh, Padme, what are we going to do?
And what am I becoming?
====BtVS====
Episode 3 Chapter 4
Politics
====BtVS====
Disclaimer: I still own nothing. Star Wars and its characters are owned by Georg
e Lucas and Lucas Arts. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters are owned by
Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Certain scenes were taken from the novelization b
y Mathew Stover mostly verbatim due to their overall importance in the story.
====BtVS====
Bail Organa stopped cold in the middle of the Grand Con¬course that ringed the Sen
ate's Convocation Chamber, staring up in disbelief at one of the huge holoprojec
ted Procla¬mation Boards; these had recently been installed above the con¬course to
keep the thousands of Senators up to the moment on news of the war and on the Ch
ancellor's latest executive orders.
His heart tripped and he couldn't seem to make his eyes focus. He pushed his way
through the press to a hardcopy stand and punched a quick code. When he had the
flimsies in his hands they still said the same thing.
He'd been expecting this day. Since yesterday, when the Sen¬ate had voted to give
Palpatine control of the Jedi, he'd known it would come soon. He'd even started
planning for it.
But that didn't make it any easier to bear.
He found his way to a public comm booth and keyed a pri¬vacy code. The transparist
eel booth went opaque as stone and a moment later a hand-sized image shimmered i
nto existence above the small holodisk: a slender woman in floor-length white; w
ith short, neatly clipped auburn hair and a clear, steadily intelligent gaze fro
m her aquamarine eyes.
"Bail," she said. "What's happened?"
Bail frowned at the woman. "Have you seen this morning's decree?"
"The Sector Governance Decree? Yes, I have-
"It's time, Mon," he said grimly. "It's time to stop talking, and start doing. W
e have to bring in the Senate."
"I agree, but we must tread carefully. Have you thought about whom we should con
sult? Whom we can trust?"
"Not in detail. Giddean Danu springs to mind. I'm sure we can trust Fang Zar, to
o."
"Agreed. What about Iridik'k-stallu? Her hearts are in the right place. Or Chi E
ekway."
Bail shook his head. "Maybe later. It'll take a few hours at least to figure out
exactly where they stand. We need to start with Senators we know we can trust."
"All right. Then Terr Taneel would be my next choice. And, I think, Amidala of N
aboo."
"Padme?" Bail frowned. "I'm not sure."
"You know her better than I do, Bail, but to my mind she is ex¬actly the type of S
enator we need. She is intelligent, principled and ex¬tremely articulate and she h
as the heart of a warrior."
"She is also a longtime associate of Palpatine," he reminded her. "He was her am
bassador during her term as Queen of Naboo. How sure can you be that she will st
and with us and not with him?"
"There's only one way to find out,." Senator Mon Mothma replied serenely.
====BtVS====
"I am no happier than the rest of you about this," Padme said, gesturing at the
flimsiplast of the Sector Governance Decree on Bail Organa's desk. "But I've kno
wn Palpatine for years; he was my most trusted adviser. I'm not prepared to beli
eve his in¬tent is to dismantle the Senate."
"Why should he bother?" Mon Mothma countered. "As a practical matter-as of this
morning-the Senate no longer ex¬ists."
Padme looked from one grim face to another. Giddean Danu nodded his agreement. T
err Taneel kept her eyes down, pretend¬ing to be adjusting her robes. Fang Zar ran
a hand over his un¬ruly gray-streaked topknot.
Bail leaned forward. His eyes were hard as chips of stone. "Palpatine no longer
has to worry about controlling the Senate. By placing his own lackeys as governo
rs over every planet in the Republic, he controls our systems directly.'' The st
atesman folded his hands, and squeezed them together until his knuckles hurt. "H
e's be¬come a dictator. We made him a dictator."
And he's my husband's friend, and mentor, Padmé thought. I shouldn't even be liste
ning to this.
Well, if it works...Anakin's voice suddenly rung out in her head as she recalled
that picnic long ago on Naboo.
"But what can we do about it?" Terr Taneel asked, still gaz¬ing down at her robe w
ith a worried frown.
"That's what we asked you here to discuss," Mon Mothma told her calmly. "What we
're going to do about it."
Fang Zar shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure I like where this is going."
"None of us likes where anything is going," Bail said, half ris¬ing. "That's exact
ly the point. We can't let a thousand years of democracy disappear without a fig
ht!"
"A fight?" Padmé asked. "I can't believe what I'm hearing- Bail, you sound like a
Separatist!"
"I-" Bail sank back into his seat. "I apologize. That was not my intent. I asked
you all here because of all the Senators in the galaxy, you four have been the
most consistent-and influential- voices of reason and restraint, doing all you c
ould to preserve our poor, tattered Constitution. We don't want to hurt the Repu
blic. With your help, we hope to save it."
"It has become increasingly clear," Mon Mothma said, "that Palpatine has become
an enemy of democracy. He must be stopped."
"The Senate gave him these powers," Padmé said. "The Sen¬ate can rein him in."
Giddean Danu sat forward. "I fear you underestimate just how deeply the Senate's
corruption has taken hold. Who will vote against Palpatine now?"
"I will," Padmé said. She discovered that she meant it. "And I'll find others, too
." She'd have to. No matter how much it hurt Anakin. Oh, my love, will you ever
find a way to forgive me?
"You do that," Bail said. "Make as much noise as you can- keep Palpatine watchin
g what you're doing in the Senate. That should provide some cover while Mon Moth
ma and I begin building our organization-"
"Stop." Padmé rose, her clear voice wavering. "It's better to leave some things un
said. Right now, its better I don't know anything about... any¬thing."
Don't make me lie to my husband was her unspoken plea. She tried to convey it wi
th her eyes. Please, Bail. Don't make me lie to him. It will break his heart.
Perhaps he saw something there; after a moment's indeci¬sion, he nodded. "Very wel
l. Other matters can be left for other times. Until then, this meeting must rema
in absolutely secret Even hinting at an effective opposition to Palpatine can be
as we've all seen, very dangerous. We must agree never to speak of these matter
s except among the people who are now in this room. We must bring no one into th
is secret without the agree¬ment of each and every one of us."
"That includes even those closest to you," Mon Mothma added. "Even your families
-to share anything of this will expose them to the same danger we all face. No o
ne can be told. No one."
Padmé watched them all nod, and what could she do? What could she say? You can kee
p your own secrets, but I'll have to tell my Jedi husband, who is Palpatine's be
loved protégé...
She sighed. "Yes. Yes: agreed."
And all she could think as the little group dispersed to their own offices was O
h, Anakin-Anakin, I'm sorry...
I'm so sorry...
====BtVS====
Anakin was glad the vast vaulted Temple hallway was de¬serted save for him, Buffy
and Obi-Wan; he didn't have to keep his voice down.
"This is outrageous. How can they do this?"
"Very easily, apparently," Buffy shot back evenly. Deep down, she was getting in
creasingly worried. These outbursts of his were becoming more emotional and more
frequent. Something else is bothering him, and I've got to get to the bottom of
it...
Meanwhile, Obi-Wan countered on his own. "How can they not? It's your friend¬ship
with the Chancellor-the same friendship that got you a seat at the Council-that
makes it impossible to grant you Mastery. In the Council's eyes, that would be t
he same as giving a vote to Palpatine himself!"
He waved this off. He didn't have time for the Council's political maneuvering-P
admé didn't have time. "I didn't ask for this. I don't need this. So if I wasn't f
riends with Palpatine I'd be a Master already, is that what you're saying?"
Buffy remained silent, even as Obi-Wan looked pained. "I don't know."
"I have the power of any five Masters. Any ten. You know it, and so do they."
"Power alone is no credit to you-"
Anakin flung an arm back toward the Council Tower. "They're the ones who call me
the Chosen One! Chosen for what? To be a dupe in some slimy political game?"
Obi-Wan winced as if he'd been stung. "Didn't I warn you, Anakin? I told you of
the... tension... between the Council and the Chancellor. I was very clear. Why
didn't you listen? You walked right into it!"
"Like that ray shield trap," Anakin snorted. "Should I blame this on the dark si
de, too?"
"However it happened," Obi-Wan said, "you are in a very... delicate situation."
"What situation? Who cares about me? I'm no Master. I'm just a kid, right? Is th
at what it's about? Is Master Windu turning everyone against me because until I
came along, he was the youngest Jedi ever named to the Council?"
"No one cares about that-"
"Sure they don't. Let me tell you something a smart old man said to me no so lon
g ago: Age is no measure of wisdom. If it were, Yoda would be twenty times as wi
se as you are-"
"This has nothing to do with Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied quietly.
"That's right. It has to do with me. It has to do with them all being against me
. They always have been-most of them didn't even want me to be a Jedi. And if th
ey'd won out, where would they be right now? Who would have done the things I've
done? Who would have saved Naboo? Who would have saved Kamino? Who would have k
illed Dooku, and rescued the Chancellor? Who would have come for you and Alpha a
fter Ventress-"
"Yes, Anakin, yes. Of course. No one questions your accom¬plishments. It's your re
lationship to Palpatine that is the prob¬lem. And it is a very serious problem."
"I'm too close to him? Maybe I am. Maybe I should alienate a man who's been noth
ing but kind and generous to me ever since I first came to this planet! Maybe I
should reject the only man who gives me the respect I deserve-"
"Oh Ani, would you get over yourself!" Buffy suddenly shouted, interrupting Anak
in's pity party. "Just listen to yourself! It's not just that you're too young;
it's not just your friends with Old Dirty Bastard... no. It's because when you d
on't get your way you whine like a spoiled two-year-old! Just look how you behav
ed in the Council chambers - it's no wonder they won't make you a Master if you
can't even master yourself."
Anakin's eyes widened at Buffy's outburst. She hadn't yelled at him like that si
nce they were both Padawans. After a moment, he passed his hand over his eyes an
d drew a long, heavy breath. In a much lower, calmer, quieter tone, he said, "Wh
at do I have to do?"
Obi-Wan frowned. "I'm sorry?"
"They want something from me, don't they? That's what this is really about. That
's what it's been about from the begin¬ning. They won't give me my rank until I gi
ve them what they want."
"The Council does not operate that way, Anakin, and you know it."
"That's bullshit, Ben, and you know it," Buffy interrupted, and then turned to h
er brother. "There is something the Council wants you to do, little brother. Whe
ther or not it earns you a promotion - well, that's not up to me..."
Anakin sighed, tired of all of the politics. "Just tell me what they want, siste
r dearest."
Buffy looked to Obi-Wan, whose eyes shifted. The sick fatigue in Anakin's guts t
urned darker. How bad did it have to be to make Obi-Wan un¬able to look him in the
eye? What startled him more was the look in his sister's eyes; he had never see
n that look before.
"Anakin, look, we're on your side," Obi-Wan said softly. He looked tired, too: h
e looked as tired and sick as Anakin felt. "I never wanted to see you put in thi
s situation."
"What situation?" Still Obi-Wan hesitated. Finally Anakin said, "Look, whatever
it is, it's not getting any better while you're standing here working up the ner
ve to tell me. Come on, Obi-Wan. Let's have it."
Obi-Wan glanced around the empty hall as if he wanted to make sure they were sti
ll alone; Anakin had a feeling it was just an excuse to avoid facing him when he
spoke.
"The Council," Obi-Wan said slowly, "approved your ap¬pointment because Palpatine
trusts you. They want you to report on all his dealings. They have to know what
he's up to."
"They want me to spy on the Supreme Chancellor of the Re¬public?" Anakin blinked n
umbly. No wonder Obi-Wan couldn't look him in the face. "Obi-Wan, that's treason
!"
"We are at war, Anakin." Obi-Wan looked thoroughly mis¬erable. "The Council is swo
rn to uphold the principles of the Re¬public through any means necessary. We have
to. Especially when the greatest enemy of those principles seems to be the Chanc
el¬lor himself!"
"Besides, it's only treason if you get caught," Buffy added, trying to lighten t
he mood. Anakin looked darkly in her direction, and she shrugged. "Well, it's tr
ue."
Anakin's eyes narrowed and turned hard. "Why didn't the Council give me this ass
ignment while we were in session?"
"Because it's not for the record, Anakin. You must be able to understand why," O
bi-Wan answered.
"What I understand," Anakin said grimly, "is that you are trying to turn me agai
nst Palpatine. You're trying to make me keep secrets from him-you want to make m
e lie to him. That's what this is really about."
"It isn't," Obi-Wan insisted. He looked wounded. "It's about keeping an eye on w
ho he deals with and who deals with him."
"He's not a bad man, Obi-Wan-he's a great man, who's holding this Republic toget
her with his bare hands-"
"By staying in office long after his term has expired. By gath¬ering dictatorial p
owers-"
"The Senate demanded that he stay! They pushed those pow¬ers on him-"
"Don't be naïve, Ani," Buffy added. "The Senate is so intimidated they give him an
ything he wants!"
"Then it's their fault, not his! They should have the guts to stand up to him!"
"That is what we're asking you to do, Anakin."
Anakin had no answer. Silence fell between the three like a ham¬mer. Finally, he s
aid, "He's my friend, Buffy."
"It would surprise me if he had any real friends," Buffy said darkly. What she d
idn't want to admit was that Anakin seemed to be the one friend Palpatine actual
ly had. But she didn't want to exactly talk about it in front of Obi-Wan, who wa
s still grey-faced and surly.
"You don't know how kind he has been to me," Anakin's voice was hushed. "You don
't know how he's looked after me, how he's done everything he could to help me.
He's like family.''
"I thought I was your family," Buffy said, somewhat sadly.
"You haven't been here," Anakin replied softly, turning to look at her. "You've
been out making your own family." Buffy was silent at that - she couldn't very w
ell dispute that, could she?
"Listen: we're not asking you to act against Palpatine. We're only asking you to
... monitor his activities. You must be¬lieve me." Obi-Wan stepped closer and put
a hand on Anakin's arm. With a long, slowly indrawn breath, he seemed to reach s
ome difficult decision. "Palpatine himself may be in danger," he said. "This may
be the only way you can help him."
"What are you talking about?"
"I am not supposed to be telling you this. Please do not re¬veal we have had this
conversation. To anyone, do you under¬stand?"
Anakin said, "I can keep a secret."
"All right." Obi-Wan took another deep breath. "Master Windu traced Darth Sidiou
s to Five Hundred Republica before Grievous's attack-we think that the Sith Lord
is someone within Palpatine's closest circle of advisers. That is who we want y
ou to spy on, do you understand?"
"If Palpatine is under the influence of a Sith Lord, he may be in the gravest da
nger," Buffy continued, relieved that Anakin wasn't going to start ranting again
."The only way we can help him is to find Sidious, and to stop him. What we are
asking of you is not trea¬son, Anakin-it may be the only way to save the Republic!
"
"So all you're really asking," Anakin said slowly, "is for me to help the Counci
l find Darth Sidious."
"Yes." Obi-Wan looked relieved, incredibly relieved, as though some horrible chr
onic pain had suddenly and inexplica¬bly eased. "Yes, that's it exactly."
"You have to do this, Ani," Buffy added. "Help us find Sidious and end this war.
And if Palpatine's innocent, I will personally get down on my knees, in his off
ice, and kiss his ass. Okay?" That got a small grin.
"I look forward to sending a holorecording of that to Mother." Anakin replied. "
Speaking of which- you need to giver her a call. She worries about you."
"I'll call her tonight, little brother."
"Who are you calling little?"
====BtVS====
Later that day, a Republic gunship streaked through the capital's sky. Obi-Wan s
tared past Yoda and Mace Windu, out through the gunship's window at the vast dep
loyment platform and the swarm of clones who were loading the assault cruiser at
the far end.
"You weren't there," he said. "You didn't see his face. I think we have done a t
errible thing."
"We don't always have the right answer," Mace Windu replied. "Sometimes there is
n't aright answer."
"Know how important your friendship with young Anakin is to you, I do." Yoda, to
o, stared out toward the stark angles of the assault cruiser being loaded for th
e counterinvasion of Kashyyyk; he stood leaning on his gimer stick as though he
did not trust his legs. "Allow such attachments to pass out of one's life, a Jed
i must."
"Very dangerous putting them together," Mace said, glancing out of the door as t
hey flew in and out of traffic. "I don't think the boy can handle it. I don't tr
ust him."
"With all due respect, Master," Obi-Wan started, "Is Anakin not the Chosen One?
Is it not said that he will bring balance to the Force?"
"A prophesy, misread might have been," Yoda countered softly. "The more we learn
, the more we discover how much we do not know. In motion, are the events of our
time. Approach, the crisis does."
"Yes." Mace interlaced his fingers and squeezed until his knuckles popped. "But
we're in a spice mine without a glow rod. If we stop walking, we'll never reach
the light."
"And what if the light just isn't there?" Obi-Wan asked. "What if we get to the
end of this tunnel and find only night?"
"Faith must we have. Trust in the will of the Force. What other choice is there?
"
"Anakin's problem had always been that his loyalties, first and foremost, lie wi
th people," Obi-Wan said carefully, "Abstractions like peace don't mean much to
him. He's loyal to people, not to prin¬ciples. And he expects loyalty in return. H
e will stop at nothing to save me, for example, because he thinks I would do the
same for him." Mace and Yoda gazed at him steadily, and Obi-Wan had to lower hi
s head. "Because," he admitted reluctantly, "he knows I would do the same for hi
m."
"Understand exactly where your concern lies, I do not." Yoda's green eyes had go
ne softly sympathetic. "Named must your fear be, before banish it you can. Do yo
u fear that perform his task, he cannot?"
"Oh, no. That's not it at all. I am firmly convinced that Anakin can do anything
. Except betray a friend."
====BtVS====
While Yoda was preparing to leave for Kashyyyk, Anakin was sitting with Padmé on t
he veranda of her apartment. While normally just being with his wife was soothin
g, today nothing could seem to calm his nerves.
"I heard about your appointment to the Council. Anakin," Padmé said, taking his ha
nd in her own. "I'm so proud of you."
"There's nothing to be proud of," he said. "This is just po¬litical maneuvering be
tween the Council and the Chancellor I got caught in the middle, that's all."
"But to be on the Council, at your age-"
"They put me on the Council because they had to. Because he told them to, once t
he Senate gave him control of the Jedi." His voice lowered toward a growl. "And
because they think they can use me against him."
Padmé's eyes went oddly remote, and thoughtful. "Against him," she echoed. "The Je
di don't trust him?"
"That doesn't mean much. They don't trust me, either." Anakin's mouth compressed
to a thin bitter line. "They'll give me a chair in the Council Chamber, but tha
t's as far as it will go. They won't accept me as a Master."
Her gaze returned from that thoughtful distance, and she smiled up at him. "You
must be patient, my love. Soon they'll recog¬nize your ability."
"They already recognize my abilities. They fear my abilities," he said bitterly.
"But this isn't even about that. Like I said: it's a political game."
"Anakin-"
"I don't know what's happening to the Order, but whatever it is, I don't like it
." He shook his head. "This war is destroying everything the Republic is suppose
d to stand for. I mean, what are we fighting for, anyway? What about all this is
worth saving?"
Padmé nodded sadly, disengaging from Anakin's arms and drifting away. "Sometimes I
wonder if we're on the wrong side."
"The wrong side?" He frowned at her. "You can't mean that."
She turned from him, speaking to the vast airway beyond the veranda's edge. "Wha
t if the democracy we're fighting for no longer exists? What if the Republic its
elf has become the very evil we've been fighting to destroy?"
Anakin sighed, biting back his temper over the line of conversation. "Everybody
complains about Palpatine having too much power, but nobody offers a better al¬ter
native. Who should be running the war? The Senate? You're in the Senate, you kno
w those people-how many of them do you trust?"
"All I know is that things are going wrong here. Our gov¬ernment is headed in exac
tly the wrong direction. You know it, too-you just said so!"
"I didn't mean that. I just-I'm tired of this, that's all. This political garbag
e. Sometimes I'd rather just be back out on the front lines. At least out there,
I know who the bad guys are."
"I'm becoming afraid," she replied in a bitter undertone, "that I might know who
the bad guys are here, too."
His eyes narrowed. "You're starting to sound like a Sepa¬ratist."
"Anakin, the whole galaxy knows now that Count Dooku is dead. This is the time w
e should be pursing a diplomatic resolu¬tion to the war-but instead the fighting i
s intensifying! Palpatine's your friend, he might listen to you. When you see hi
m tonight, ask him, in the name of simple decency, to offer a cease¬fire-"
His face went hard. "Don't ask this of me, Padmé. Don't ask me to do this." Anakin
rose and headed to the balcony. "Make a motion on the Senate floor, where that
kind of request belongs." Anakin spun back around and stalked over to her. "Don'
t I get any say in this? Does my opinion matter? What if I don't agree with you?
What if I think Palpatine's way is the right way?"
Padmé was stunned. "Anakin, hundreds of thousands of beings are dying every day!"
"It's a war, Padmé. We didn't ask for it, remember? You were there-maybe we should
have 'pursued a diplomatic resolution' in that beast arena!"
"I was-" She shrank away from what she saw on his face blinking harder, brows dr
awn together. "I was only asking..."
"Everyone is only asking. Everyone wants something from me. And I'm the bad guy
if they don't get it!" He spun away from her again, and found himself at the ver
anda's edge, leaning on the rail. The durasteel piping groaned in his me¬chanical
grip.
"I'm sick of this," he muttered. "I'm sick of all of it."
He didn't notice as Padmé rose and came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoul
der. "Anakin, what is it? What is it really?"
He shook his head. He couldn't look at her. "Nothing that's your fault," he said
. "Nothing you can help."
"Don't shut me out, Anakin. Let me try."
"You can't help me." He stared down through dozens of crisscross lanes of traffi
c, down toward the invisible bedrock of the planet.
"I'm trying to help you."
He'd seen something in her eyes, when he'd mentioned the Council and Palpatine.
His eyes narrowed at her.
"What aren't you telling me?" Her hand went still, and she did not answer. "I ca
n feel it, Padmé. I sense you're keeping a secret."
"Oh?" she said softly. Lightly. "That's funny, I was thinking the same about you
."
He just kept staring down over the rail into the invisible dis¬tance below. She mo
ved close to him, moved against him, her arm sliding around his shoulders, her c
heek leaning lightly on his arm. "Why does it have to be like this? Why does the
re have to even be such a thing as war? Can't we just... go back? Even just to p
retend. Let's pretend we're back at the lake on Naboo, just the two of us. When
there was no war, no politics. No plotting. Just us. You and me, and love. That'
s all we need. You and me, and love."
Right now Anakin couldn't remember what that had been like.
"I have to go," he said. "The Chancellor is waiting."
====BtVS====
Anakin hurriedly made his way the Coruscant Opera house to the box that held the
Chancellor and his entourage. As he ran through the crowded opera house, he loo
ked around at the throngs of high society that had made their way here to see th
e Mon Calamari Opera Group's new show. He marveled how they could act like this
was just another day in Coruscant, rather than the day after the invasion that h
ad nearly leveled huge portions of the city-planet.
Anakin slowed his pace as he approached the entrance to the box and quietly slip
ped inside. He supposed that, if he was supposed to spy, he should remain quiet
for a time to listen in to the conversations around him, but the sour taste that
idea left in his mouth led his to discard that idea and approach the Chancellor
.
"Chancellor. Sorry I'm late."
Palpatine turned toward him, and his face lit up. "Yes, Anakin! Don't worry. Com
e in, my boy, come in. Thank you for your report on the Council meeting this aft
ernoon-it made most interesting reading. And now I have good news for you- Clone
Intelligence has located General Grievous!"
"That's tremendous!" Anakin shook his head, wondering if Obi-Wan would be embarr
assed to have been scooped by the clones. "He won't escape us again."
"I'm going to-Moore, take a note-I will direct the Coun¬cil to give you this assig
nment, Anakin. Your gifts are wasted on Coruscant-you should be out in the field
. You can attend Council meetings by holoconference."
Anakin frowned. "Thank you, sir, but the Council coordi¬nates Jedi assignments."
"Of course, of course. Mustn't step on any Jedi toes, must we? They are so jealo
us of their political prerogatives. Still, I shall wonder at their collective wi
sdom if they choose someone else."
"As I said in my report, they've already assigned Obi-Wan to find Grievous." Bec
ause they want to keep me here, where I am sup¬posed to spy on you.
"To find him, yes. But you are the best man to apprehend him-though of course th
e Jedi Council cannot always be trusted to do the right thing."
"They try. I-believe they try, sir."
"Do you still? Sit down." Palpatine looked at the other two beings in the box. "
Leave us." They rose and withdrew. Anakin took Mas Amedda's seat. Palpatine gaze
d distractedly down at the graceful undula¬tions of the Mon Calamari principal sol
oist for a long moment, frowning as though there was so much he wanted to say; h
e was unsure where to begin. Finally he sighed heavily and leaned close to Anaki
n.
"Anakin I think you know by now that I cannot rely upon the Jedi Council. That i
s why I put you on it. If they have not yet tried to use you in their plot, they
soon will."
Anakin kept his face carefully blank. "I'm not sure I understand."
"You must sense what I have come to suspect," Palpatine said grimly. "The Jedi C
ouncil is after more than independence from Senate oversight; I believe they int
end to control the Re¬public itself."
"Chancellor-"
"I believe they are planning treason. They hope to overthrow my government, and
replace me with someone weak enough that Jedi mind tricks can control his every
word."
"I can't believe the Council-"
"Anakin, search your feelings. You do know, don't you?"
Anakin looked away. "I know they don't trust you..."
"Or the Senate. Or the Republic. Or democracy itself, for that matter. The Jedi
Council is not elected. It selects its own members according to its own rules-a
less generous man than I might say whim-and gives them authority backed by power
. They rule the Jedi as they hope to rule the Republic: by fiat."
"I admit..." Anakin looked down at his hands, "...my faith in them has been... s
haken."
"How? They've approached you, haven't they? They asked you to do something disho
nest?" Palpatine's frown cleared into a gently wise smile that was oddly reminis
cent of Yoda's. "They want you to spy on me, don't they?"
"I-don't know what to say..."
"It's all right, Anakin. I have nothing to hide." Palpatine responded with a fat
herly smile. He paused for a moment, and then continued. "Do you remember," he s
aid, drawing away from Anakin so that he could lean back comfortably in his seat
, "how as a young boy, when you first came to this planet, I tried to teach you
the ins and outs of politics?"
Anakin smiled faintly. "I remember that I didn't much care for the lessons."
"For any lessons, as I recall. But it's a pity; you should have paid more attent
ion. To understand politics is to understand the fundamental nature of thinking
beings. Right now, you should remember one of my first teachings: all those who
gain power are afraid to lose it."
"The Jedi use their power for good," Anakin said, a little too firmly.
"Good is a point of view, Anakin. And the Jedi concept of good is not the only v
alid one. Good and Evil are labels we all put on those who threaten us, isn't it
? The Sith and the Jedi are similar in almost every way, including their quest f
or greater power."
"The Jedi's quest is for greater understanding," Anakin countered. "For greater
knowledge of the Force-"
"Which brings with it greater power, does it not?"
"Well... yes." Anakin had to laugh. "I should know better than to argue with a p
olitician."
"We're not arguing, Anakin. We're just talking." Palpatine shifted his weight, s
ettling in comfortably. "Perhaps the real dif¬ference between the Jedi and the Sit
h lies only in their orienta-tion; a Jedigains power through understanding, and
a Sith gains understanding through power. This is the true reason the Sith have
always been more powerful than the Jedi. The Jedi fear the dark side so much the
y cut themselves off from the most impor¬tant aspect of life: passion. Of any kind
. They don't even allow themselves to love."
Except for me, Anakin thought. But then, I've never been ex¬actly the perfect Jedi
.
"The Sith do not fear the dark side. The Sith have no fear. They embrace the who
le spectrum of experience, from the heights of transcendent joy to the depths of
 hatred and despair. Beings have these emotions for a reason, Anakin. That is wh
y the Sith are more powerful: they are not afraid to feel."
"The Sith rely on passion for strength," Anakin said, "but when that passion run
s dry, what's left?"
"Perhaps nothing. Perhaps a great deal. Perhaps it never runs dry at all. Who ca
n say?"
"They think inward, only about themselves."
"And the Jedi don't?"
"The Jedi are selfless-we erase the self, to join with the flow of the Force. We
care only about others..."
Palpatine again gave him that smile of gentle wisdom. "Or so you've been trained
to believe. I hear the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in your answers, Anakin. What do
you really think?"
Anakin suddenly found the ballet a great deal more interest¬ing than Palpatine's f
ace. "I... don't know anymore."
"It is said that if one could ever entirely comprehend a single grain of sand-re
ally, truly understand everything about it-one would, at the same time, entirely
comprehend the universe. Who's to say that a Sith, by looking inward, sees less
than a Jedi does by looking out?"
"The Jedi-Jedi are good. That's the difference. I don't who sees what."
"What the Jedi are," Palpatine said gently, "is a group of very powerful beings
you consider to be your comrades. And you are loyal to your friends; I have know
n that for as long as I have known you, and I admire you for it. But are your fr
iends loyal to you?"
Anakin shot him a sudden frown. "What do you mean?"
"Would a true friend ask you to do something that's wrong?"
"I'm not sure it's wrong," Anakin said. Obi-Wan might have been telling the trut
h. It was possible. They might only want to catch Sidious. They might really be
trying to protect Palpa¬tine.
They might.
Maybe.
"Have they asked you to break the Jedi Code? To violate the Constitution? To bet
ray a friendship? To betray your own values?"
"Chancellor-"
"Think, Anakin! I have always tried to teach you to think- yes, yes, Jedi do not
think, they know, but those stale answers aren't good enough now, in these chan
ging times. Consider their motives. Keep your mind clear of assumptions. The fea
r of losing power is a weakness of both the Jedi and the Sith."
Anakin sank lower in his seat. Too much had happened in too short a time. Everyt
hing jumbled together in his head, and none of it seemed to make complete sense.
Except for what Palpatine said.
That made too much sense.
"Anakin-are you familiar with The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?"
Anakin shook his head.
"Ah, I thought not. It is nota story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend
, of a Dark Lord who had turned his sight inward so deeply that he had come to c
omprehend, and mas¬ter life itself. And-because the two are one, when seen clearly
enough-death itself."
Anakin sat up. Was he actually hearing this? "He could keep someone safe from de
ath?"
"According to the legend," Palpatine said, "he could directly influence the midi
-chlorians to create life; with such knowledge, to maintain life in someone alre
ady living would seem a small matter, don't you agree?"
A universe of possibility blossomed inside Anakin's head. He murmured, "Stronger
than death..."
"The dark side is a pathway to many abilities some would consider unnatural."
Anakin couldn't seem to get his breath. "What happened to him?"
"Oh, well, it is a tragedy, after all, you know. Once he has gained this ultimat
e power, he has nothing to fear save losing it. To safeguard his power's existen
ce, he teached the path toward it to his apprentice."
"And?"
"And then his apprentice killed him in his sleep," Palpatine said with a careles
s shrug. "It's ironic: he can save anyone in the galaxy from death-except himsel
f."
Anakin turned to face his mentor. " Would it be possible to learn this power?"
Palpatine regarding him with that smile of gentle wisdom.
"Not from a Jedi."
Episode 3 Chapter 5
The Life and Times of Buffy Anne Summers-Skywalker
====BtVS====
Buffy tiredly made her way to her quarters. It had been a long day and Buffy was
worried about what Palpatine wanted with her brother now. Add on to that the wa
y he had been acting recently... well, it made for a worried Buffy.
Settling down on the couch in her small apartment at the temple, she glanced aro
und at the sparse decorations. She used to hate the lack of personalization that
personified the life of the Jedi, but after Jacen...Buffy sighed. It still hurt
to think about them - to think about him - but she was beginning to think that
she would never really start to get over his death until she talked to someone a
bout it. She looked over to the corner of the room where she had a small holotra
nsmitter installed and sighed again.
Maybe she could kill two birds with one stone.
====BtVS====
Shmi Skywalker bustled around the kitchen on Tatooine, preparing some fresh java
juice for her husband when her holo-net transceiver beeped. She quickly moved o
ver to the desk where her son had had the receiver installed a few years ago and
switched it on. A smile immediately played over her lips as she saw who was on
the other end.
"Buffy!"
On the screen, her adopted daughter smiled back. "Hey, Mom. How are you?"
"How am I? How are you!" Shmi exclaimed. "I've wanted to speak with you since yo
u were found..."
"I know, Anakin told me," Buffy replied with a sigh. "I'm sorry it's taken so lo
ng, but I've been swamped up here. They put me on the Council - how screwed up i
s that?"
"Anakin told me that," Shmi replied, a small smile on her lips "Congratulations.
"
"Thank you," Buffy replied. Before she could stall anymore, Shmi spoke.
"Buffy, I know why you've called," she said simply. The Slayer sighed and folded
her shaking hands.
"Don't know how you could figure it out," Buffy muttered, her voice strained. Bu
t Shmi was smiling that knowing smile that Buffy had really missed after all of
these years.
"Call it mother's intuition," Shmi replied fondly, settling back against a table
and waiting for her adopted daughter to continue. She knew better than to press
her... if Buffy wanted to come to her, she was going to have to do it on her ow
n.
"I don't know where to begin"
"Why not at the beginning?"
Buffy chuckled. "Yeah, I guess that would be a good place to start." Taking a de
ep breath, Buffy prepared herself to plunge into her past.
====BtVS====
It was a pretty straight-forward mission. Go to Corellia, scout around, and repo
rt on any enemy activity. Corellia is an interesting planet - strategic-wise. Th
ey produce some of the fastest and strongest ships in the Galaxy, but at the sam
e time most of the people who design or build the ships are already off-planet a
t other shipyards closer to the core. So while it would be preferred to have the
planet free, it wasn't 'strategically necessary', as they said in the Senate.
Freakin' politicians.
Anyway, the Council decided I would be the best person for the job, since I was
practically born to sneak around undetected. I wasn't as good of a flyer as Ani,
 but the intel we got only suggested a small Separatist contingent on the planet
and no aerial support.
Freakin' intel...
====BtVS====
"Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh bun ur-tze!" Buffy cried as her sta
rfighter was pounded by another Separatist defense platform. "No defenses, my as
s! R-6, broadcast this on all emergency frequencies!" Buffy cried as she despera
tely tried to dodge the energy beams lancing out at her ship from the half dozen
defense platforms in orbit around the besieged planet. "To all Republic forces,
this is Jedi Skywalker! Intel wrong! Corellia heavily fortified - defense platf
orms and capital ships! I repeat, this is¬-" Before she could finish, a bolt hit h
er ship, blasting apart R-6 and knocking out her communications. "Oh, crap!" she
cried then, making a split-second decision, she pushed the stick down and sent
her ship plummeting towards the planet.
In an instant, she was slicing through the atmosphere while still dodging energy
beams. Just before she broke through to the inner atmosphere, a lucky shot stru
ck the back of her ship, destroying one of the two Ion engines. The starfighter
started to spin down, hopelessly out of control.
Well, hopeless for a normal person, not for a Slayer. Or a Jedi. And Buffy happe
ned to be both. With considerable effort, she managed to bring her starfighter o
ut of its spin and into a straight, if steep, decent course. With her instrument
s knocked out, she frantically looked out through her canopy for a clear area to
land, and saw an open field about 5 miles south of a newly walled city.
Must be turning the bigger cities into detention camps. Buffy thought. Damn, the
y've been here longer than we thought.
A few moments later her ship was crashing through the thick trees that surrounde
d the clearing, shearing off the wings of her ship and rocking it so hard that B
uffy felt like a bobble-head, her head was being forced around so much. As she e
xited the trees, the nose of her ship immediately plummeted and her destroyed sh
ip crashed into the soft earth. It skidded a few yards before finally grinding t
o a halt.
"Flying is for droids," Buffy groaned as she undid her flight harness, then reac
hed back behind her head and grasped the two emergency canopy release levers. Sh
e pulled and then winced as the explosive bolts blasted the cracked canopy clear
of the ship. Gingerly she climbed out of the wreckage, looking over herself for
any injuries. Finding nothing serious, she glanced mournfully at her ship.
"Well, I'm not going anywhere in that again," she mumbled to herself. "Looks lik
e I'm stuck here." She quickly threw her robe back into the wreckage, leaving he
r clad in her dark pants, shirt and vest. She hooked her lightsaber to her belt
and then reached into her ship one last time and activated the self destruct.
====BtVS====
I knew I wasn't leaving in my ship, so I decided to destroy it. That way, when t
he droids came to investigate, they'd find a completely destroyed ship and think
the pilot had been vaporized. At least, that's what I hoped.
I decided to make my way back to the city I had seen. On the way there, I found
out I hadn't actually landed in a forest - it was actually a park that had been
in a rural area of the city. When the Separatists came, they turned the major ci
ties into interment camps, and had decimated the rural towns. I saw a lot of dea
d - the Corellians didn't go down without a fight.
I found what looked to be the main road that headed into the city and started wa
lking down it. Of course, that proved to be a monumentally stupid idea, since I
hadn't been walking for five minutes when I stepped on something...
====BtVS====
Click
Buffy looked down and then groaned.
Landmine. I had to step on a landmine. Out loud, she merely muttered. "Snafu."
"Bless you."
Buffy head whipped up to spot a figure leaning casually against the remains of a
light pole. He was tall and well built, with sandy brown hair and blue eyes tha
t would melt a girl's heart. His rugged good looks were offset though, in Buffy'
s mind, by the smart-ass smirk that played across his otherwise handsome feature
s.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" he asked in a mocking voice. "Looks like
I caught a Separatist spy. Though I don't think I've ever caught one as good loo
king before."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Are you blind?" she asked, gesturing to her outfit - obv
ious Jedi garb. "Do I look like a Separatist?"
"Dooku's a Jedi," the man retorted, the look on his face tensing.
"Dooku was a Jedi."
"Whatever. Point is funny clothes and a lightsaber on your belt don't mean squat
around here."
Buffy groaned in annoyance. "Look, I was on a reconnaissance mission for the Rep
ublic when my ship was shot down. I was heading into the town to look for any re
sistance movement so I could find out what the hell's going on here."
"Well, I got good news and bad news for you, sweetheart. Good news - you found t
he resistance. Bad news - I'm not inclined to believe your bullsh-"
In an instant, Buffy leapt to the side, using the Force to fling the landmine in
the opposite direction. She tucked and rolled as it exploded, coming up on one
knee with her lightsaber drawn. The man had drawn his own blaster and fired. Buf
fy easily deflected the shot back at the man; the deflected bolt blew apart the
blaster. With a quick shout of pain, he drew a holdout blaster in his left hand
and fired once more. Buffy again deflected the bolt, this time into the man's le
g. Then she leapt up, closing the distance between them within moments and used
her saber to slice clean through the blaster's barrel. She quickly brought the b
lade back around, holding it just under his chin.
"Well, I got good news and bad news for you, sweetheart," she snarled. "Bad news
is you're going to limp for a while. Good news is I'm not going to kill you. No
w I told you - I'm not the bad guy. And since I appear to be stuck here for now,
I'm going to do you and your resistance a favor and help out. So get up and lim
p your ass back to the city."
The man sighed in defeat and then held out a hand for help up. Buffy deactivated
her saber and cautiously helped him up. "Fine, I'll take you into the city. But
you pull any funny stuff and my boys will take you out, got it."
"I'm quaking with fear," Buffy replied dryly.
"Right," he replied. Then after a moments hesitation asked, "You got a name?"
"Buffy Summers-Skywalker, Jedi Knight," Buffy replied after a moment. "What's yo
urs?"
"Solo," he replied solemnly. "Jacen Solo."
====BtVS====
They walked in silence for about a mile when suddenly Jacen stopped and pointed
to a dilapidated house. It was a wreck - holes in the ceiling, scorch marks on t
he permacrete walls and windows blown out from explosions.
"In here," Jacen said as he led the Jedi woman into the ruined home. They reache
d the middle of the home and Jacen bent down and threw off a small rug that was
concealing a trap door. He opened it and gave her a wicked grin.
"Down we go," he said as he jumped down the hole. Buffy smirked when a moment la
ter she heard him yelp in pain.
"Down we go," she muttered to herself as she jumped down the hole. She landed in
a small stream of water, not even a foot thick. She glanced around and groaned.
"Of course, I end up in a sewer." She inhaled, and then gagged at the stench. S
he turned to Jacen and glared. "What a beautiful smell you've discovered."
Jacen shrugged. "Old sewer system. Not used for much now except to catch storm o
verflow. Of course, a lot more than water's been pouring down the drains recentl
y." He pulled at a chain that dangled from the opening, causing the trap door to
slam shut. "Camps about twenty clicks due south. Let's get a move on."
The tow walked (or in Jacen's case, limped) in silence for a while. Finally, Jac
en looked over to the Jedi.
"What kind of name is Summers-Skywalker?" he asked. "I thought Jedi couldn't get
married."
"I'm not married. I was adopted. Skywalker is my adopted name. Summers was my re
al name," she replied.
"Thought Jedi couldn't have families."
Buffy chuckled. "I wasn't exactly the normal Jedi. Neither was my brother for th
at matter."
They neared the end of the tunnel and Buffy saw a door guarded by a large, burly
, dark fellow whose attire was vastly different from his dirty surroundings.
"That you, Solo?" the man called out in a deep, booming voice.
"Yeah, it's me," Jacen replied, coming to a halt in front of the guard. "Everyth
ing okay, Darcen?"
"Yeah, everything's calm. No sign of the Seps, unless you brought one with ya?"
he added, looking over Buffy for a moment before his eye's widened. "Hey, you're
a Jedi!"
"Was it the outfit that gave it away?" Buffy asked dryly. Darcen chuckled, and t
hen looked over Jacen again. "What happened to your hand, Solo?"
Jacen fought hard to fight down his embarrassment over being taken down so easil
y by such a small girl. "Uh...my blaster overloaded."
Buffy looked over at Jacen with a deadpan expression.
"And your leg?"
"Tripped."
Buffy's eyebrow rose. And form the look on Darcen's face, he didn't buy it eithe
r.
"Right, Jacen. You didn't get your ass handed to you by the Jedi."
Jacen looked indignant. "Hey! I did not get my ass kicked by the vanilla midget
over there!"
"It's true," Buffy replied. "What I did to him was over so fast it didn't count
as an ass kicking."
Darcen chuckled. "Tomasen is looking for you, Jacen. He'll probably want to say
hello to you as well, Jedi." He turned and opened the door. "Welcome home."
====BtVS====
"You look like bantha poodoo, Solo," Thomasen said as the two made their way int
o the Rebel commander's office. His gaze shifted over to Buffy. "Who the hell ar
e you?"
Buffy bristled slightly at his tone, but otherwise stayed calm. "Buffy Summers-S
kywalker, Jedi Knight. And who the hell are you?"
The Rebel commander smiled. "Colonel Therance Thomasen, formerly of the Corellia
n Armed Forces. I'm helping to run this little rebellion here, along with a few
others. And what about you, Jedi Skywalker? Why are you here?"
"I was on a reconnaissance mission, trying to find out if the Separatists had ta
ken the planet or not. I guess our intelligence was a little inaccurate coz when
I got here, I found the planet taken and surrounded by ODP's."
"And I'm guessing the Orbital Defense Platforms shot you down?" the Colonel aske
d. Buffy just nodded. "Well, you're going to be stuck here for a while. Coms are
jammed, traffic off planet is non-existent. They got the civvies working in pla
nts cranking out Vulture Droids, while the rest suffer in the internment camps.
They put the camps in the large cities so we would have no place to grow food, w
hich is becoming scarcer everyday. Right now we got a working resistance movemen
t, three thousand strong and growing."
"Well, seeing as I'm not going anywhere Colonel, I'd like to offer my help to yo
ur cause."
"We appreciate all the help we can get, especially from a Jedi," Thomasen replie
d, his eyes gazing over her calculatingly. "Never seen one of you in action befo
re. You sure your game?"
"I didn't create this situation. I'm just dealing with it," Buffy replied. "In t
he meantime, you got a place for me to stay?"
"Sure. You can stay with Solo."
"What?"
Thomasen glanced at Jacen, his lips tightening. But the meaning in his eyes was
clear. "He won't bite."
"Are you crazy? You want me to stay with him?"
Jacen's eyes swept over to her, frowning slightly. "There's nothing wrong with m
e!"
"Try saying that before you shoot me next time," she muttered furiously.
"Let me put this another way," Thomasen said in a tired voice, crossing his arms
and gazing thoughtfully at the Jedi. "You can stay with Jacen. Or you can go up
to the Separatists and take your chances with them."
It was so not a good choice from where she was standing. "I can," she sighed, ad
mitting her defeat by throwing her hands in the air.
"She can?" they both asked at the same time.
====BtVS====
Jacen was fortunate enough, if you could call it fortune, to be living in the ci
ty when it was walled in. As a result, he still had his apartment, which was rat
her spacious and had a few extra rooms for impromptu guests, like me. It was als
o home to his son, a little boy named Han...
====BtVS====
"Who are you?"
Buffy hadn't even stepped through the door when the question hit her. She looked
down and saw a small, lanky boy with messy brown hair and dazzling blue eyes lo
oking up at her suspiciously. Buffy quirked an eyebrow.
"I'm Santa Claus," she replied dryly. "Are you one of the elves?" When the boy's
brow furled in confusion, Buffy sighed. "Nobody gets me."
"This is my son, Han. Han, this is the Van-"
"Say it and I take out your other leg," Buffy growled.
"Buffy Summers-Skywalker, Jedi Knight," Jacen adjusted smoothly. "She'll be stay
ing here for a while. So why don't you go set the table for one more - I'm sure
we're all starving."
"Alright, Dad," Han said, casting one more curious glance at the Jedi before hea
ding into the dining room. Buffy looked at the bemused smile on Jacen's face.
"Cute kid," she said. Jacen nodded.
"He's just feeling you out," he replied. After a moment, he added, "I think he l
ikes you."
"What happened to his mom?" she asked gently, already sensing the answer. Her su
spicions were confirmed when she saw sadness pass over his face.
"She died about a year after he was born," he replied softly, "lingering complic
ations from childbirth. Jaina was never a very healthy woman and giving birth to
ok its toll on her."
"I'm sorry," Buffy replied sincerely. "My mom died not very long before I came h
ere. I'm sorry for your loss."
Jacen smiled sadly. "And I'm sorry for yours."
====BtVS====
Dinner that night was unusually...warm, I guess. I hadn't felt like that since t
he dinners you, Ani, and I used to have, or the family dinners I used to have wi
th Dawn and Mom. Han reminded me a lot of Dawn - very inquisitive, verging on an
noying.
====BtVS====
"So, where are you from?"
Buffy looked up from her meal (Jacen, it turns out, was a pretty good cook) and
looked to the young boy sitting across from her.
"From a long ways away. But more recently, I've been living on Coruscant."
"And you're a Jedi?"
"That's right."
Han looked over the blonde Jedi for a moment. "Is your name really Buffy?"
Buffy couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, technically it's Elizabeth," she replied
. "But everybody calls me Buffy."
"I heard Jedi are supposed to be, like, super-soldiers. Is that true?" he asked.
Buffy chuckled.
"We prefer to consider ourselves more as peacekeepers than soldiers," she chided
gently. Jacen scoffed and shook his head.
"Please," he said with an air of dismissal in his voice. "Hokey religions and an
cient weapons aren't a match for a good blaster by your side. You just remember
that, Han, and you'll be fine."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, cause that blaster worked so well for you."
"It malfunctioned," Jacen said through gritted teeth.
"Yeah," Buffy replied, then passed a sly look over the man as he finished off hi
s drink. "So, does your 'weapon' malfunction often, then?"
Jacen choked on his wine, nearly spraying the table. "Never happened before. Not
going to happen again," he replied, doing his best to hide his embarrassment fr
om his son. Buffy smirked and took a sip of her wine. Han, meanwhile, just looke
d back and forth between the two adults.
"Are you two talking about sex?" he asked, causing Buffy to spray her wine over
her plate. Jacen looked at his son, thunderstruck.
"What, exactly, are they teaching you in that school of yours?"
====BtVS====
The first few months on Corellia were particularly hard for me. Mostly, it was d
ue to Jacen. I hadn't met anyone like him since Angel - handsome, in an annoying
type of way. He found a way to get on my nerves at every and any given opportun
ity, but at the same time he proved himself to be an effective tactician and abl
e leader.
My other problem was keeping up with my meditations and training. The Corellians
weren't particularly fond of the Jedi - they felt that the Jedi thought that th
ey were beneath them, not worthy of their attention. As Jacen told me one night
after a mission - given the fact that the Jedi considered themselves peacekeeper
s they had been conspicuously absent from Corellia during their many recent conf
licts.
Couldn't say I blamed them, as they had a point.
Still, I slowly earned their respect. During my first year there, I went on seve
ral raiding missions with Jacen and his team. Droid factories, shipyards, intell
igence centers- anyplace we could hit to put a dent in the separatist war machin
e, we hit. I found myself grateful for all of the training Giles had instilled o
n me back in my Slayer days - all that stealthy stuff really came in handy. And
slowly the rest of the resistance fighters came to respect, if not accept, my Je
di abilities. Soren, one of Jacen's running buddies, was a bit of a mechanical w
iz, and even managed to build me a remote training droid to keep up my lightsabe
r skills. Han got a kick out of watching me practice...
After a year there, though, I found myself conflicted. When I was on missions, I
couldn't really act like a Jedi - to advertise a Jedi's presence there would br
ing the wrath of the Separatists fully down upon the innocents. I found myself r
everting more and more to my 'Slayer side', as I called it. While I tried to fol
low the Jedi teachings that had been drilled into me by Master Windu over the pa
st ten years when I was off mission, on mission I let it all go.
As a Slayer, I always found strength in my emotions, in my attachments. I wouldn
't have survived as long as I did without my friends, my family, and the people
I loved. Now I've never told anybody this, Mom, not Master Windu, not even Anaki
n. Ever since I began to feel the Force, I've felt the call of the Dark Side. I'
ve felt the temptation to use that power. But I never touched it - I've seen wha
t can happen when a Slayer goes dark; I had no desire to repeat that. And I thin
k it was my unique insight into that Darkness that allowed me to totally resist
its call. But that's why most Jedi aren't allowed to form attachments; to know l
ove. That's the reason we haven't been to visit since we rescued you- those kind
of attachments could, eventually, lead to the Dark Side. Master Windu wasn't en
tirely pleased about our reconnecting with you, though he understood why we did.
But when I was out on a mission, I allowed myself to tap into that emotion once
more, to become the Slayer.
Of course tapping into those emotions ended up opening a whole new can of worms.
..
====BtVS====
"Hey, Buffy - come here!"
"We're on a mission, Soren."
"Come on, you got to see this!"
Buffy sighed, resigned to dealing with the hyperactive genius. Jacen's team - wh
ich consisted of Jacen, herself, Soren and Darcen had infiltrated one of the pub
lic storage hangars that had serviced private freighters during peacetime in hop
es of hacking into the Separatist's intelligence files, which could only be acce
ssed through certain secured terminals throughout the occupied territories. Righ
t now they were in. The hanger had been shut down by the Corellian Engineering C
orporation shortly before the war and turned into a permanent storage facility t
o house inactive ships and prototypes. But it was still hooked up to their netwo
rk and therefore an extremely valuable resource for the Rebels.
Buffy silently made her way over to where the younger man had hidden himself beh
ind some storage crates. "What?"
Soren smiled and nodded his head towards the far end of the hanger, where a star
ship sat on its own. It was a sleek design - a saucer, the front drawn out into
two prongs; its rear taken up by engines. The cockpit was offset to the right si
de, instead of the standard place up front. Buffy whistled quietly.
"Nice. What is it?"
"Your competition," Soren replied. Buffy sputtered.
"W-what are you talking about?" she demanded. "Competition for what?"
"That right there is Jacen's other baby," Soren said simply. "The Millennium Fal
con. YT-1300 freighter. Jacen's been working on her for the past year. Claims sh
e's the fastest ship in the quadrant."
"I got her up to point two past lightspeed," Jacen whispered as he came up behin
d them, Darcen in tow. "Come on Liza - we got what we need; let's get out of her
e."
The four quickly made their way back out into the deserted streets and past the
two droid guards that never detected their presence. Jacen handed the holodisk o
ver to Soren for analysis and then he and Buffy parted ways, heading for home.
They walked in silence for a time, doing their best to act like a young couple i
n love to avoid arousing the suspicions of the occasional guards that roamed the
streets.
"So, how long were you working on the Falcon?" she asked as they walked back to
his apartment.
"Two years," he replied. "It's kind of a surprise for Han, so I'd appreciate it
if you didn't say anything. I was planning on taking him with me on my next run
- kind of like a bonding deal, you see."
Buffy smiled. "That sounds nice." Jacen chuckled ruefully.
"I wasn't always the best dad," he explained. "I took the death of his mother ha
rd and at times Han suffered for it. It was going to be my way of showing him ho
w much I care about him."
There was another pause before Buffy finally got up the courage to ask. "Why did
Soren call it my 'competition'?"
"Yeah - well, some of the guys are under the impression that we're..." he traile
d off, but Buffy saw where he was going. She felt her body tense for the same ar
guments she had been fighting since she'd first met Angel, but found that the re
sistance had been aided by something that sounded a lot like Obi-Wan's voice in
the back of her head.
"That's ridiculous," Buffy said defiantly, but something inside of her belied th
ese words. "I'm a Jedi, for cryin' out loud. Those kinds of attachments are forb
idden." She glanced away, unable to look at him. "Aren't they?"
Jacen sighed. "You're not exactly the typical Jedi, though... are you?" he asked
. At her stricken look, he pressed on. "Look, Liza. I've seen the way you look a
t me sometimes. And if it makes it easier for you, I've been looking at you that
way too..."
"Jacen-"
"Han already loves you..."
"Jacen, stop...please..." She was begging now. The dull ache deep within itself
was burning brighter than any Corellian star. It almost hurt to breathe...
"Damn it Liza! I haven't felt like this about anyone since Jaina died!" he conti
nued quietly. He stopped suddenly and reached for her. He felt her tremble as sh
e glanced up at him. She forced herself to look away, but his hand reached out t
o touch her chin, tipping her gaze back to his. She had never seen his eyes so i
ntense... "I think I'm falling in love with you."
"I can't do this, Jacen," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks, drippi
ng from her chin. His thumbs gently pushed the tears from her face, his gaze str
ong and steady. "Don't ask me to do this."
"Because you're a Jedi."
"Because I'm a Jedi, yes," Buffy said, swallowing hard and glancing away. She pu
shed his hand from her and crossed her arms, struggling to control her emotions.
What was wrong with her?
"And because every person you've ever loved has left you," Jacen finished. Buffy
lowered her head, and Jacen ran his hand through his hair. "Look Liza...Buffy..
.I know you haven't had an easy life. And I'm not making it any easier on you wi
th this. But I love you, Jedi or not. This past year with you... I've never felt
more alive. And I'm not willing to drop this, because of a code you happen to f
ollow on occasion. Or because of fear, Liza."
Buffy glanced at him, the ache now pounding in her ears. She longed to reach out
and accept his open arms but at the same time, both her Code and her past pains
came back to her. As he reached out and gently touched her face, she stared at
him with haunted eyes.
"You are the bravest person I've ever met and that's saying something. You've fa
ced horrors that I can't even begin to imagine. All I'm asking is for you to giv
e us a chance. Please."
Buffy looked at Jacen, unable to speak or even think. "I-" she started, backing
away from him. "I... got to go... I've got to go think..." With that, she turned
and bolted away, leaving Jacen sad and alone.
"Take all the time you need, Liza," he whispered. "I ain't going nowhere."
====BtVS====
Jacen's admission had shaken me up. A lot. Because, no matter how hard I tried t
o deny it, I was in love with him, too. And there had been times, while I had be
en meditating, when I'd see flashes of us, together. Of a child, with my blond h
air and his blue eyes... but I thought those were just day dreams. School-girl f
antasies that had no place in the mind of a Jedi.
But as I was walking, I began to ask myself if I was a true Jedi anymore. I mean
, I still believed in the teachings and I still believed in using the Force for
the good of all people. But I wasn't at the temple anymore. I wasn't in contact
with the rest of the Jedi - for all I knew, they thought I was dead. And for all
I knew, I would be stuck on this planet for the rest of my life. Then I started
asking myself a question I hadn't though of in years - when have I served manki
nd enough for me to settle down and have my own life? When have I given enough?
I was a Slayer, a Jedi, a big sister...when would I get the chance to be a wife?
A mother...
Master Yoda had always gone on about 'The Will of the Force'. About how the Forc
e controlled our destinies. I thought back to my dreams of Jacen and me, of the
baby and wondered if maybe the Force was trying to tell me that I wasn't needed
anymore. That my time had come and I could enjoy my reward for all of the sacrif
ices I had made. I spent hours sitting in the small park near Jacen's apartment
thinking about it. After a surprisingly short while, I made my decision.
====BtVS====
Buffy walked into the Solo apartment and quietly closed the door. She turned to
see Jacen sitting in his favorite chair facing the door.
"Hey," he said, rising from the chair. With three quick strides, Buffy crossed t
he room and grabbed his shirt, pulling him into her and pressing her lips into h
is in a searing kiss. After a few moments, she pulled away. "Liza?" he asked, as
tounded blue eyes meeting hazel.
"I'm tired, Jacen," she said with a small smile. "All my life, I've put the want
s and needs of everybody else in front of mine. And I'm tired. I don't want to b
e a Slayer anymore. I don't want to be a Jedi."
"Then what do you want?" he asked. Buffy smiled.
"I want a family. I want a husband, I want children," she looked into his eyes.
"I want you." Damn it all to heck if she was going to start crying again.
Jacen smiled, but it quickly slipped away. "What about the Council? What will th
ey say?"
"I've recorded a message to the Council. Told them I was resigning. As soon as t
he communications blackout falls, I'll send it. But for all intents and purposes
, I'm no longer a Jedi." She took a deep breath, the freedom of it all coming on
to her shoulders. "I chose me... and you and Han."
Jacen's smile returned in full force. "So, what do you want to do now?" he asked
softly, reaching out to touch her.
She closed the distance between him, her hands bringing his face to hers. Her li
ps were teasing as they brushed to his. His arms moved down her back as her body
arched into his. It felt so incredible to be here, in this moment, at this time
... it was the most beautiful moment she had seen in a long time and there was n
o way in hell she was going to let it go. Pulling away to catch her breath, she
felt him raining kisses down her throat. Her hands slowly moved to slip beneath
his shirt as she pulled him closer.
Her hands moved over his skin, taking in every last inch. The ache deep within h
er broke and she moved to kiss him again. His hands caressed her bare skin and s
he moaned into the embrace.
It had been a long time since she'd felt beautiful and loved and wanted... after
many years of feeling like a tool, an object and a peace officer, she finally w
as able to feel again.
====BtVS====
We made love for the first time that night. The next morning, Jacen proposed to
me. He said he wanted to wait to actually get married until the war was over so
all of our friends and families could come to the wedding. I had no problem with
that - I wanted you and Ani there with me. Even though he is a Jedi, he's still
my brother. We also talked things over with Han, to make sure he was okay with
us getting married. Far from upset, he was happier than I had ever seen him. Of
course, part of that was due to him winning the betting pool on when his father
and I would finally get together.
That was a little annoying.
Turns out that making love wasn't the only thing we made that night, because six
weeks later I learned that I was pregnant. To be honest, learning that I was pr
egnant scared me. Even though I considered Han my son, I really wanted a child o
f my own. But at the same time, I was scared that I wouldn't make a good mother.
I was also scared that I wouldn't be able to help out Jacen's crew while I was
pregnant. Well, while I wasn't allowed to participate in missions anymore, I was
given the job of planning several raids over the course of my pregnancy. Turns
out I can be a pretty good tactician when I put my mind to it.
And then my little girl was born...
====BtVS====
Jacen leaned against the wall outside the door to Buffy room in the DC medical c
enter, his arm encased in a shiny new cast lined with Bacta strips. Han, flanked
by Soren and Darcen, ran down the hall to him.
"Is it here?" Han gasped as he came to a stop. "Is Mom okay?"
"What happened to your hand?" Darcen asked. Jacen winced as he gazed down at his
hand... he had yet to feel his hand...
"I held Liza's hand during labor. And I still can't feel a whole lot yet." Soren
and Darcen winced knowingly and Jacen looked down at his son. "Liza's fine, Han
. She's waiting for us. Come on," he added nodding his head at the door "Lets go
see them."
The four men entered the room and saw Buffy laying down on the bed, her hair and
forehead still damp with sweat, cradling a tiny bundle in her arms. She smiled
at her fiancé and her friends, and then looked down to Han.
"Hey, kid. You want to say hi to your sister?" At Han's eager nod, Buffy chuckle
d softly. "Well then, come here!"
Han made his way over to Buffy's bed, and then cautiously took the small baby in
his arms, automatically cradling her close to his own small body and propping h
er head up.
"Han, this is your sister - Joyce." She looked up at Jacen, her eyes shining. "J
oyce Jaina Solo."
====BtVS====
She was the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. Han loved her from the moment he
laid eyes on her - he told me once that he would always be there to protect her
. And Jacen - Jacen was wonderful. Even in a detention camp with limited supplie
s he still managed to find everything and anything Joyce needed, he and the guys
would find. Diapers, formula, a crib...anything she needed. And for the first t
ime in my life, I had a family of my own. It was the happiest five months of my
life...
And then one morning, I woke up...
====BtVS====
Buffy was in heaven.
She moaned pleasantly as strong arms gently wrapped around her slender body as s
he lay almost-sleeping in their small apartment in Internment Camp 13.
Their apartment.
Buffy never could have foreseen what her life had become over the past two years
. Her time actively involved in the war on a large scale had been limited. She h
ad worked with her brother and Obi-Wan on several early missions, fighting back
the Separatist forces. She had traveled with Masters Yoda and Windu all over the
Core, fortifying positions and building allies. She had especially liked her ti
me with the Wookies. For such large, imposing creatures, they really were giant
teddy bears.
It was in the second year of the war that she got her first solo assignment - tr
avel to Corellia, one of the few Core worlds to have fallen in the initial attac
ks, gather intel, and report back to the Council. It was an easy, in-and-out ass
ignment, with extraction due to take place a mere month after she had landed.
Of course, that was when the Separatists launched full-blown attacks that had pu
t Corellia deep behind enemy lines, and extraction had then proven impossible. S
o Buffy had moved onto plan 'B'- aid the resistance. And in aiding the resistanc
e, she had met the man who had stolen her heart - Jacen Solo. Rugged, roguish, a
daredevil and a hell of a pilot, Jacen was a widower and father of an eleven ye
ar old boy named Han. He was the leader of the local group of resistance fighter
s and, while he was happy for the help Buffy had offered, he wasn't impressed by
her status as a Jedi. For this, Buffy was grateful. She had to deal with enough
people who practically worshipped her because of what she could do with a light
saber, and was glad that Jacen seemed to genuinely appreciate her for herself an
d not her powers.
Over the two years she had been trapped on Corellia, she and Jacen had rapidly f
allen in love. It wasn't something she took lightly - her commitment to the Jedi
Order expressly forbid her from loving him. And yet she had felt her feelings f
or the Rebel leader grow deeper, until one day she was forced to make a choice -
the Jedi or Jacen. And after what seemed to be two lifetimes of being forced to
live for her commitment to her calling, she had decided that, this time, she wa
s due a little happiness. After all, she had seen what duty could do to destroy
people. Shortly thereafter, the two were engaged, to be married as soon as Corel
lia was freed. Buffy had sent her resignation to the Council along with her regu
lar status report hoping, as always, that it made it through the jamming.
Nine months later, their first daughter Joyce was born.
It was two months after that glorious day that Buffy found herself sighing in co
ntent as the familiar figure of her fiancé snuggled up behind her and nuzzled her
neck.
"Time to wake up, Liza," Jacen said softly, using the nickname he had given her
after they had started working together. As Buffy moaned reluctantly, he chuckle
d. "Come on. We both got jobs to do today."
Buffy shifted in the bed so she was facing him. "What, you're letting me out tod
ay?" she teased. "What about Joyce?"
"Han's going to watch her today. Take her to the park. Don't worry," he said off
of her look, "they'll be safe. The Separatists haven't attacked a camp in month
s, despite what we've been able to do."
Buffy grinned. "But if I stay in bed today, I might convince you to stay in bed.
..think of the possibilities..."
This time it was Jacen's turn to chuckle. "As inviting as that sounds - and beli
eve me, it does - I'm meeting with the other heads of the resistance. We're plan
ning a massive counterstrike to cripple their communications."
"And me?"
"And you get to check out the clearing about three clicks southwest of the camp.
Intel said some kind of vessel touched down there last night - might be some ki
nd of droid spy ship."
"And they want someone stealthy to check it out?" Buffy surmised and Jacen nodde
d.
"Exactly. And here's some news I got earlier today - the Republic has the Separa
tists on the run. I give it a few more weeks before your back-up finally gets he
re. And then," he wrapped his arms around the blonde, "you will officially becom
e Mrs. Buffy Solo; and we'll take Han and Joyce out in our ship for a nice, long
vacation."
Buffy giggled. "Yeah, I can't wait to finally break that ship in. Especially the
stateroom..." Her giggles dissolved as he tightened his grasp on her. Two slim
arms reached up to stretch over his neck. The two spent a few more precious minu
tes on the bed, just kissing and holding one another, before they finally pulled
apart.
"But that will be then. For now, I guess it's time I brought out my old clothes.
"
====BtVS====
And then she couldn't speak anymore.
Buffy was silent for several minutes and Shmi's heart went out to her surrogate
daughter; she would do anything to take Buffy's pain away from her, to make her
feel whole once more. But she knew she couldn't do it. She knew what it was like
to lose a child. And she knew that, unlike her, Buffy would never get her child
ren back. But the one thing she could do was listen and support her daughter con
sidering her life had been thrown in three hundred sixty degrees twice in the ne
arly as many years.
Buffy sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "That day, Obi-Wan and Anakin c
ame. The Seps attacked the camp and my family was wiped out. We managed to escap
e in the Falcon though I nearly ran it into a Sep cruiser. And that was my two a
nd a half years on Corellia in a nutshell."
"And now?" Shmi asked. "How are you now, Buffy?"
Buffy smiled. "It took a few weeks but I'm fine now. At peace. I accept that the
y're gone; but I know I'll see them again one day. And in the meantime, they let
me back into the Order - as a Master, no less. And that's a duty I will take se
riously and fulfill to the best of my ability." She decided against telling why
she was taking her duties so seriously, but with her brother's erratic behavior
and the Supreme Chancellor's request for power, she felt she was exactly where s
he was needed.
"And after the war, Buffy? What then?"
Buffy considered the question for a moment. "I can feel that the war is almost o
ver, Mom. When it is and everything settles down, I'll get Anakin and we'll come
and see you. I think we could both use some downtime." She stifled a yawn. "But
in the meantime, it's getting late and I still need to meditate."
"All right, sweet girl. I won't keep you anymore. Get some rest and take care of
yourself."
"Goodnight, Mom," Buffy said, reaching over to sever the connection. "Hopefully,
I'll see you soon." And with a click the connection was severed and Buffy was a
lone once more.
====BtVS====
Buffy sat on the small round couch in the corner of her room that she used for m
editating. Her legs were crossed beneath her, her arms rested in her lap and her
eyes were closed as she reached into the Force to calm her mind...
FLASH
Anakin was fighting a strange, pale woman with twin crimson lightsabers on a dis
tant planet. The planet's giant red moon was visible over the ruins as the woman
disarmed Anakin and then brought her twin blades down at her brother...
Anakin caught the woman's hands, stopping the blades decent. Using his mechanica
l hand, he squeezed her wrist until she yelled in pain and dropped the saber - w
hich Anakin calmly floated into his opposite hand -
Then, his eyes filled with rage, he attacked...
FLASH
Buffy saw Anakin walking in a darkened corridor. Everything ws pitch black - the
corridor, the man he was walking with, even Anakin seemed to be steeped in shad
ows, as if the Dark Side was trying its hardest to prevent her from seeing this
-
But the power of the Dark Side was nothing compared to the stubbornness of a Sum
mers' woman.
"They don't trust you, Anakin," the dark figure said to Anakin. "They see your f
uture. They know your power will be too strong to control. Anakin, you must brea
k through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you to k
now the subtleties of the Force."
Anakin looked at the dark figure suspiciously. "How do you know the ways of the
Force?"
"My mentor taught me everything about the Force..." the man continued in a frien
dly tone, "even the nature of the dark side."
"You know the dark side?" Anakin asked incredulously.
"Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspec
ts, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi," the man continued slowly. "
If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view
of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin." He paused, and though she couldn
't see his face, Buffy felt the man look at Anakin as if he was looking directly
into his soul. "They fear you. In time they will destroy you. Let me train you.
"
"I won't be a pawn in your political game," Anakin said somewhat defiantly. "The
Jedi are my family."
"Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know th
e dark side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from ce
rtain death."
What did he say?
"What did you say?" Anakin asked, suddenly fearful.
"Use my knowledge, I beg you . . ."
"You're a Sith Lord!" Anakin exclaimed as he ignited his lightsaber. The blue gl
ow of his blade couldn't penetrate the darkness around the other figure.
"I know what has been troubling you," the man continued. "Listen to me. Don't co
ntinue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council! Ever since I've known you, you've been
searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi . . . a life of signi
ficance, of conscience."
Don't listen to him, Ani.
"You're wrong!"
"Are you going to kill me?" he asked Anakin. The Jedi's reply was pained, yet st
eady.
"I would certainly like to."
"I know you would," the man said. She could practically sense the gloating smile
on the dark figure's masked features. "I can feel your anger. It gives you focu
s, makes you stronger."
Anakin raised his lightsaber to the man's throat, then slowly lowered it, deacti
vating the blade.
"I am going to turn you over to the Jedi Council," he said finally, an air of de
feat surrounding him. The man nodded.
"Of course you should. But you're not sure of their intentions, are you? What if
I am right and they are plotting to take over the Republic?"
WHAT? Ani, you can't be buying this crap!
"I will quickly discover the truth of all this," Anakin replied steadily. The ma
n nodded once more.
"You have great wisdom, Anakin," the man said. "Know the power of the dark side.
.. the power to save Padmé."
FLASH
Buffy's eyes snapped open and a gasp escaped her lips. She struggled to catch he
r breath, her heart pounding madly.
Anakin and Padmé are married? Something was starting to fall together, but at the
same time it felt as though it were breaking apart. Someone was trying to turn A
ni to the Dark Side...
"Oh, juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean-jan..."
====BtVS====
Author: Naitch03
Episode 3 Chapter 6
Confrontations
====BtVS====
Anakin sighed as he entered Padmé's apartment. It had been a very trying day and h
e was still trying to wrap his head around what the Chancellor had told him at t
he opera. As he walked into the bedroom, Padmé noticed his discomfort.
"Ani, what's wrong?" she asked, rising from the bed and moving behind her husban
d. She slid her arms around his waist as he shrugged off his heavy robes. "What'
s troubling you?"
"The Chancellor's men have found General Grievous. Tomorrow, I'll inform the Cou
ncil."
"That's wonderful!" Padmé exclaimed. "With Grievous defeated, the war will be over
."
"And we can finally be together," Anakin finished, smiling slightly as he turned
in his wife's arms and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Padmé noticed his still
distant expression and frowned.
"But you're still troubled," she said. "Ani..."
"It's nothing," Anakin assured her. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. Let
's go to bed, Padmé." He cut her off before she could press further. "The best thi
ng for me right now is for you to hold me in your arms."
====BtVS====
Several hours later, Padmé was awoken by a persistent ringing noise. It took a few
moments for her to realize the ringing was her door chime. Grumbling softly abo
ut the lack of privacy afforded to senators, she quietly rose from the bed and w
rapped her robe around her. Quickly she made her way to the door and jabbed the
panel beside it, opening the door. She gasped as she saw who stood just outside.
"Master Skywalker!" she exclaimed, loud enough so that her voice carried into he
r bedroom and alerted her sleeping husband. "What can I do for you this late in
the evening?"
"Oh, not much," Buffy responded evenly. "Just thought I'd pay you a visit. After
all, you're family now."
Padmé's voice hitched as a very un-lady-like thought flitted through her mind.
Oh shit...
Out loud, she merely said, "I don't know what..."
"Cut the crap, Padmé. I'm here to see your husband."
"I'm here."
Buffy looked past Padmé to see her brother make his way down from the bedroom. The
Slayer glanced at the stricken Senator, who sighed in resignation before standi
ng aside and letting her through.
"Anakin."
Her brother nodded in greeting. "Buffy. I knew you'd find out sooner or later. T
hough actually, I thought it'd be a bit sooner."
Buffy said nothing as she stalked towards her brother. She stopped in front of h
im for a moment, looking deep into his eyes as if looking for something. Then, w
ithout warning, her hand shot out -
... And grasped his ear, twisting it viciously.
"OW! Buffy!" Anakin practically shrieked as Buffy dragged her younger brother, b
y his ear, to the balcony.
"Wuh duh ma huh ta duh fung-kwong duh wai-shung doh!" she growled as she pushed
him into the rail. "I cannot believe this... BELIEVE you!"
"Buffy, wait..."
"You got married! The most momentous, most important day of your life... and you
 did it behind my back! I cannot believe you! How could you not include me in on
this?"
"Wait," Anakin interrupted, trying to sort though his confusion. "You're not mad
at me for breaking the code, you're mad at me for not telling you I was going t
o break the code?"
"Oh, fuck the code," Buffy said with a dismissive gesture. "I've never liked tha
t stupid code - thought it created more problems than it solved. And if I held t
hat against you, I'd be the biggest hypocrite in the galaxy." Her tone softened
as she gently placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm pissed that you didn't trust me
enough to tell me. You should know I'd never put the Order ahead of you."
Anakin lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I wanted to tell you, but t
hen you were trapped on Corellia...and when you came back..."
"When I came back, and you heard what happened, you thought I would be upset," B
uffy finished. "Anakin, I was able to give it all up because I was trapped there
. If I hadn't been, things may have been very different. But you..." Buffy pause
d. "How long have you been married, anyhow?"
"We got married when I escorted Padmé back to Naboo after Geonosis." He replied. "
A little over three years now. And she's pregnant..."
Buffy squealed with delight. "Oh! Congrats, little bro..." she trailed off at th
e pained expression on his face. "Ani, what's wrong?"
The young Jedi sucked in a shuddering breath, then turned and placed his hands o
n the railing of the balcony. "I had a vision of her, Buffy. Of her dying in chi
ldbirth."
"Oh, Ani..."
"I'm not going to let it happen, Buffy. I've been looking into ways to stop it..
."
Buffy breath hitched. "Looking into what, Ani?"
Ani didn't look at Buffy; he just kept looking out at the towering city before h
im - a grand monument to mechanization. "Willow was able to save my mother, Buff
y. But she had a power that was far greater than mine." He turned quickly to fac
e his sister. "If I can find a way to become as powerful as her, I could save-"
For a moment, Anakin thought he had entered hyperspace. When he regained his sen
ses, however, he was sprawled on the floor; and he realized the spinning stars h
e was seeing were caused by Buffy's fist impacting with his jaw. He looked up at
his sister in shock.
"Gwai-gwai long duh dong!" he exclaimed, even as Padmé came running.
"Buffy, what-"
"Gwon nee tze-jee duh shr," she snapped at her sister-in-law. Looking back at An
akin, she scowled. The Jedi scowled right back.
"Don't talk to my wife like-"
"BEE-jway," she snapped. "Do you have any freaking idea what you are doing? The
forces you're messing with? Do you?" she stood over her brother, glaring down at
him like the ancient gods on high. "Guess what, junior. I've had dreams, too. D
o you want to know what are in my dreams? Death. Destruction. You in a dark corr
idor, being seduced to the Dark Side by some mysterious figure. You under a red
moon, killing a Sith assassin in rage. You, going through the Temple, killing Je
di, Younglings... you, in a black suit, under a mask, killing Jedi far into the
future. That's what I see. And now I learn the reason you go nuts is because you
're too stupid to ask me for help!"
She reached down with her mechanical arm and grasped his night shirt, than haule
d him back to his feet. The strength behind the pull suggested to Anakin that Bu
ffy could have easily lifted him off of the ground, had he not been so tall. "Yo
u see this arm, Anakin? This is what the Dark Side does. It doesn't give life. I
t destroys it. Willow's last, selfless act was to heal mom enough to save her li
fe. That wasn't the Dark Side, Ani. That was love.
"You know about my dreams, Ani. You know I get them to prevent things from happe
ning." She let go of his tunic then reached up with her flesh hand and stroked h
er brother's cheek. "I won't lose you to this, Ani. I refuse to lose you to this
."
Anakin looked to his sister with an anguished face. "I...I don't know what to do
, Buffy.... I'm so lost...." Finally, all of the fear, the anger, the frustratio
n that had been building over the past three years burst like a damn and Anakin
collapsed into his sister's arms, crying.
====BtVS====
A few minutes and many tears later, Anakin was sitting on the sofa, Buffy beside
him with a comforting arm on his shoulder. Padmé came out of the kitchenette with
a glass of blue milk she had had specially imported for her husband.
"Here, drink this," she directed Anakin, handing him the glass which he downed r
apidly. He handed the empty glass back to Padmé with a soft 'thank you' and then p
ut his head in his hands.
"Ani, what's going on?" she asked as she sat down next to him and took his hand
in hers.
"I've just been so...lost," he repeated. "Nothing makes sense anymore. The Counc
il doesn't trust me and then they ask me to do things that they've taught me my
whole life were wrong. Obi-Wan sides with them over me; I've learned thins that
make me question everything I believe in... I just don't know what to believe in
anymore."
"It'll be okay, Ani." Padmé said soothingly. "We'll figure this out. Together."
"How can we do that if you die, Padmé?"
"She's not going to die, Ani," Buffy said with finality. "That's the one thing t
hat I haven't seen."
"You can't see everything," Anakin pointed out.
"No, but I know that everything's connected," Buffy shot back. "My visions have
focused on you. I bet if I help you, Padmé will be fine."
"I don't follow..."
"You ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophesy?" Buffy asked, cutting him off. "S
imply put - YOU are the reason behind the prophecy. Hypothetically - you turn to
the Dark Side for help and, in your zeal to keep Padmé alive, you kill her. Then
I have to take you down."
Anakin looked indignant. "I would never-"
"No, you will never," Buffy interjected. She pulled out a small piece of flimsip
ast. "This is an all-access pass to the Archives. You're too much like me, Ani -
you won't stop searching for ways to help Padmé until you're sure you've found ev
erything. So I'm giving this to you. Look up the healing arts - with your power,
I think you could do wonders if you took the time to learn them. And look into
the Dark Side - I want you to see what really happens to people who dip into tha
t power. And I only want two things in return."
Anakin was staring at the flimsiplast in something akin to awe, and then looked
back to her sister. "What do you want from me?"
"First - you never, EVER cut me out of the loop like this again. Something big h
appens - you tell me. You need help? You ask me. You're my brother, Ani. You com
e first for me, you got it?"
"Yes."
"Good. Second, and most important - you never, EVER, use the Dark Side. I want y
ou to swear to me, Ani. I've lost my birth mother. I lost my sister. I even lost
Willow, but I'll be damned if I lose you. Swear to me, Anakin."
Anakin looked closely at his sister, and he was shocked by what he saw. Because
deep in her eyes, he saw the one thing he had never seen in her before.
Fear.
She was afraid. For him. Of losing him. Of losing her family - the only family s
he had left.
"I swear to you, Buffy. I won't fall to the Dark side," he said after a moment.
Anakin sighed in relief as he felt a great burden lift off of his chest. He was
going to be okay. Padmé was going to be okay. They would get through this.
Somehow.
====BtVS====
Meanwhile, a dark-robed figure stood in the Chancellor's office, looking down ov
er the city. His city. A symbol of his Republic and, if all went according to pl
an, his empire. Suddenly he felt something through the Force, something that cau
sed him to frown.
"Something vexing thee?" a slightly mocking voice asked. He didn't look over as
Darth Traya, Dark Lady of the Sith, moved to stand beside him.
Darth Sidious, also known as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, sneered. "I sense som
ething in the Force. It would appear that our plan to lure young Anakin Skywalke
r to the Dark Side has failed."
"You mean your plan to turn Anakin has failed miserably," she smirked as the all
powerful Sith Lord actually growled at her. "Never fear, My Lord," she continue
d smoothly. "I assure you, my plan will not fail."
"You are sure?"
"Positive. My compulsion spell is unbreakable. And the longer he is under it, th
e deeper into the Dark Side he will fall, until he is so far under, he calls you
Master willingly."
"That is something he would have been doing if that damnable sister had been eli
minated."
This time, Traya scowled. "That was unforeseeable. The damnable woman has a uniq
ue ability to cheat death. She should have died in orbit of Corellia. And when I
found out she was still alive on the planet's surface, she should have died wit
h her new 'family'."
"She should have died in the hangar on Geonosis."
"I never expected her to be able to deflect my lightening, let alone absorb it l
ike she did. It was a miracle she only lost her arm."
"Her sway over the boy is considerable," Sidious remarked. "She needs to be elim
inated for any plan to turn him to work."
"She does not need to be destroyed; merely distracted," Traya replied. "The Coun
cil will see to that. They will certainly send her after Grievous. And the insul
t of the Council giving this assignment to his sister will be a nice catalyst fo
r little Ani." She smiled cruelly. "It will make it easy to turn him."
Sidious nodded. "What of our other project?"
Now Traya shuffled nervously. "Ah, that would be a 'good news, bad news' report.
"
"Speak."
"The good news is that the test has been successful," Traya smiled proudly. "The
body was younger and healthier than the owner's original body, able to withstan
d the rigors of the rite. And the blending of the called soul was seamless. He w
as as he originally was, before he was cut down."
"So, we have done it," Sidious smiled. "We have found a way to cheat death."
Traya shrugged. "More like we've found a way back from death. You would still ha
ve to die... or at the very least, separate your spirit from your body."
"That can be accomplished easily, for a Sith," Sidious replied. "What of the bad
news?"
"He would not turn," Traya explained. "I spent the past two years trying and not
hing would work. So I ordered his execution."
"And he escaped," Sidious surmised and Traya nodded. "It makes little difference
. Soon the war will be over and the Jedi will be hunted down and eliminated."
Traya nodded, and then turned to look out upon the city. "By your command, my Ma
ster."
====BtVS====
Episode 3 Chapter 7
Departures and Discoveries
====BtVS====
The next morning, Anakin stood outside the Council chambers waiting for his sist
er to arrive. He had spent the rest of the night thinking on what Buffy had said
as well as thinking about his own recent behavior. The resulting conclusions he
'd reached didn't please him in the least.
"I hope you got some sleep last night," Buffy said as she moved up beside her br
other. Anakin smiled sheepishly.
"A little," he admitted. "But mostly I stayed up thinking. I haven't been a very
pleasant person recently, have I?"
"Well, that was the general point I was trying to get across," Buffy said with a
small grin. "You were under a lot of stress."
"And now I got a handle on it, thanks to you."
Buffy chuckled. "That's what big sisters are for, little bro." She waved at the
doors to the chambers. "Now let's get in there and mingle with the older guys."
Anakin nodded and started towards the doors. Suddenly he stopped and looked back
to his sister with an incredulous look on his face.
"Who are you calling 'little', midget?" he asked playfully. Buffy just swatted h
im on his arm.
"Watch it, you..."
====BtVS====
"Utapau?" Mace Windu asked, disbelief evident in his voice. "Grievous is on Utap
au?"
"Palpatine seems to think General Grievous is on Utapau," Ki-Adi-Mundi replied.
"But we have had no reports of this from our agents."
"How could the Chancellor have come by this information and we know nothing abou
t it?" Mace continued. "We have had contact with Baron Papanoida and he said no
one was there."
"A partial message was intercepted in a diplomatic packet from the Chairman of U
tapau," Anakin replied. The hologram of Yoda nodded in thought.
"Act on this, we must. The capture of General Grievous will end this war. Quickl
y and decisively we should proceed."
"Does everyone agree?" Obi-wan asked. All of the Jedi nodded there agreement. An
akin took a deep, cleansing breath and then continued.
"The Chancellor has requested that I lead the campaign."
Mace shot a look at Anakin. "The Chancellor doesn't dictate-"
"But I disagree," Anakin continued, bringing Mace up short. The Master's eyes na
rrowed as he regarded the young Jedi.
"Explain, Skywalker."
Anakin leaned forward, his hands on his knees. "Grievous has killed many Jedi. I
ndeed, it would appear that General Grievous was trained to kill Jedi. Sending a
ny more Jedi after him - be it me or you, Master Windu, would be foolish. Instea
d, we need to send someone that Grievous wouldn't know exactly how to fight. Som
eone who is more than a Jedi." He looked over to his sister with an almost apolo
getic smile. "We should send Master Skywalker."
"This is for me calling you 'little lrother', isn't it?" Buffy admonished with a
smirk.
"Before Buffy was a Jedi, she was a Slayer. Her fighting methods have always bee
n unorthodox for a Jedi -"
"So Grievous won't know exactly how to deal with it," Mace finished.
"Exactly, Master."
"Agree with Young Skywalker, I do," Yoda's hologram said. "But go alone, Master
Skywalker will not. Master Kenobi," Yoda turned to face the other Master, "with
Master Skywalker, you will go."
Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll alert Commander Cody and have the 212th Attack Battalion s
tanding by."
"I need to get something from my quarters so I'll meet you on the landing pad,"
Buffy said as she rose. The rest of the Masters followed suit.
"Very well. May the Force be with you all," Mace concluded, bringing the meeting
to a close. The holograms of the absent Masters flickered and faded away as the
rest of the Masters made for the exit. "Skywalker, remain for a moment."
Anakin stood with his hands clasped behind his back as the rest of the Masters f
iled out, until only he and Mace Windu remained. Mace didn't waste any time.
"Anakin, you know I've never been a fan of yours. I've found you to be reckless,
disobedient, overly emotional..."
"Don't hold back Master. Tell me how you really feel," Anakin said, somewhat irr
itably. Mace glared back at him.
"And your attachment to both your mother and your sister has always bothered me,
" Mace continued. "And these past few days, your behavior has been less than ste
llar. Until today when you put aside personal gratification and lust for power a
nd made the proper call in regards to Grievous."
"I had a long talk with my sister last night," Anakin replied evenly. "She made
me see a few hard truths about myself and how I've been behaving." He chuckled u
nder his breath, remembering the fierce hook and his sudden oblivion. "She has a
way of making you listen to her, even if you don't want to."
Mace chuckled in agreement. "I can't argue with that." His face suddenly sobered
. "Listen, Anakin. I've always been so hard on you because I believed your attac
hments would lead you down a dark path. But now I see how wrong I was in this ca
se. I can see how Buffy keeps you on the light path." Mace put his hand on Anaki
n's shoulder. "You are a powerful Jedi, Anakin. And someday soon you will sit on
this Council as a Master. Just be patient, and continue to show the wisdom you
displayed today."
Anakin bowed his head in respect. "Yes, Master Windu. Thank you for your confide
nce."
"Alright then, Anakin. Now let's go see your sister off," Windu said and the two
made their way out of the Council chambers.
====BtVS====
Buffy made her way quickly through her room, gathering what she believed she wou
ld need for her mission. She decided to forgo her normal Jedi garb, electing ins
tead to wear her Corellian wear - loose-fitting pants, a form-fitting tank top a
nd a Corellian officer's jacket that had belonged to Jacen. It was loose fitting
, allowing freedom of movement; yet tight enough that it didn't get in the way.
It also allowed her a place to store her lightsaber out of sight.
And speaking of lightsabers...
Buffy moved over to her desk and opened the bottom drawer. Carefully she removed
a slender metal box, a box she had placed in that drawer over thirteen years ag
o when she first moved into these quarters. She slowly opened the box and revere
ntly removed the slender metal and rubber cylinder from within.
About a foot long, rubber gripping covering almost the entire metal cylinder to
facilitate a two-handed grip that was popular with the older Jedi. None of the a
djustment knobs found on newer models; all adjustments were down within the focu
sing chamber. In fact, the only button on the device was its activation stud, lo
cated up near the emitter. With a small smile, she hit the activator and a green
bar of energy flared to life.
"I thought that had been destroyed at the funeral," her former Master's voice sa
id from the doorway. Buffy smiled and tuned to face Mace, who wore a rare smile
of his own.
"I came to wish you luck. Anakin was with me, but he had to stop off at the arch
ives. He asked me to tell you he'd see you before he left."
"You two have words?" Buffy asked, deactivating the lightsaber. Mace nodded.
"Yes, but they were mostly good."
"First time for everything," she replied. She held up the lightsaber for Mace to
see. "It was Qui-Gon's. I took it before the cremation. At first, I felt that i
f I couldn't save him, maybe I could use this," she gestured with the weapon, "t
o do some good in the universe. Maybe I still can."
"Two lightsabers are better than one?" Mace asked.
"Three with Obi-Wan's," Buffy replied.
Mace nodded in understanding. "Then I wish you well. May the Force be with you,
Buffy."
"You too," Buffy replied.
====BtVS====
A short time later, Buffy met Obi-Wan and Anakin down at the departure docks. Th
e two Jedi stood at the top of the boarding ramp that led to Obi-Wan's star dest
royer.
"Hey guys," she said, giving her brother a quick hug. "Sorry I'm late. Had to ge
t a few things."
"Nice outfit," Anakin commented. Buffy merely rolled her eyes.
"Thanks, bro," Buffy replied, patting his arm a bit harder than necessary. "You
gonna study while we're gone?"
"Yes, Master. I'm headed back to the Archives as soon as you leave."
"I'm sorry I can't stick around to help..."
"This mission needed a Slayer," Anakin assured her. "It's alright. Besides, you'
ve already helped me enough."
"Good," Buffy smiled and then looked to the massive ship in front of her. "Well,
I'm off. Take care, Ani."
"Be careful, Buffy," Ani said, watching his sister walk down the ramp. He then t
urned his attention on his former Master. "Master, I believe I owe you an apolog
y."
Obi-Wan looked confused. "An apology? For what?"
"My behavior over the past few days has been unacceptable," Anakin continued. "I
've disappointed you. I have not been very appreciative of your training . . . I
have been arrogant and I apologize. I was having...problems dealing with some p
ersonal issues."
"You are strong and wise, Anakin, and I am very proud of you. I have trained you
since you were a small boy and I have taught you everything I know. And you hav
e become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be and you have saved my l
ife more times than I can remember." He paused and looked at his former apprenti
ce in concern. "Is there anything I can do?" Obi-Wan asked, concerned for his fo
rmer apprentice. Anakin shook his head.
"No. Buffy's already helped me out. But when I get back, you and I will have a l
ong talk, I promise."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Alright then. I'll look forward to it."
Anakin smiled and then nodded at his mentor. "May the Force be with you, Master.
"
"And may the Force be with you as well, Anakin," Obi-Wan said before turning and
heading down the ramp.
====BtVS====
Meanwhile Padmé, Mon Mothma and Bail Organa sat in Padmé's living room with a few se
lect Senators discussing how best to bring back the democracy that had been subv
erted by Palpatine over years of war. With the end of the war in sight, the thre
e senators knew that the Chancellor must be reminded that the powers he now had
were given to him for the duration of the war and, when it ended, must be given
back. How to remind him of that, however, was a matter of debate.
"We cannot let this turn into another war," Padmé said, leaning forward on the cou
ch. Bail nodded.
"Absolutely, that is the last thing we want."
"We are hoping to form an alliance in the Senate to stop the Chancellor from fur
ther subverting the constitution, that's all," Mon Mothma added. Padmé looked thou
ghtfully out the window for a moment, considering.
"I know a Jedi I feel it would be wise to consult," she said finally. Mon Mothma
frowned.
"That would be dangerous," Bana Breemu said worriedly.
"We don't know where the Jedi stand in all this," Mon Mothma added.
"How many of you know of Master Buffy Skywlaker?" Padmé asked, looking at each Sen
ator in turn. Giddean Danu spoke up.
"She was the Jedi that was stranded on Corellia, was she not? I seem to recall s
ome controversy upon her return about what happened there."
Padmé nodded. "The controversy had more to do with personal issues than anything e
lse. The reason I bring her up is because she has voiced her opinions of the Cha
ncellor repeatedly. She is also a firm believer in democracy and her recent retu
rn has put her in favor with the rest of the Council."
"You know this how?" Bail inquired.
"I know this because I am friends with her," Padmé replied evenly. "We talk. The p
oint is she could be a powerful ally and could tell us how the Jedi feel about a
ll of this."
"Going against the Chancellor without the support of the Jedi is risky," Giddean
Danu said thoughtfully. "If we knew for sure that we had their support..."
"We have so many Senators on our side," Fang Zar said. "Surely that will persuad
e the Chancellor."
"When you present the 'petition of the two thousand' to the Chancellor, things m
ay change," Bana Breemu replied.
"Let us see what we can accomplish in the Senate," Bail decided after a moment,
"before we include the Jedi."
Padmé sighed in disappointment. "Very well."
====BtVS====
With Buffy and Obi-Wan off to capture Grievous, Anakin had decided to make use o
f Buffy's all-access pass to the Archives. As he wandered through the stacks, un
sure exactly where to start, he thought back to the previous night and what Buff
y had told him.
Look up the healing arts - with your power, I think you could do wonders if you
took the time to learn them. And look into the Dark Side - I want you to see wha
t really happens to people who dip into that power.
Anakin decided to start with the later, and headed to the Restricted Section. He
wandered through the stacks of holo-novels, selecting several of the older and
forbidden titles. He pulled several that dealt with the lore of the lost Jedi he
aling arts; techniques that hadn't been used in millennia. As he moved through t
he stacks, he found another holo-novel, stuck in the back recesses of the stacks
- one that immediately piqued his interest.
A History of the Sith
"Know thy enemy," Anakin murmured to himself as he pulled the novel from the she
lf and headed to a research table in the back. He slipped the Sith novel into th
e reader and brought it up on the display.
Although the modern era of the Sith is attributed to Darth Bane, and the Dark Je
di that preceded him, the cult can find its roots further back in the galaxy's a
ncient past. Long before the Republic rose, there lived a culture on the planet
Korriban. These primitive people were called the Sith, and the Force flowed stro
ngly through their bloodlines. Although they didn't practice the Force as the Je
di would, they were talented in their own brand of magic.
In the early days of the Jedi, a great schism tore the order apart. Jedi who had
tapped the forbidden power of the Force's dark side rebelled against their ligh
t-sided brothers. After a terrible war, the Dark Jedi were exiled from the Repub
lic. Past the Republic's growing borders, these castaways discovered Korriban an
d the Sith people.
Powerful with the dark side, the Jedi outcasts set themselves up as gods on Korr
iban. The primitive Sith worshipped them as their lords, and so the Jedi grew, a
nd built temples and monuments to celebrate their power. Millennia of interbreed
ing blurred the distinction between Sith native and offworlder, and the term Sit
h came to encompass not only the indigenous people of Korriban, but also the pow
erful overlords that ruled them.
Five thousand years ago, during the Sith Empire's golden age, a Republic explore
r vessel stumbled upon the secluded worlds of the Sith. One Sith Lord, Naga Sado
w, saw this as an opportunity to invade the Republic, and exact vengeance on the
Jedi who had banished them. History would record the invasion that followed as
the Great Hyperspace War, and it would be the first of many terrible conflicts b
etween Jedi and Sith.
Time and again the Sith and Jedi would clash, with devastated worlds lying in th
eir wake. The last great conflict took place on the scarred plains of Ruusan. Th
e Sith Lord Kaan and his Brotherhood of Darkness did battle with the Jedi Army o
f Light. From this onslaught, one Sith escaped: Darth Bane. It was he who would
resurrect the order with duplicity and secrecy in mind, and it was he who instit
uted the rule of only one master, one apprentice, that has allowed the Sith to s
urvive.
Anakin sat there for what seemed to be hours, taking in the forbidden lore of th
e Sith. And what he read terrified him. Death, destruction, isolation... the tot
al absence of he things that made a person human. That made him human.
"Well, this is...unexpected," a voice said behind him. Anakin looked over his sh
oulder to see a very disapproving-looking Nejaa Halcyon standing there, his arms
crossed. "Exactly what do you think you're doing, Anakin?"
"Know thy enemy," Anakin said simply, gesturing at the screen. "The Sith are beh
ind everything that's been happening over the past few years. I'm trying to find
out why."
"Interesting methods. Doesn't explain how you got access to restricted materials
..." Halcyon trailed off as Anakin produced his pass from Buffy. "Called in a fe
w favors with your sister, did you?"
"Don't hold back, Hal. What is it you're really trying to say?"
"I'm saying I've noticed your behavior over the past few days, Anakin. I've felt
how angry, how frustrated you have been. And now I find you researching the Dar
k Side..."
"It's because of my anger and frustration that Buffy told me to research the Dar
k Side," Anakin countered. "She wanted me to know about it so I could see what I
could lose if I ever gave in to it. And you know how much I have to lose."
Halcyon nodded after a moment. Of course he knew how much Anakin had to lose. It
hadn't been that long ago when he and Anakin had been dispatched to Praesitlyn
to recapture a crucial Republic communications center. On that mission, they had
both divulged their greatest secrets to one another - Nejaa about his wife and
son on Corellia; and Anakin about his marriage to Padmé. Halcyon often thought tha
t during the darkest of times, his love for his family was the only thing that a
llowed him to resist the call of the Dark Side. He wasn't entirely sure about An
akin, but he suspected it was the same for him as well.
"From what I've read, the only thing a Sith is capable of loving is power. And t
hat wouldn't quite work for me," Anakin continued. "Buffy knew that. That's why
she had me look this stuff up."
"To scare you away," Nejaa finished. Anakin nodded.
"Exactly." Then he gestured at the rest of the holo-novels. "Besides, it's not t
he only thing I've been studying."
Nejaa looked at the titles of the holo-novels and whistled softly. "You set your
sights high, haven't you?" the Jedi Master looked to the younger Jedi. "You kno
w, the techniques behind these arts have been lost for centuries?"
"I know. But perhaps I can uncover something... At times like these, we need hea
ling arts now more than ever."
Nejaa nodded and placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Well, I won't keep you any
longer. Though I should warn you - Buffy and Obi-Wan should reach Utapau within
twelve hours. After that, you should prepare to meet with the Chancellor to tel
l him of the end of the war."
"Very well, Hal," Anakin said, deactivating the Sith holo-novel and removing if
from the reader. "Would you do me a favor and return this? I won't have any furt
her need of it."
Nejaa smiled and took the novel from Anakin. With a small bow, he turned and lef
t as Anakin inserted the next holo-novel into the reader and began to read.
Episode 3 Chapter 8
Battle on Utapau
====BtVS====
Obi-Wan and Buffy stood in the hanger onboard Cody's massive Star Destroyer. Obi
-Wan stood next to Buffy's modified ARC-170, looking at a hologram of Utapau pro
jected by R-4 as Cody briefed the two Jedi.
"Fortunately, most of the cities are concentrated on this small continent here .
. . on the far side," Clone Commander Cody was saying. Obi-Wan nodded in unders
tanding.
"We'll keep them distracted until you get there," Obi-Wan said. "Just don't take
too long."
"Come on, boss, when have I ever let you down?"
"Cato Nemoidia . . . for starters," Obi-Wan said with a laugh. Buffy just sighed
.
"Men." she said as she climbed into the pilots seat. Obi-Wan followed her lead a
nd climbed into the second seat in the rear.
"That was Anakin who was late. I believe." Cody replied with a grin.
"Very well, the burden is on us not to destroy all the droids before you get the
re."
Buffy sealed the cockpit and activated the sublight engines. The clones headed t
o the safety of the pressurized bays as the massive main hanger doors opened, al
lowing the fighter to exit the ship.
"Entering coordinates into the main navi-computer," Buffy announced, bringing he
r ship's hyperdrive engines online.
"Are you sure this is safe, Buffy?" Obi-Wan asked, somewhat nervously. Buffy nod
ded.
"Positive. Jacen installed the hyperdrive himself, and I've added a few other go
odies that were in the R&D department back on Corellia. I'm just glad it was att
ached to the Falcon when we escaped."
"I wasn't talking about the engines, Buffy," Obi-Wan elaborated. "I meant your f
lying."
"Nice," Buffy said sarcastically as she engaged the hyperdrive. In a flash, they
were gone.
====BtVS====
Several hours later, Buffy's ARC-170 flashed into existence in the Utapau system
.
"Well, there it is," Obi-Wan said, pointing at the yellowish planet that hung in
space in front of them. "Utapau."
"A sinkhole planet." Buffy noted and then added dryly, "You sure know how to sho
w a girl a good time."
"Well, you always say that I never take you any place new," Obi-Wan retorted wit
h a grin. "Now, can we get moving and end this war?"
"Roger that," Buffy replied. "Heading for the mid-level landing platform."
Buffy gracefully flew her fighter down into the largest sinkhole, and gently lan
ded the craft onto the protruding landing platform. She opened the cockpit and a
llowed Obi-Wan to exit. As the elder Jedi walked up to the approaching leader of
Utapau, Buffy had a sudden sense of trepidation overtake her. She closed her ey
es and reached out with her feelings, hoping to discover the source of her dread
.
"Greetings, young Jedi," the tall, grey-faced alien known as Tion Medon said as
he approached Obi-Wan. "What brings you to our remote sanctuary?" Obi-Wan smiled
ruefully."Unfortunately, the war," he said, causing Tion to frown. "There is no
war here unless you've brought it with you," he replied. Obi-Wan nodded. "With
your kind permission, I should like some fuel and to use your city as a base as
I search nearby systems for General Grievous."
Tion gestured to a pit crew standing off to the side, who immediately approached
Buffy's ship and hooked up fuel lines. As they did this, Tion stepped up close
to Obi-Wan. "He is here!" he whispered urgently. "We are being held hostage. The
y are watching us." Obi-Wan nodded. "I understand." "The tenth level . . . thous
ands of Battle Droids . . ."
"Tell your people to take shelter. If you have warriors, now is the time." Obi-W
an then bowed in gratitude, then turned and headed back to the ship and climbed
in.
"He's here, on the tenth level."
"We should make it look like we're leaving. Arfour, take the Prometheus and send
a message to Commander Cody. Tell him we've made contact and are proceeding wit
h the operation. Then execute plan Cooper-Beta."
The little astro-droid beeped in compliance and fired up the engines. Buffy and
Obi-Wan sereptiously slipped out of the cockpit and moved into the shadows, out
of view to prying eyes. As the Prometheus took off, Obi-Wan looked at her curiou
sly.
"You named your fighter?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Buffy shrugged.
"Old Earth Greek mythology. I'll tell you the story sometime."
"And that last order?"
Buffy's face darkened. "I got a bad feeling about this. I'm not sure about what
exactly, but something bad is coming. And I want an out. Just trust me on this,
okay?"
Obi-Wan nodded. He had learned long ago to trust Buffy premonitions. "Very well.
Let's get to it then, shall we?"
====BtVS====
Back on Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine was listening to a delegation from the S
enate. The Senators, led by Padmè, was present in his chambers to present him with
the concerns of the 'Delegation of Two Thousand'.
"I understand your reservations completely, Senator," Palpatine said after Padmé o
utlined their concerns. "And I assure you the appointment of Governors will in n
o way compete with the duties of the Senate."
"May I take it then, that there will be no further amendments to the Constitutio
n?" Padmé asked. Palpatine nodded solemnly.
"I want this terrible conflict to end as much as you do, My Lady, and when it do
es I guarantee an immediate return to democracy . . ."
"You are pursuing a diplomatic solution to the war, then," Padmé interrupted.
Palpatine shook his head, a sad look on his face. "You must trust me to do the r
ight things, Senator," he said. "That is why I am here."
"But surely . . ." Fang Zar started, but Palpatine turned to face him "I have sa
id I will do what is right, that should be enough for your . . . committee," he
added the last part with a slight air of distaste.
"On behalf of the 'delegation of two thousand,' I thank you, Chancellor," Padmé sa
id after a beat, bringing the meeting to a close. The Senators all rose to leave
.
"I thank you for bringing this to my attention, Senator," Palpatine replied. The
Senators turned and left the office, leaving the Chancellor alone.
Well, almost alone.
Darth Traya, Dark Lady of the Sith, shimmered into the room and looked at the do
or the Senators had left through with distaste. "I can't believe I was ever inte
rested in politics."
"They have their benefits, my dear," Palpatine stated, looking over the list of
names of the Senators that had signed the Delegation's petition. "Well, this mak
es our job that much easier."
"Would you like me to start eliminating them now, or would you rather wait until
after we deal with the Jedi?"
"After," Palpatine stated after a moment. "Patience, Traya. We will deal with th
em all soon enough. Starting with your sister."
Traya smiled sinisterly at that. She couldn't wait to put her in her place...
====BtVS====
Twenty minutes later, Buffy and Obi-Wan made their way up above the bay Grievous
had set up in on one of the indigenous Lizard creatures the Utapauians rode. Th
ey both climbed off and looked down at the mass of droids assembled below.
"I count four of the Manga-Gaurds Grievous has been using, along with about a tw
o hundred other various droids," Buffy said, unzipping her jacket and withdrawin
g her sabers. Obi-Wan nodded as he shed his cloak.
"Two against two hundred. Good odds, don't you think?"
"What's the plan?"
"I thought we would just drop in and say hello."
Buffy snorted silently. "Yeah, that's a plan. Shall we?" And with that, they jum
ped down behind the general.
"Hello, there!" Obi-Wan said as he landed.
"Hey, Sparky!" Buffy added. Grievous spun around and snarled.
"Ahh, General Kenobi! You are the bold one. And Master Summers," he turned his i
cy stare on Buffy. "I expected someone of your reputation to be somewhat...talle
r."
Buffy looked affronted. "Tell me Sparky-Plugg over there didn't just make a shor
t joke," she growled.
"No, I'm afraid he did," Obi-Wan responded. Buffy instantly activated both of he
r lightsabers.
"Okay, that's it. NOBODY makes short jokes about me and survives."
"No, I'm afraid YOU won't be surviving," Grievous snarled, then turned to his Ma
nga-guards. "Crush them!"
The four bodyguard droids activated their electrostaffs and moved to attack. Buf
fy moved in, her twin blades flashing as she blocked three staffs at once as Obi
-Wan battled the fourth.
Buffy moved with dizzying speed, her silver and green blades spinning almost fas
ter then the eye could see, blocking the staffs and slicing into the guards armo
red forms. In only a few moments, the advanced droids were heaps of scrap at her
 feet. Just as she finished, Obi-Wan forced his opponents staff down to the grou
nd, then instantly reversed the direction of his lightsaber and decapitated the
driod, then finished it off with a quick thrust to the chest. The remaining droi
ds moved in, their weapons raised, but a motion from Grievous brought them up sh
ort.
"Enough of this," Grievous said, moving forward. "I will deal with them myself."
"Wow, I am so intimidated. Are you intimidated?" Buffy asked Obi-Wan. The elder
Jedi nodded.
"Very much so," he replied deadpan. "I am truly terrified."
"You fool!" Grievous shouted as he shrugged off his cape. "I was trained in your
Jedi arts by Count Dooku!" He lifted two lightsabers from his belt, then sudden
ly his two arms split into four. The other two arms grabbed two more lightsabers
, and all four blades were ignited in quick succession. "Attack, if you dare!"
Buffy and Obi-Wan exchanged a look, something akin to trepidation passing over K
enobi's face. Buffy raised her eyebrow and, without even looking, locked her bla
de into the 'on' position and threw it, side-handed, at the droid General. The b
lade flew so fast that even the droids enhanced senses couldn't track it, and be
fore he could even consider blocking it, the blade impacted into the General's c
hest. The blade punctured the bag holding in the General's biological organs, se
tting the fluid they were in on fire and incinerating them. As the General's las
t remaining biological parts burned, Grievous was finally granted the death he h
ad been denied shortly before he was turned into this mechanical monstrosity. As
his mechanical body fell to its knees, Buffy twisted her wrist and used the For
ce to call her lightsaber back to her, even as Obi-Wan raise his hand towards a
piece of machinery hanging over the body, and used the Force to bring it down on
top of it.
The room seemed to freeze as they all stared at where the remains of General Gri
evous, leader of the Separatist armies, lay buried under mechanical rubble.
"Well, I must say that was somewhat...anti-climatic," Obi-Wan noted as he moved
in to attack the surrounding droids.
"Big opening, little show," Buffy agreed, moving in synch with Obi-Wan as they d
estroyed the droids around them. They weren't alone for long, though, for after
a few moments Commander Cody's clone troopers arrived.
====BtVS====
Meanwhile at the Temple Mace, Anakin, and the holograms of Yoda, Ki-Adi-Mundi an
d Aayla Secura were conferring on the status of their campaigns. Suddenly anothe
r hologram appeared- Clone Commander Cody, his helmet off and his expression eag
er."Master Windu, may I interrupt?" Cody asked, then proceeded when Mace nodded
in ascent. "General Kenobi and Commander Skywalker have engaged and defeated Gen
eral Grievous. Commander Skywalker would like me to pass on her disappointment o
n how short the fight was, and would like me to ask you exactly what have you be
en doing for the past two years if she could beat the 'walking tin can' in under
two minutes."
Anakin chuckled, and even Mace had a small smile on his face. "Yeah, that sounds
like my sister." Anakin noted.
"My troops have commenced the attack, Masters," Cody concluded. Mace nodded.
"Thank you, Commander," he said, and Cody's hologram faded out. The Jedi Master
then turned to Anakin. "Anakin, deliver this report to the Chancellor. His react
ion will give us a clue to his intentions."
The younger Jedi nodded. "Yes, Master," he replied, then turned and walked out o
f the communications room. Mace watched him go for a moment, then turned back to
his fellow Masters.
"I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi. The dark side of the Force surrounds the Ch
ancellor," he said at length. Ki-Adi-Mundi nodded pensively. "If he does not giv
e up his emergency powers after the destruction of Grievous, then he should be r
emoved from office."
"That could be a dangerous move ..." Mace cautioned. "The Jedi Council would hav
e to take control of the Senate in order to secure a peaceful transition."
"And replace the Congress with Senators who are not filled with greed and corrup
tion," Ki-Adi-Mundi added. Yoda ran his small hand over his wrinkled head in con
cern.
"To a dark place this line of thought will carry us. Hmmmmm. . . . great care we
must take," he said, looking at his fellow Masters, all of whom had a sad look
in their eyes.
====BtVS====
Chancellor Palpatine was reviewing fleet movements when Anakin entered his offic
e. The Chancellor turned off the holo-imager and swivelled his chair to face Ana
kin.
"Chancellor," the Jedi began, "we have just received a report from Master's Keno
bi and Skywalker. They have defeated General Grievous and engaged his armies."
Palpatine nodded. "We can only hope that they are up to the challenge."
"I feel as though I should be there, even though I know that Buffy can take care
of herself."
"It is upsetting to me to see that the Council doesn't seem to fully appreciate
your talents," Palpatine remarked as the two walked out of the office and into t
he short hallway that adjoined his work office to his main office. "Don't you wo
nder why they won't make you a Jedi Master?"
"I am too impatient, to impetuous," Anakin remarked. "It took a good verbal beat
ing about that recently, and told me that I needed to learn patience. Much as yo
u have over the years," he added with a wry grin. Palpatine smirked.
"Perhaps she is wiser that I thought." They chuckled for a moment, before Palpat
ine turned back to Anakin. "I don't think they trust you, Anakin. They see your
future. They know your power will be too strong to control. Anakin, you must bre
ak through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you to
know the subtleties of the Force."
"How do you know the ways of the Force?" Anakin asked, suddenly wary, rememberin
g his sisters concerns.
"My mentor taught me everything about the Force," Palpatine continued in a frien
dly tone, "even the nature of the Dark Side."
"You know the Dark Side?" Anakin asked incredulously.
"Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspec
ts, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi," the Chancellor continued sl
owly. "If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larg
er view of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin." He paused, seeming to loo
k deep into Anakin's soul. "They fear you. In time they will destroy you. Let me
train you."
"I won't be a pawn in your political game," Anakin said, somewhat defiantly. "Th
e Jedi are my family."
"Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know th
e dark side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from ce
rtain death."
"What did you say?" Anakin asked, suddenly fearful.
"Use my knowledge, I beg you . . ."
"You're the Sith Lord!" Anakin exclaimed as he ignited his lightsaber. The blue
glow of his blade illuminated Palpatine's face.
"I know what has been troubling you," the Dark Lord continued. "Listen to me. Do
n't continue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council! Ever since I've known you, you've
been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi . . . a life of
significance, of conscience."
"You're wrong!"
"Are you going to kill me?" he asked Anakin. The Jedi's reply was pained, yet st
eady.
"I would certainly like to."
"I know you would," Palpatine said, closing his eyes and sensing the swirling em
otions that surrounded the young Jedi. "I can feel your anger. It gives you focu
s, makes you stronger."
Anakin raised his lightsaber to the man's throat, then slowly lowered it, deacti
vating the blade.
"I am going to turn you over to the Jedi Council," he said finally. Palpatine no
dded.
"Of course you should. But you're not sure of their intentions, are you? What if
I am right and they are plotting to take over the Republic?"
"I will quickly discover the truth of all this," Anakin replied steadily. Palpat
ine nodded once more.
"You have great wisdom, Anakin," the man said. "Know the power of the dark side.
The power to save Padmé."
Episode 3 Chapter 9
Fall of the Jedi (Part 1)
====BtVS====
Utapau
====BtVS====
Buffy and Obi-Wan stood with Commander Cody and several ARC troopers surveying t
he plans to the sink-hole city.
"We should split up," Buffy was saying, looking over the hologram critically. "I
'll take some troops down to the lower levels to mop up, while you and Cody take
the rest to the upper levels and begin clearing them out."
"Without leadership, the droid resistance will fall apart quickly," Cody added.
Obi-Wan nodded his ascent.
"Alright then, let's get to work. And Buffy," he said, looking at his fellow Jed
i, "be careful."
Buffy smirked, but inside she really appreciated the gesture. "Hey, it's me!" sh
e exclaimed. Turning around, she motioned for the ARC troopers to follow her. Ob
i-Wan just rolled his eyes and then turned and headed up to the upper levels wit
h the rest of the clones.
====BtVS====
Jedi Temple, Coruscant
====BtVS====
Anakin hurried through the main hanger to where Mace Windu waited with fellow Ma
sters Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin by a Republic Gunship.
"Master Windu, I must talk to you," Anakin said urgently. Mace looked at him inq
uisitively.
"What is it, Skywalker? We are on our way to make sure the Chancellor returns em
ergency powers back to the Senate."
"He won't give up his power," Anakin replied in a low voice. "I've just learned
a terrible truth. I think Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord."
Mace was stunned. "A Sith Lord?"
Anakin nodded. "Yes. The one we have been looking for."
"How do you know this?"
"He knows the ways of the Force," the younger Jedi replied. "He has been trained
to use the dark side."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
Mace sighed. "Then our worst fears have been realized. We must move quickly if t
he Jedi Order is to survive."
"Master, the Chancellor is very powerful. You will need my help if you are going
to arrest him."
Mace put a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "He may be powerful, Anakin, but I need yo
u to remain here to look after the others. He has been your friend for many year
s and I sense some confusion in you as a result. Anakin, you have gained my trus
t these past few days, but I don't want to put you in the situation of possibly
having to fight your friend. Do you understand?"
Anakin sighed, but bowed his head in compliance. "I do, Master. I may not be fon
d of your decision, but I understand the reason behind it."
"While we are gone, I want you to secure the Temple," Mace continued. "And prepa
re the younglings for evacuation just in case Traya decides to pay another visit
. After that, wait for us in the Council Chamber until we return."
"Yes, Master," Anakin replied in resignation. "Good luck and may the Force be wi
th you."
====BtVS====
Utapau
====BtVS====
Buffy silently led her troops down through the lower levels of the sink-hole cit
y, quietly hunting the droids that remained. The ARC troopers kept their guns in
a ready position, while Buffy held a lightsaber in each hand, deactivated but r
eady to go at a moment's notice.
"Commander," one of the troops said to Buffy, "I'm reading a large group of droi
ds ahead. What are your orders?"
"Initiate Order 66."
Images flashed rapidly in Buffy's mind - Master Secura, shot in the back repeate
dly on Felucia;
Ki-Adi-Mundi, leading a charge before his clones turned on him and shot him down
;
Plo Koon being shot down over Cato Neimoidia by his own troops;
Stass Allie being killed while riding ehr speeder bike with the Clones on Saleuc
ami;
Anakin kneeling before a scared and deformed Palpatine with Darth Traya standing
behind him...
"Now, go to the Jedi Temple. We will catch them off balance. Do what must be don
e, Lord Vader. Do not hesitate. Show no mercy."
Hundreds of Clone Troopers marched up the steps to the Jedi Temple led by a sini
ster looking Anakin and Darth Traya - both of whom had onyx-black eyes.
"It's so good to be back," Traya snarled as her lightsaber flashed, taking off t
he head of youngling...
Anakin entered the Council chambers and a group of younglings came out of hiding
from behind the chairs.
"Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?"
There was a flash of a lightsaber activating as Anakin looked up with those cold
, empty eyes...
And then she was back.
"Sir? What are your orders?" the Clone Trooper asked again. Her Clone Troopers.
Her loyal Clone Trooper.
But loyal to whom?
"Take your squad ahead, Trooper," Buffy replied finally, shaking herself from he
r reverie. "I'm going to take this corridor around to see if I can outflank them
."
The Clone nodded and then turned back to his troops. "Alright boys, let's take '
em out." The Clone Troopers all voiced their readiness, then positioned themselv
es into a standard two-by-two formation and moved in. Buffy watched them engage
the droids and then silently, swiftly, moved back into the shadows of an access
tunnel she had spotted across from the corridor. Away from the Clones, away from
the battle - and away from certain death.
Now she just had to make sure that others would do the same.
====BtVS====
Coruscant
====BtVS====
Mace and his three fellow Masters walked through the Chancellor's abandoned offi
ce towards the antechamber where Mace had sensed the Chancellor presence.
"Master Windu!" the Chancellor exclaimed good-naturedly as the four Jedi entered
the office. "I must say that you are here sooner than expected."
The four Jedi drew their lightsabers and ignited their blades. "In the name of t
he Galactic Senate of the Republic, I am placing you under arrest, Chancellor."
"Are you threatening me, Mater Jedi?" Palpatine responded coldly. Mace's eyes na
rrowed.
"The Senate will decide your fate."
"I am the Senate!"
"Not yet!"
Palpatine slowly stood up, his elegantly designed lightsaber snapping to his han
d from under his sleeve. He smiled wickedly at the Jedi. "It's treason, then..."
Palpatine lunged over his desk, the crimson blade of his lightsaber spinning wil
dly as he attacked the Jedi. His first thrust impaled Saesee Tiin, killing him i
nstantly. Sidious quickly extracted his saber and swung it around, slicing clean
ly through Agen Kolar and impacting on Kit Fisto's green blade. The three exchan
ged a fierce volley of blows until finally Sidious slipped past Kit's defenses a
nd struck him, killing him instantly.
And then there were two.
====BtVS====
"Zett!"
"Yes, Master Skywalker?"
Anakin hurriedly strode up to the young Jedi Padawan. "Zett, gather as many of t
he younglings and as many of the able Padawans as you can find and take them to
a safe place. One friendly to Jedi."
"A place safer than the temple?" Zett asked incredulously. Anakin placed a hand
on the young Padawan's shoulder.
"The Masters have found the Dark Lord of the Sith, Zett. And it's the Chancellor
. If they fail to bring him to justice, this temple will not be safe. Do you und
erstand?"
Zett swallowed nervously, the enormity of what Anakin had just told him settling
down in the pit of his stomach. "I understand."
"And what will you be doing, Skywalker?" Halcyon said as he approached. "I thoug
h Master Windu put you in charge of this operation."
"You and Zett can gather the younglings, Hal," Anakin replied. "But whether he a
dmits it or not, Master Windu needs me there tonight."
"You're going to have to explain to the Council why you disobeyed your orders, t
hough. Think about that."
"I'm already going to have to explain why I got married, Hal. So I hardly think
that disobeying orders is going to be a problem."
The stunned silence in the hall let Anakin know that everyone had heard what he
had said. Halcyon looked at Anakin in disbelief, before resignation sunk in. "Yo
u know what you have just done, right?"
Anakin raised his chin in defiance. "I did exactly what I was going to do at the
end of this war, Master. I'll accept my punishment when I return. For now, thou
gh, Master Windu needs me." And with that, Anakin turned and walked out of the t
emple.
====BtVS====
Mace Windu was perturbed.
His fight against Palpatine was going well. Too well, in his opinion. Because fo
r a Sith who had easily dispatched three of the most powerful Jedi Masters in le
ss than a minute, he sure was having a hard time beating Mace. Part of Mace felt
that because his own fighting style bordered so closely to the Dark Side, it ga
ve him the edge he needed to defeat the Dark Lord. But another part was wonderin
g...
Where was Darth Traya?
The two fought their way up to the grand window behind the Chancellor's desk tha
t overlooked Coruscant, and soon their blades shattered that window. Thw howling
wind drowned out almost all sound as their blades crashed together, again and a
gain. Mace forced Sidious' blade up, then kicked up hard with his left foot, cat
ching the Sith under the jaw. The slow sent him sprawling to the ground as he lo
st his grip on his lightsaber, which hurtled out of the window. Sidious scramble
d back on the ledge until he reached the end of the window, his back pressed aga
inst the wall as Mace's purple blade pointed at his throat.
"You are under arrest, My Lord," Mace spat at Sidious. The Sith looked over to t
he door and Saw Anakin standing there having arrived in time to see the end of t
he fight. Sidious desperately tried one last time to tempt Anakin. "Anakin! I to
ld you it would come to this. I was right. The Jedi are taking over!"
"You old fool. The oppression of the Sith will never return. Your plot to regain
control of the Republic is over . . . you have lost!"
Palpatine shook his head. "No! No! You have lost!" he screamed as he stretched o
ut his hands. Blue Force lightening lashes out from his fingertips at Mace, who
managed to block it with the blade of his lightsaber. Mace struggled to position
his blade to reflect the energy back at the Sith Lord, which he finally did. Th
e lightening struck Palpatine's face, warping and scarring it.
"You must help me, Anakin!" he screamed. You must stop this treason!"
Anakin looked at the man who had been his friend for so many years sadly. "This
isn't treason, your Excellency. This is justice."
"Really, Anakin. Justice is overrated."
Anakin's eyes widened as Darth Traya's voice sounded from behind him. In an inst
ant, he had drawn his lightsaber and spun around, igniting the blade...
But Traya caught his saber hand in a steely grip, forcing the blade away from he
r. "Vengeance, on the other hand..." She suddenly reached up and put her other h
and on Anakin's face and purple energy seemed to pour out of her fingers and int
o the Jedi's head. Anakin screamed, the pain he was feeling was almost nothing c
ompared to the feeling of his will being beaten down, subjugated and buried unde
r the dark magics the witch was pouring into him.
Palpatine snarled and suddenly let loose with the full power of the dark side, e
ffortlessly beating away Mace's blade and sending the lightsaber flying from his
hands to the far corner of his office. The dark energy enveloped the Master, se
nding him into convulsions as he slowly burned to death from the inside out...
And as Traya finished her spell on Anakin, sending the younger man to his knees,
Palpatine gave one last push with his Force lightening and sent Mace Windu, one
of the greatest Jedi's and a Master on the Jedi Council, out the window and to
his death.
====BtVS====
Buffy silently made her way through the catacombs of the city. Arriving in a dar
kened room, Buffy sat down on the floor and reached out through the Force, looki
ng for her friends.
She felt Nejaa Halcyon, worried and anxious about something...
She felt Zett Jukassa, worried but determined...
She felt Aayla Secura, cautious but calm...
She felt Master Yoda, anxious...
She felt Obi-Wan, determined...
She tried to reach out to Master Windu... but all she felt was an absence in the
Force and in an instant she knew he was dead. She tried to reach her brother -
but felt a hole in the Force. Not the same as with Mace but something that had s
eemingly removed his presence from the Force and replaced it with something else
. Reaching out around the hole, she felt another familiar presence - Darth Traya
. Buffy sighed... her worst vision was coming true.
Knowing time was of the essence, she concentrated on her friends, urgently sendi
ng a warning to her friends through the Force telling them to get away from the
clones and proceed to the sanctuary. After a few moments, she rose and pulled ou
t her communicator.
"Arfour, initiate Cooper..."
====BtVS====
In orbit around Utapau, a single ARC-170 fighter sat idle between two large Vict
ory-class star destroyers, manned by a lone arfour unit. When the com unit sudde
nly came to life and transmitted the code 'Cooper', though, Arfour powered the v
essel and stated evasive maneuvers. The clone troopers on the assault ships look
ed on in confusion as the starfighter suddenly dived into the atmosphere...
And then disappeared.
====BtVS====
With a triumphant roar, Willow pulled her hands from Anakin's head and stepped b
ackwards, a sated look on her face. "That felt good," she breathed, "almost bett
er than sex even." The wicked grin turned to astonishment as she took in Palpati
ne's new appearance. "My Lord, are you alright?"
"And so the mask becomes the man," he sighed with a hint of philosophical melanc
holy. "I shall miss the face of Palpatine, I think. But for our purpose, the fac
e of Sidious will serve. Yes, it will serve."
"I guess galactic domination doesn't require a pretty face," Traya said fairly a
nd then smirked. "But it helps. Right, Ani?"
Anakin looked up at Traya - with jet-black eyes. "Yes, my Master."
Sidious looked over Anakin critically as he got to his feet, striding closer to
Traya's newest creation. "Did it work? Is he loyal?"
Traya let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, he is completely loyal," Traya replied, amused
. "To the Sith. And the best part is, the longer he is under my spell, the less
it will be needed. He needs only to be immersed in the Dark Side for a short tim
e before he won't want to live without it."
"Excellent!" Sidious exclaimed, looking down at the young Jedi. "Well, now we mu
st give you a name worthy of the Sith you will become. From this day forth, you
will be know as Darth...Vader."
"Yes, my Lord," Vader responded tonelessly.
"Rise."
Darth Vader Rose and joined Darth Traya in front of the Chancellor's desk. Sidio
us sat down behind the desk and casually crossed his legs.
"Everything is proceeding as planned. Next, we must fully indoctrinate our new L
ord Vader into the world of the Sith." Sidious turned to Vader. "Now, go to the
Jedi Temple. We will catch them off balance. Do what must be done, Lord Vader. D
o not hesitate. Show no mercy."
"Yes, my Master," Vader replied.
"What of the Jedi scattered across the galaxy, my Lord?" Traya asked. "How will
you deal with them?"
Sidious grinned evilly. "Have no fear, Lord Traya. I have plans in place for the
m as well. Now go, and wipe them out." His eyes narrowed at his two apprentices.
"All of them." The two bowed in subservience. "Oh, and Darth Traya?" Palpatine
added, gesturing to the far side of the room and calling Mace's lightsaber from
where it hgad been thrown to him. He then handed it over to his apprentice. "Do
see that you put this to good use, will you?"
Traya smiled wickedly. "Yes, My Lord." she replied, then turned and walked out o
f the room with Darth Vader right behind her. Sidious waited a moment and then a
ctivated his com unit.
"Commander Cody?"
"Yes, my Lord?" the Clone Commander on the other end responded.
"Execute Order 66..."
Episode 3 Chapter 10
Fall of the Jedi (Part 2)
====BtVS====
"Serra!" Cin Drallig called out to his star pupil as he hastily made his way thr
ough the temple. The young woman stopped and turned to face her Master.
"Yes, Master?"
"Zett Jukassa is gathering a group of younglings. Go find him and assist him..."
he trailed off as he heard a rumbling sound. "Do you hear that?"
"Sounds like thunder," Serra replied. "Perhaps the weather generators are still
damaged from the attack?"
Drallig shook his head, a flicker of worry marring his features. "That's not thu
nder. Those are footsteps. Quickly, Serra!" he said urgently, drawing his saber.
"Help Zett! Get as many younglings as you can out! Go!" With that, he raced to
the front doors of the temple. What he saw chilled him to the bone.
Thousands of Clone Troopers marched up the Temple stairs led by Darth Traya...
... and Anakin Skywalker.
"Honey, we're home!" Traya sang as she danced up the stairs. She stopped in mock
surprise. "Why, it's Master Drallig! Hi, Master Drallig!"
"You will pass no further, Sith!" Drallig growled. "Anakin, what are you doing?"
"My duty to my Master," Vader responded tonelessly, activating his saber. Traya
pulled out hers - and Mace's - and activated them both. Drallig's breath hitched
at the sight of the purple blade and Traya, recognizing his look, smiled broadl
y. "Recognize it? My Master gave it to me after he took your vaunted Master out.
Let's see how good it is." And then she attacked.
Cin Drallig was considered one of the best swordsmen in the Jedi Order, behind o
nly Mace and Yoda. He had taught countless Jedi how to effectively wield their l
ightsabers, and in one-on-one duels, he was rarely beaten.
But against the combined fury of Darth Vader and athletic prowess of Darth Traya
, he was no match.
Blinded by Traya's powerful will-be-done spell, Vader rushed in, powering though
Drallig's skillful defense while Traya moved in close and went for his legs. Dr
allig put up a valiant defense, but in the end three sabers were better than one
and Traya scored a hit, slicing through the Jedi's Achilles' tendon. The sudden
pain dropped the Jedi to his knees and Vader sliced Drallig's lightsaber in two
. Vader then stood back as Traya laid her crimson lightsaber across Drallig's le
ft shoulder, then crossed Mace's purple saber over his right shoulder, trapping
the Jedi Master's head between.
"You...won't win," Drallig gasped out, staring at the two Sith defiantly. Traya
only chuckled.
"You know, Mace said something similar..." she started, then in one swift stroke
, drew the purple blade across the crimson, slicing the Jedi Master's head clean
off. "Of course, I just used his lightsaber to kill you, so you can see how wel
l that thought served him..." Traya turned to the Clone Troopers. "Go!" she orde
red "Leave none alive. Lord Vader," she turned to the former Jedi at her side, "
you're with me. What do you say we go say... hi... to some friends?"
The two Sith stalked into the temple, backed up by the Clone Troopers. The Clone
s immediately fanned out and began hunting through the temple, shooting any Jedi
they found. Traya and Vader, meanwhile, found themselves confronted with Jocast
a Nu.
"Stop! By order of the Jedi Counsel, you are not permitted in here, Sith!" she d
eclared, activating her saber. Traya just looked over to Anakin with a bored exp
ression.
"You know, I really hate librarians," she stated dryly. Vader looked back at Joc
asta and raised his hand, picking the elderly Jedi up in a choke with the Force.
Then with a thought, he brought her forward - and impaled her on his lightsaber
. In an instant she was dead and he carelessly flicked his wrist once more, send
ing the former archivist flying over the balcony and to the floor, several stori
es below.
"The Council is no longer in command here," Vader remarked coldly. He then turne
d back to Traya. "Shall we find some more old friends?"
"Traya!"
"Oh and here's one now..."
The two turned to see Nejaa Halcyon stalking towards them. Nejaa stopped suddenl
y when he saw Anakin standing next to his sworn enemy. "Anakin?"
"Look, Vader! It's your old friend, Hal. Go say hi!"
Vader strode up to a bewildered Halcyon and then quickly swung his blade at the
Jedi's head. Halcyon quickly brought up his blade to block. "Anakin! What are yo
u doing?"
"I don't know who you're talking about," Vader ground out, slashing and thrustin
g his blade at Halcyon. He forced the Jedi's blade away with a powerful swing, B
ut Halcyon spun around and brought his blade down, blocking Vader's blow to his
midsection. The two continued to slash and parry, with Halcyon desperately tryin
g to hold his own against the younger and faster Vader.
"Anakin, fight this! This isn't you... you wouldn't turn your back on the Jedi!"
Halcyon cried out desperately, panting from the effort of holding the new Sith
back. Vader laughed outright.
"That's where you're wrong, old friend." Suddenly, he lashed out with his boot,
catching Halcyon under the chin and staggering the Jedi. Swiftly moving in, he s
pun his blade around Halcyon's driving down then up, slicing off his saber hand.
As Halcyon screamed in pain, Vader deftly swung around and sliced off Halcyon's
legs at the knees, causing him to fall onto his back, screaming in agony.
"Pick him up," Traya said coldly, stepping forward with a hungered look in her e
yes. Vader complied, using the Force to bring the screaming man back up to eye l
evel. Traya grinned coldly at him. "Like my new boy toy?" she asked. "He's so co
mpliant. He does whatever I tell him to do and tells me whatever I want to know.
And he's told me so many wonderful secrets. Like your wife and son..." Halcyon'
s eye's widened in shock. "Oh yes, I know all about them. And I just want you to
know before we kill you that I intend to make sure they join you in the afterli
fe. It may take awhile, though... I intend for their deaths to be slow and drawn
 out..."
Halcyon's pain gave way to rage as he took in her words. "You bitch!" he spat. "
I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you!"
Traya laughed at his outburst. "Really, Master Halcyon. Such anger? And from a J
edi?" she turned her black gaze to Vader. Her voice deepened as her boredom grew
. "Kill him."
Vader nodded and tossed the still-screaming Nejaa Halcyon over the balcony and t
o the floor below. He then commandeered one of the Clone Troopers grenades and t
ossed it down after the Jedi where, after a moment, it exploded.
"I always thought he had an explosive temper," Vader quipped and then seeing the
expression on Traya's face, he frowned, "What?"
"You hung around Buffy far too much," she remarked. "Let's go."
====BtVS====
The attack was swift and merciless. It was all Serra Keto could do to keep the y
ounglings she and Zett had gathered out of the hands of the bloodthirsty Sith an
d their troopers. Zett had sacrificed himself leading a pack of troopers away fr
om Serra and the kids - the thought of which brought tears to her eyes. She hast
ily wiped them away as she led a small group of younglings through the Council C
hambers towards the larger group she had hidden away in one of the Temple's secr
et rooms. She stopped dead as the door on the far side opened to reveal Anakin S
kywalker.
Or is it Darth Vader now? She asked herself, remembering what she had witnessed
when he had cut down the three Jedi Masters in the great hall. Instantly, she ig
nited both of her green sabers and brought them up into a defensive position.
"Well, well.... If it isn't Serra Keto, Cin Drallig's favorite pupil..." Vader t
railed off momentarily, looking from the young Jedi Padawan to the Younglings sh
e protected. None of them appeared to be over the age of six.
"I will fight you, Anakin," Sere said with a steely tone. "I won't let you hurt
anyone else."
Vader started to step forward and then suddenly stopped. Serra watched in confus
ion as Vader closed his eyes, seemingly fighting something within himself. After
a moment, his eyes opened - revealing the soft hazel eyes of Anakin Skywalker.
"Take them out of here, Serra!" he gasped out, a pleading tone evident in his vo
ice. Serra lowered her sabers slightly and stepped forward.
"Anakin?"
There's...no time!" he gasped out. "I can't....keep...fighting her! You must...
take the younglings...get them ....someplace safe...hurry!"
After a moment's hesitation, Serra switched off her sabers and hooked them on he
r belt, then gathered up the Younglings and ushered them out of the room. She ri
sked one last glance back at Anakin, and saw him trembling; still obviously figh
ting for control. "Good luck, Master Skywalker," she whispered, running out of t
he room and closing the door.
====BtVS====
Zett quietly made his way through the decimated temple towards one of the outlay
ing landing pads. Strategically placed, the landing pads housed several short-ra
nge ships for travel through the city that could be accessed without going to th
e main hanger. If I can get into one of the ships, he thought, I just may make i
t out of here...
When a squad of Clones had approached Zett, Serra and the Younglings, he had tak
en it upon himself to draw them away from his young charges, even if it had mean
t his life. So he had led them on a wild chase through the Temple, which was a l
abyrinth if one didn't know their way around. He had eventually lost them and th
en doubled back towards the nearest landing platform.
"What's going on here?" A voice demanded from out on the platform.
"There's been a rebellion. Don't worry sir, the situation is under control."
A rebellion! You attack and kill us for no reason and it's a rebellion!
"I'm sorry sir. It's time for you to go."
Zett risked a glance out at the platform, and saw none other than Senator Bail O
rgana standing beside his speeder, with about twelve Clone Troopers pointing the
ir blasters at them. Only twelve of them...and Senator Organa has always been a
friend of the Jedi...His mind made up, he leapt through the doorway, igniting hi
s blue blade.
Senator Bail Organa watched in stunned horror as a young Jedi - Zett Jukassa, he
believed - jumped out of the doorway and ignited his lightsaber. He managed to
take down the first six with ease due to the surprise of his attack and was rapi
dly turning back blaster bolts to their owners when six more troopers came in be
hind him. He turned to face them, his blade up and blocking bolt after bolt, unt
il finally one slipped past his guard and hit his shoulder, spinning the young b
oy around and sending him sprawling.
"NO!" Bail screamed and, in an instant, he had made a decision he had been strug
gling with ever since he had landed. Should he help them or just walk away?
With no hesitation, Bail drew his pistol and blasted two of the Clones before th
ey knew what was going on. As they turned their fire towards him, Bail dived for
ward and grabbed up one of the fallen clone's blasters and opened fire with it a
s well, spraying blaster blots down the slim corridor. In only a few moments all
of the remaining clone troopers were dead. Quickly he moved to the young Jedi a
nd knelt by his side.
"Padawan, are you alright?"
"No revolt....attacked us... no warning... help..." Zett trailed off as he final
ly passed out from the pain. Even so, Bail put a comforting hand on the young bo
y's shoulder.
"Do not fear, Padawan. I will help you," he said quietly. He picked up Zett's fa
llen lightsaber and hooked it back on his belt, then picked the boy up and hurri
edly placed him into his speeder. He jumped into the driver's side and powered u
p the craft, taking off into the dark, smoke filled night. As he moved back into
the traffic lanes, he punched a few commands into his communications console.
"Captain Antilles," he stated as soon as the connection to his ship had been mad
e.
"Yes, Senator?" the captain replied.
"Prepare my ship for immediate take-off. I want to leave as soon as I arrive. An
d prep the med bay - I have an injured...friend... with me."
"As you command, Senator. May I ask of our destination?"
Bail was silent for a moment. "I'm not sure."
====BtVS====
Utapau
====BtVS====
Buffy was bored.
She had been waiting on a seemingly empty landing platform deep inside the sinkh
ole for what seemed to her like hours. She was tempted to just leave - she knew
that there was an abandoned ship on the next platform up - but she also knew tha
t if she did, Obi-Wan would never let her hear the end of it. So she sat and wai
ted until finally the sound of soggy footsteps caught her ear.
"It's about time," she said, a small bit of sarcasm finding its way into her voi
ce. Obi-Wan just looked back wit a wry expression.
"Terribly sorry, Master Skywalker," he replied. "But I was a bit busy being blow
n up by my Clone Troops."
"Should have paid attention to my warning," she pointed out snidely, pushing her
self off of the wall.
"At the time, I was a bit busy fighting a battle!"
"Well, you had better hope that others were paying attention, otherwise we're go
ing to be a bit lonely." Buffy rose and stretched, working the kinks out of her
joints. "What do you say we blow this joint?"
Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow. "And how would you propose we do that? And what is go
ing on! Why did the clones attack?"
"One thing at a time, Master Kenobi," Buffy replied calmly. "First, we get off o
f this rock. Then, we head back to Coruscant. I can't feel Anakin anymore and I
feel something bad has happened..." she trailed off, pushing her despair down de
ep inside of herself and then turned back to the empty air at the end of the pla
tform. "Arfour, de-cloak the Prometheus."
The air on the platform seemed to shimmer and took shape as Buffy's ARC fighter
took shape in front of Obi-Wan's unbelieving eyes. "I didn't think that was poss
ible..."
"Cloaking small ships is easy, despite what some people may think," Buffy remark
ed, climbing into the ship. Obi-Wan hastily followed. "It was one of Jacen's cle
verer ideas. He took out all of the rear gunnery machines and installed the cloa
king generator in its place. It was a tight fit, but it worked."
"Is there anything he wasn't able to do?" Obi-Wan asked conversationally as he t
ook the seat next to her.
"Not much," she remarked, shrugging.
"And I take it this has something to do with that 'Cooper' command you gave Arfo
ur when we landed?" Obi-Wan gently prodded. Buffy nodded.
"On Earth, there was this guy - D.B. Cooper. He hijacked a plane and managed to
collect a heck of a ransom for the passengers. After he landed and got his money
, he let almost everyone of the passengers off except for the flight crew and ha
d them take off again. As the plane was in flight, he opened the rear hatch and
jumped, parachuting away."
"He escaped?"
"That's just it - nobody knows. Most everybody thinks he's dead these days - the
y found some of the money, buried beside the river he jumped over - but they nev
er found the body. He just disappeared into the unknown, never to be seen again.
"
Obi-Wan let out a small chuckle as he realized the parallel. "Just like us."
"Exactly," Buffy replied, sealing the hatch and turning the cloak back on. She d
eftly powered up the engines and took off, her cloak allowing then to effortless
ly pass the incoming Clone drop ships, as well as the Star Destroyers in orbit.
"And what of the Clones, Buffy? What did you see?"
Buffy blew out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. "The Clones were giv
en an executive order. I don't know what the order entailed in full, but I do kn
ow it involved the death of every single Jedi alive."
"But an executive order could only come from..."
"The Supreme Chancellor, I know," Buffy replied, suddenly weary. "Now we know wh
y I never liked that bastard. He is the Sith Lord we've all been looking for. Su
preme Chancellor Palpatine is Darth Sidious." A sudden beeping noise drew her at
tention. "We've got a message on the Emergency channel."
"Let's hear it," Obi-Wan said. Buffy nodded and flicked a switch and suddenly Se
nator Organa's holographic form lit up on the holo-receiver.
'To any and all Jedi, if you are receiving this message, please respond. I repea
t, this is Senator Bail Organa on secured channel 7 - To any and all Jedi, if yo
u are receiving this message, please respond...'
Buffy hit the reply button on her com system. "We're reading you, Senator. This
is Master Skywalker... I'm with Master Kenobi. What are you doing on this freque
ncy?"
'Master Skywalker, thank the Force I've found you,' Bail responded, relief evide
nt in his voice. 'The Clones have turned against Jedi EVERYWHERE. From what inte
l I've managed to gather, Master Plo Koon was killed on Cato Neimoidia ; Stass A
llie on Saleucami; Ki-Adi-Mundi on Mygeeto...the list goes on. The Temple was at
tacked and almost everyone inside was killed.'
Obi-Wan sat back heavily in his chair as Buffy bowed her head in grief. "Were th
ere any survivors?"
Bail's holographic form nodded. 'I managed to save a young Padawan at the temple
- Zett Jukassa. He was injured, but he's healing fast in the med bay as we spea
k. I've also collected Masters Yoda and Secura.'
"All right Senator. We'll rendezvous at your location. Skywalker out." Buffy cut
the com system and set the coordinates to Bail's ship in her hyperdrive. "Prepa
ring to engage hyperdrive."
"Buffy," Obi-Wan suddenly said, trying to find some way to distract him form the
news he had just learned. "There was one other thing you didn't tell me."
"Oh? And what was that?" Buffy asked.
"Why did you name your ship 'Prometheus'?"
Buffy chuckled. "On Earth, Prometheus was the wisest Titan. His name means 'fore
thought' and he was able to foretell the future. Prometheus is known as the prot
ector and benefactor of man." She paused in her explanation. "Of course, he was
also chained to a rock and a giant bird ate his liver everyday for eternity, so
maybe it wasn't the wisest choice for a name..." And on that, the Prometheus ent
ered hyperspace.
====BtVS====
Padmé hadn't slept well last night.
Despite Threepio's assurances to the contrary, she couldn't shake the feeling th
at something terrible had happened to her husband. Oddly enough, those feelings
weren't alleviated when she spied a small Jedi transport dock at her personal pl
atform. Padmé rushed out to the veranda in time to see her husband climb out of th
e small ship.
"Anakin!" she exclaimed, running up to him and wrapping her arms tightly around
his waist. "I was so worried. I saw the smoke and thought something had..." her
voice trailed off as she looked up into his jet-black eyes
"Happened?" Vader finished with an amused tone. "Oh, sweetie, you have no idea w
hat has happened."
"Anakin, your eyes..."
"Do you like them?" a voice asked. Padmé's eyes widened as she looked past her hus
band to the figure that stood behind him.
"You!"
"Hello, Sis," Traya smirked, walking up besides Vader and snaking an arm around
his neck. "Like the change?"
"What have you done to him?" Padmé breathed. Traya smiled evilly.
"Nothing much. Just made him more...compliant, to our Master's desires. And he's
been very compliant..."
"Let him go!"
"But Padmé, this is so much fun!" Vader smirked. His wife gaped at him and he scof
fed. "Oh really, Padmé. Sometimes you can be so naïve. Darth Traya has liberated me;
liberated us! We don't have to keep our marriage secret anymore! We're free!"
"No we're not!" Padmé exclaimed. "And you're nothing more than a slave to her!"
Vader's face darkened. "I would watch your tone, dear wife..."
"Lord Vader!" Traya interrupted sharply. "Mind the ship. My sister and I have bu
siness to attend to."
Vader nodded in compliance. "Yes, my Master." He turned and headed back to the s
hip.
Traya then slithered up to her sister, offering her a veined hand. "Come Padmé, we
have much to talk about..."
====BtVS====
The Prometheus shot through space towards Bail Organa's star cruiser, arcing gra
cefully underneath it before coming to a stop underneath the ships small docking
bay. The doors above Buffy's ship opened and Buffy gently brought the ship into
the bay and sat it down as the doors closed once again. Once the bay was pressu
rized, the Jedi popped the hatched and waved to the senator and the diminutive J
edi Master that stood at the door to greet them.
"Honey, were home!" she exclaimed tiredly as she hopped out of the cockpit, Obi-
Wan right behind her. "How many did you get?"
"No more, have we found." Yoda replied. Bail nodded in sad agreement.
"It appears this ambush has happened everywhere. No Jedi were spared."
"What of the younglings at the Temple?" Obi-Wan asked. "Surely not all of them h
ave been killed?"
"Before he fell unconscious," Bail explained, "Padawan Jukassa told me that he s
ent a group of Younglings and Padawans into hiding with Serra Keto. Where they a
re, though, he would only tell one of the Masters."
"Will Zett be okay?" Buffy asked. Yoda nodded.
"Good care, has the Senator given him. Well, he soon will be. However, more pres
sing concern there is."
"What?"
"Received a coded retreat message from the temple beacon, we have," Yoda said.
"It tells all surviving Jedi that the war is over, and to return to the Temple,"
 Bail explained.
"Trap," Buffy remarked, folding her arms and leaning back against the bulkhead.
"Indeed, but it gives us an excuse to go back," Obi-Wan remarked. "We must disab
le the homing beacon or any surviving Jedi that didn't hear your cry of alarm th
rough the Force could fall into the trap and be killed."
"Plus, we can find out what our enemy's plans are," Buffy finished. "Get some mo
re information."
"Agreed, we are." Yoda said. "Back to Coruscant, we must go. Tell the Captain, I
will."
The three Jedi started to move off; But Bail put a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "A
word, Master Jedi?"
Buffy looked inquisitively at the Senator, but nodded to her companions. "I'll b
e along in a minute." She remarked and then as they moved off turned back to the
Senator. "What is it, Bail?"
Bail took a deep breath as he prepared to deliver the bad news. "Before Zett pas
sed into unconsciousness, he told me about the attack on the Temple. He said tha
t, while he didn't see the beginning, Serra witnessed the Clones being led into
the Temple by Darth Traya...and Anakin Skywalker."
Buffy looked at the Senator in shock and then shook her head in denial. "No...no
, he wouldn't have..."
"Buffy, he killed Jocasta Nu and Nejaa Halcyon. He's turned to the Dark Side."
====BtVS====
====BtVS====
Episode 3 Chapter 11
Back to the Beginning
====BtVS====
Mustafar
====BtVS====
On the volcanic planet in the Outer Rim, Nute Gunray stood with the other Separa
tist leaders, watching holographic updates of several battles when suddenly one
was interrupted by the holographic form of Darth Sidious.
"The plan has gone as you had promised, my Lord," Gunray informed the Sith Lord.
Sidious smiled cruelly.
"You have done well, Viceroy. When my new apprentice, Darth Vader, arrives, he w
ill take care of you." The hologram disappeared and the Separatists went back to
watching the battles unfold.
====BtVS====
Coruscant
====BtVS====
Buffy was silent for the rest of the voyage back to Coruscant. Despite what Bail
had told her, she refused to believe that Anakin would give into the Dark Side.
She had spoken with Zett personally when he awoke, but he hadn't actually seen
her brother. Nobody here had seen her brother, let alone see him do anything. An
d until she saw proof, she wouldn't believe what they said. So she sat in the co
ckpit of the star cruiser, silent and brooding.
"Approaching Coruscant," Captain Antilles announced. "Sir, we're receiving a mes
sage from the Chancellor's office."
"Send it through," Bail said, leaning forward towards the screen and effectively
blocking out the Jedi seated behind him as Mas Amedda appeared on the screen.
"Senator Organa . . . the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic requests your prese
nce at a special session of Congress," the aide said. Bail nodded once in compli
ance.
"Tell the Chancellor I will be there," Bail replied.
"Very well. He will be expecting you," Amedda responded and then the connection
was cut. Bail sat back and looked to the three Jedi sitting behind him. "It coul
d be a trap."
"Doubt it," Buffy said. Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.
"I agree," he said. "The Chancellor will not be able to control the thousands of
star systems without keeping the Senate intact."
"If a special session of Congress there is," Yoda interrupted, "easier for us to
 enter the Jedi Temple it will be."
"And find out the truth of the matter," Buffy remarked softly.
====BtVS====
Mustafar
====BtVS====
Vader and Traya's small Sith craft landed on a small landing platform next to th
e Mustafar control center. Vader powered down the craft and rose but stopped whe
n Traya remained in her seat. "Are you not coming?"
"No, Lord Vader. I'm not," Traya said, gazing up at the new Sith Lord. "This tas
k is for you and you alone. Do us proud."
Vader bowed his head. "Yes, my Master," he replied, exiting the ship. Traya sat
back and sighed in satisfaction. Everything was going according to plan.
Nute Gunray was quietly watching the battle progress on Cato Neimoidia when the
door to the facility cycled open. He and the rest of his collaborators turned to
face the stranger that entered. He was a tall cloaked figure, slim in build but
broad shouldered, with a face shadowed by a heavy hood. San Hill beat the other
s to the greeting. "Welcome, Lord Vader!" His elongated legs almost tangled with
each other in his rush to shake the hand of the Sith Lord. "On behalf of the le
ad¬ership of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, let me be the first to-"
"Very well. You will be the first," Vader said as he stepped inside and made a g
esture with a black-gloved hand. Blast doors slammed across every exit. The cont
rol panel exploded in a shower of sparking wires. Vader then threw back his hood
, revealing his grinning face tot the Separatists, who recoiled in shock. San Hi
ll had time to gasp, "You're-you're Anakin Skywalker!" before a fountain of blue
-white plasma burned into his chest, curving through a loop that charred all thr
ee of his hearts. The Separatist leadership watched in frozen horror as the corp
se of the head of the InterGalactic Banking Clan collapsed like a de-powered pro
tocol droid.
"The resemblance," Darth Vader said, "is deceptive." Then he attacked.
The bunker was armed with dozens of combat droids, armed guards and defensive sy
stems designed by the greatest minds of the Separatists.
None of them made a difference for the Sith had come to Mustafar.
Poggle the Lesser, Archduke of Geonosis, scrambled like an animal through a litt
er of severed arms and legs and heads, both metal and flesh, whimpering, flutter
ing his ancient gauzy wings until a bar of lightning flash-burned his own head f
ree of his neck.
Shu Mai, president and CEO of the Commerce Guild, looked up from her knees, hand
s clasped before her, tears streaming down her shriveled cheeks. "We were promis
ed a re¬ward," she gasped. "A h-h-handsome reward-"
"I am your reward," Vader replied innocently. "You don't find me handsome?"
"Please!" she screeched through her sobbing. "Pleee-The blue-white blade cut int
o and out from her skull, and her corpse swayed. A negligent flip of the wrist s
lashed through her column of neck rings. Her brain-burned head tumbled to the fl
oor. The only sound, then, was a panicky stutter of footfalls as Wat Tambor and
the two Neimoidians scampered along a hall¬way toward a nearby conference room. Va
der was in no hurry to pursue, however. The control center was sealed, the blast
doors closed and locked. Vader glanced around the dead control room once more,
his once solid-black eyes now tinged with red.
And deep inside, the man once called Anakin Skywalker screamed in anguish, fight
ing with all he had to get free.
====BtVS====
Coruscant - Senate
====BtVS====
Bail slipped into the rear of the Naboo delegation's Senate pod as Palpatine thu
ndered from the podium, "These Jedi mur¬derers left me scarred, left me deformed,
but they could not scar my integrity! They could not deform my resolve! The rema
ining traitors will be hunted down, rooted out wherever they may hide, and broug
ht to justice, dead or alive! All collaborators will suffer the same fate. Those
who protect the enemy are the enemy! Now is the time! Now we will strike back!
Now we will destroy the destroyers! Death to the enemies of democracy!"
The Senate roared.
Amidala didn't even glance at Bail as he slid into a seat beside her. On the opp
osite side, Representative Binks nodded at him but said nothing, blinking solemn
ly. Bail frowned; if even the ir¬repressible Jar Jar was worried, this looked to b
e even worse than he'd expected. And he had expected it to be very, very bad.
He touched Amidala's arm softly. "It's all a lie. You know that, don't you?"
She stared frozenly toward the podium. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Wh
ere have you been?"
"I was... held up." As she once had told him, some things were better left unsai
d.
"He's been presenting evidence all afternoon," she said in a flat, affectless mo
notone. "Not just the assassination attempt. The Jedi were about to overthrow th
e Senate."
"It's a lie," he said again.
"I know. My sister told me all about it."
Bail looked at her in shock at that revelation. Meanwhile in the center of the G
rand Convocation Chamber, Palpatine leaned upon the Chancellor's Podium as thoug
h he drew strength from the Great Seal on its front. "This has been the most try
ing of times, but we have passed the test. The war is over!"
The Senate roared.
"The Separatists have been utterly defeated and the Repub¬lic will stand! United!
United and free!"
The Senate roared.
"The Jedi Rebellion was our final test-it was the last gasp of the forces of dar
kness! Now we have left that darkness behind us forever, and a new day has begun
! It is morning in the Republic!"
The Senate roared.
Padmé stared without blinking. "Here it comes," she said numbly.
Bail shook his head. "Here what comes?"
"You'll see."
"Never again will we be divided! Never again will sector turn against sector, pl
anet turn against planet, sibling turn against sib¬ling. We are one nation, indivi
sible!"
The Senate roared.
"To ensure that we will always stand together, that we will always speak with a
single voice and act with a single hand, the Republic must change. We must evolv
e. We must strive. We have become an empire in fact; let us become an Empire in
name as well! We are the first Galactic Empire!"
The Senate went wild.
"What are they doing?" Bail said. "Do they understand what they're cheering for?
"
Padmé shook her head, remembering a poem Buffy had told her once. "Remember, remem
ber, the fifth of November..."
"We are an Empire," Palpatine went on, "that will continue to be ruled by this a
ugust body! We are an Empire that will never return to the political maneuvering
and corruption that have wounded us so deeply; we are an Empire that will be di
rected by a single sovereign, chosen for life!"
The Senate went wilder.
"We are an Empire ruled by the majority! An Empire ruled by a new Constitution!
An Empire of laws, not of politicians! An Empire devoted to the preservation of
a just society. Of a safe and secure society! We are an Empire that will stand t
en thousand years!"
The roar of the Senate took on a continuous boiling roll like the inside of a pe
rmanent thunderstorm.
"We will celebrate the anniversary of this day as Empire Day. For the sake of ou
r children. For our children's children! For the next ten thousand years! Safety
! Security! Justice and peace!"
The Senate went berserk.
"Say it with me! Safety, security, justice and peace! Safety, security, justice
and peace!"
The Senate took up the chant, louder and louder until it seemed the whole galaxy
roared along.
Bail couldn't hear Padmé over the din, but he could read her lips.
So this is how liberty dies, she was saying to herself, with cheer¬ing, and applau
se.
"We can't let this happen!" Bail lurched to his feet. "I have to get to my pod-w
e can still enter a motion-"
"No." Her hand seized his arm with astonishing strength, and for the first time
since he'd arrived, she looked straight into his eyes. "No, Bail, you can't ente
r a motion. You can't. Fang Zar has already been arrested and Tundra Dowmeia and
it won't be long until the entire Delegation of the Two Thousand are declared e
nemies of the state. You stayed off that list for good reason; don't add your na
me by what you do today."
"But I can't just stand by and watch-"
"You're right. You can't just watch. You have to vote for him."
"What?"
"Bail, it's the only way. It's the only hope you have of re¬maining in a position
to do anyone any good. Vote for Palpatine. Vote for the Empire. Make Mon Mothma
vote for him, too. Be good little Senators. Mind your manners and keep your head
s down. And keep doing... all those things we can't talk about. All those things
I can't know. Promise me, Bail."
"Padmé, what you're talking about-what we're not talking about-it could take twent
y years! Are you under suspicion? What are you going to do?"
"Don't worry about me," she said distantly. "I don't know if I'll live that long
."
====BtVS====
Mustafar
====BtVS====
Darth Vader left nothing living behind when he walked from the main room of the
control center. Casually, carelessly, he strolled along the hallway, scoring the
durasteel wall with the tip of his blade, enjoying the sizzle of dis¬integrating
metal as he had savored the smoke of charred alien flesh. The conference room do
or was closed. A barrier so paltry would be an insult to the blade; a black-glov
ed hand made a fist. The door crumpled and fell.
The Sith Lord stepped over it. The conference room was walled with transparistee
l. Be¬yond, obsidian mountains rained fire upon the land. Rivers of lava embraced
the settlement. And inside the room, Rune Haako, aide and confidential secretary
to the viceroy of the Trade Federation, tripped over a chair as he stumbled bac
k. He fell to the floor, shaking like a grub in a frying pan, trying to scrabble
beneath the table.
"Stop!" he cried. "Enough! We surrender, do you under¬stand? You can't just kill u
s-"
Vader smiled. "Can't I?"
"We're unarmed! We surrender! Please-please, you're a Jedi!"
"You fought a war to destroy the Jedi." Vader stood above the shivering Neimoidi
an, smiling down upon him, then fed him half a meter of plasma. "Congratulations
on your success."
The Sith Lord stepped over Haako's corpse to where Wat Tambor clawed uselessly a
t the transparisteel wall with his ar¬mored gauntlets. The head of the Techno Unio
n turned at his approach, cringing, arms lifted to shield his faceplate from the
flames in the dragon's eyes. "Please, I'll give you anything. Any¬thing you want!
"
The blade flashed twice; Tambor's arms fell to the floor, followed by his head.
"Thank you." Darth Vader turned to the last living leader of the Confederacy of
Independent Systems.
Nute Gunray, viceroy of the Trade Federation, the man who had hired bounty hunte
rs to kill his wife, stood trem¬bling in an alcove, blood-tinged tears streaming d
own his green-mottled cheeks. "The war...," he whimpered. "The war is over-Lord
Sidious promised-he promised we would be left in peace..."
"His transmission was garbled." The blade came up and both halves of Nute Gunray
 fell down. "He promised you would be left in pieces.''
====BtVS====
Coruscant, Jedi Temple
====BtVS====
While the Senate was busy giving away their right, a small company of Clone Troo
pers stood guard over the decimated Jedi Temple. They had been chosen for this t
ask because they were the best and the brightest of the 501st, the most elite co
mpany in the new Empire, and therefore most qualified to take down any returning
Jedi.
Of course, they hadn't counted on three returning at once. Nor had they counted
that the three would be the best swordsmen in the Order.
Or that one of the said Jedi was a pissed-off Slayer.
Buffy mowed through the Clones, her rage barely held in check as her two blades
weaved a scene of destruction between them. Obi-Wan calmly turned back multiple
deflector bolts to their senders, even as eh cut down the troops close to him. B
uffy blocked a bolt and severed the head of the one who had sent it in time to s
ee Yoda hurl his lightsaber like a spear into a Clone, then leap onto the clone'
s chest to pull it out in time to take down another. Within a few minutes, all t
he clones guarding the temple were dead.
"That's the last of them out here," Buffy remarked, switching off her sabers. Yo
da and Obi-Wan followed suit.
"There's sure to be more inside," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"Careful, we must be, if undetected we are to remain."
"Amen, Yoda," Buffy murmured, stalking towards to loading bay doors. "Let's go."
The three made their way into the decimated temple, but were stopped short by wh
at they saw.
Bodies.
Hundreds of bodies.
None were spared. Man or woman or child - all had fallen at the hands of the clo
nes and their leaders. Buffy spied a corpse and gasped in shock.
"Master Drallig!" she breathed as she took in his dismembered body. Obi-Wan sigh
ed sadly.
"There can be no doubt now," he said. "This was caused by a lightsaber. Many of
those killed were killed by a lightsaber. Too many for just one..."
"To the beacon, we must continue," Yoda said after a moment. Obi-Wan nodded.
"We can reach it through the Archives."
"Then let's go."
The three Jedi skulked in the shadows, avoiding the patrols of Clone troopers as
they made their way deep into the temple towards the archives. When they finall
y reached them, they were devastated by what they saw.
The archives, the great hall of knowledge of the Jedi, were in ruins.
"Sithspawn!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "All of our history...all of the knowledge..."
"It's not all gone, Ben," Buffy said. "But we don't have time to worry about thi
s. Get to the beacon."
"And where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked as Buffy started moving off. Buffy stop
ped and turned her head to look behind her.
"To the security recordings. I need to see it..." With that, Buffy moved off int
o the archives towards the security station. Once she reached it, she turned on
the live holo-feed, only to see Palpatine declare the institution to his new emp
ire. Buffy watched the feed with narrowed eyes. "I should have killed you a long
time ago, Sidious," she whispered. "And I promise I'll see you dead before this
is over." Turning her back to the screen, she moved over to the security statio
n and switched on the security holo-vids. She flipped through them for a few mom
ents before she found the one she wanted the most - and the least.
Anakin fought with Cin Drallig. After only a few moments he moved on to Jocasta
Nu, and finally Nejaa Halcyon. She paused the recording as Anakin lifted up Halc
yon, holding him suspended with the Force. She studied the face of her brother i
ntently, noting the emotionless expression, the tension in his jaw, his eyes -
His eyes -
And then Buffy, Jedi Master and Vampire Slayer, began to laugh.
====BtVS====
"There," Obi-Wan said as he finished reprogramming the signal beacon. "I've repr
ogrammed it to warn all remaining Jedi to stay away."
"Good . . . For the Clones to discover the recalibration, a long time it will ta
ke," Yoda said. "To change it back, longer still. Now leave we must, before disc
overed we are."
The two Jedi headed back into the archives, were the sound of laughter greeted t
hem. They gave each other a worried look and then headed towards the security st
ation. Upon entering it, they saw Buffy doubled over in laughter.
"She's gone mad," Obi-Wan said. Buffy finally managed to get herself under contr
ol, and then looked up at her friend.
"This isn't madness, Ben," she explained. "This is relief. Look at the recording
and tell me what you see."
Obi-Wan moved over to the station and studied the figure before him. "He looks e
motionless, not so much filled with hatred than filled with...apathy."
"Look at the eyes, Obi-Wan. Look at the eyes."
Obi-Wan stared closer at the image. Anakin's eyes were...
"They appear to be a solid color," he said in disbelief. "But that's not possibl
e."
Buffy smiled and leaned back against the wall. "Back in Sunnydale, when Willow w
ould do magic, sometimes her eyes would become solid black. When I thought about
it, I figured they became black because the magical energy she channeled on the
Hellmouth was inherently dark. Now, when I saw the recording and saw Anakin's e
yes, it hit me - they're black. Which means that Traya put Anakin under some kin
d of spell - probably a variation of the will-be-done spell Willow used once. Wh
ich means there's still hope for him."
"What do you mean?"
"If I can stop Traya in time, Anakin can still be saved!" she explained. "But it
has to be done soon. She's forcing him to tap into the Dark Side. And the longe
r he's under, the harder it will be to come back."
"Destroy the Sith, we must," Yoda declared. He looked at the screen behind Buffy
that still played highlights from Palpatine's speech. "Handle Darth Sidious I w
ill. Buffy, find and defeat Darth Traya you must."
"Agreed. Obi-Wan, you have to find Anakin. Stop him, but don't kill him. He's in
nocent in this."
"But I don't know where to look!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "Where would I even start?"
Buffy looked at the Jedi Master for a moment, then finally spoke. "You can start
with his wife."
After a moment, Obi-Wan finally responded with a phrase he had learned long ago
from Buffy.
"Bloody hell!"
"Yeah. I think you know where she lives." Buffy said as she moved to leave. Obi-
Wan put a hand on her arm to stop her.
"And where will you go?" he asked her. Buffy smiled grimly.
"Back to the beginning."
====BtVS====
It didn't take the three Jedi long to find a way out of the temple. Yoda stowed
away on a Clone supply ship that was headed towards the Senate Building. Buffy t
ook a more visual route, fighting her way through the halls of the temple until
she reached the main hanger - and the Millennium Falcon, which blasted its way o
ut of yet another enemy hot spot. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, used Buffy's antics as a d
iversion to secure a small speeder, which he then flew with reckless abandon to
Senator Amidala's private apartment. Docking the small craft next to the veranda
, Obi-Wan made his way inside, where he found Padmé staring forlornly out her wind
ow towards the Senate building.
"I knew you'd come, Obi-Wan," she said without looking at him. "Somehow, I knew
that even my sister couldn't manage to kill you. Tell me, is Buffy alive as well
?"
"Yes."
"You must tell her that Anakin is innocent, Obi-Wan. It's not his fault..."
"I know, Padmé," Obi-Wan interrupted, moving to stand next to the fragile Senator.
"Buffy figured it out. And now I need your help. I need to find Anakin and stop
him."
Padmé suddenly turned to Obi-Wan with fear in her eyes. "You mean to kill him, don
't you?"
"No!" the Jedi quickly said. "I mean to stop him, so Buffy can stop Traya! She's
the key to all of this!"
"I know," Padmé said sadly. At Obi-Wan's questioning look, she elaborated. "They p
aid me a visit this morning."
FLASH
"Come Padmé, we have much to talk about."
Padmé broke free of Traya's arm. "I have nothing to talk about with you!" she spat
. Traya looked hurt.
"Really, Padmé! You shouldn't say such things! It isn't healthy-" her tone turned
deadly, "for you or the baby."
Padmé's breath hitched at the implied threat. After a moment, she finally spoke. "
What do you want?"
"It's quite simple, really," Traya said jovially. "Our dear Emperor is about to
consolidate his power and eliminate his enemies. That means there will be two th
ousand less Senators in the coming week. What I'm offering you here is a chance
to make it one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine."
"What do you mean?" Padmé ground out, trying to control her temper for her baby's
sake.
"What I mean is that you join with us, Padmé," Traya explained. "Palpatine thinks
he's in power, but he's nothing more than a puppet. My puppet. He'll set everyth
ing up, then Lord Vader and I will take him out and take his place."
Padmé stared at the woman she had once considered her dearest confidant and sister
. "My god..."
Traya chuckled. "Lady Traya will do." Her tone turned serious once more. "You ar
e a powerful senator, well liked and respected. With you backing us, no one coul
d stand in our way! We could turn this galaxy into a paradise!"
"You have to be kidding me!" Padmé exclaimed. "Why would I help you?"
"Maybe to get your husband back?" she said silkily, sidling up next to her. "I c
an do it, you know. Cancel the spell in a heartbeat. And with you beside me, he'
d follow along, no problem. However, if you refuse - well, I was upset that Coun
t Dooku had plotted to have you killed before but I've had three years to get ov
er those feelings. You don't play ball, and I will kill yo u- starting with your
child." Traya held her hands out to either side. "The lord giveth, the lord can
taketh away." Traya stepped back and let the threat sink in. "Of course, I don'
t need an answer right away. Lord Vader and I need to see to the Separatist Lead
ers that are hiding on Mustafar. When we come back in a day or so, then you can
give us your answer."
FLASH
"They've gone to Mustafar, Obi-Wan. They're probably still there."
Obi-Wan frowned. "And I don't know exactly where Buffy was headed. She could be
anywhere."
Padmé took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "There's nothing to it, then.
We'll go to Mustafar."
"Padmé!" Obi-Wan explained. "I don't think that would be such a good idea..."
"I will never join Darth Traya, Master Kenobi," Padmé said resolutely. "If I am to
be a dead woman then I will die trying to reach my husband. My ship is standing
by, Master Kenobi. And that is the only way you will be able to leave this plan
et."
Obi-Wan looked at the young Senator for a few moments before sighing in defeat.
"Very well. Let's go."
====BtVS====
Tatooine
====BtVS====
Owen Lars was working on one of the more stubborn moisture vaporators when the d
ust suddenly started blowing around him. "What the devil!" he exclaimed as he sc
rambled to his feet in time to see the large, saucer-like ship settle down next
to his farm. Owen rushed over to the ship, an angry scowl on his face. As the ra
mp started to lower, he started to scream, "Who in the hell do you think..."
Buffy smiled as her stepbrother trailed off. "Hey Owen. Mom around?"
"Hey, mom."
"Buffy!" Shim cried happily, wrapping her arms around her surrogate daughter. "I
t's so wonderful to see you."
"You too, mom," Buffy replied, returning the hug. "I only wish it was under bett
er circumstances."
"What is it?" Shim asked, confused. Buffy took a deep breath and plunged in.
"Mom, Anakin's in trouble," she said. "I need to know if Willow has been here re
cently. I know you feel you owe her," she added quickly, "but it's important tha
t I find her."
Shmi shook her head in confusion. "Buffy, I haven't seen Willow since she saved
my life."
Buffy blew out a breath in frustration. "How about around town? Have you seen he
r in Mos Eisley? Or Mos Espa?"
"No, Buffy," Owen said, taking a glass of Blue milk offered by Beru, who then ga
ve a glass to Buffy and Shmi. "We haven't seen her here at all."
"I don't get it!" Buffy growled, slamming her fist on the table in frustration.
"Traya said I'd find her back where it all began. Everything began here! This is
where we found each other. This is where we set off with the Jedi from..."
"But that isn't where it began, is it?" Beru asked. "I mean, you both ended up h
ere, but you came to this galaxy somewhere else, right?"
FLASH
Buffy stood on the top of the tower in Sunnydale, telling Dawn to live. She turn
ed and ran down the platform and took a swan dive into still-forming portal. Mea
nwhile on the ground, a strand of energy reached out and struck Willow, who push
ed Tara away before it could strike her.
They appeared over a volcanic landscape, tumbling down 15 feet until they impact
ed the rocky, ash-covered landscape next to a river of lava...
FLASH
"A land of ash...lava..." Buffy said quietly to herself and then she looked up t
o Clieg. "Do you have a computer with access to a planetary database?"
"Sure," Cleig said, a bit confused. "Sure... I had it installed after Owen was b
orn, for his education. It's in the den..."
Buffy shot up out of her chair and into the den. She turned on the learning comp
uter and brought up the search database.
"Let's see... volcanic, mostly uninhabited..." she rapidly typed into the comput
er. After a moment, a single name popped up, and after 13 years Buffy finally wa
s able to place a name to her hell.
"Mustafar..."
Episode 3 Chapter 12
Battle of the Heroes
====BtVS====
Mustafar
====BtVS====
"Well done, Lord Vader," Darth Traya said as she kicked over the corpse of Nute
Gunray with the edge of her boot. "I see he got your point."
"And it only took thirteen years," Vader quipped. A beeping sound alerted the Si
th Lords to the incoming holo-message from Darth Sidious and Traya immediately a
nswered the call.
"The Separatists are taken care of, my Master," Darth Vader said, bowing his hea
d in respect. Sidious nodded.
"It is finished, then," he said. "You have both restored peace and justice to th
e galaxy. You have done well, Lord Vader, Lord Traya"
"Thank you, my Master," Traya replied with a small smile.
"Send a message to the ships of the Trade Federation," The Sith Lord instructed.
"Tell them the Separatist leaders have been wiped out. Grievous and Dooku have
been destroyed. All droid units must shut down immediately."
"Very good, my Lord," Darth Vader replied, switching off the holo-transmission.
Traya moved over the communication's platform, entered the shut-down code and se
nt it. Soon, all of the other holographic displays showed Droid troops grinding
to a halt. Traya smiled and looked back at her partner.
"To coin a phrase, 'the galaxy is ours'."
Another beeping sound interrupted Traya and the Sith turned to the monitor to se
e a ship coming in for a landing.
"It's Padmé," Vader said softly. Traya's eyes narrowed.
"Then she's made her choice. Let's go."
====BtVS====
Senator Amidala's Star Cruiser, Mustafar
====BtVS====
"Mistress Padmé, Master Kenobi, we are coming in for a landing," Threepio said fro
m his seat behind the controls. "I would suggest you strap yourselves in, as I a
m still new at this flying business."
"You're doing a fine job, Threepio," Padmé said as the droid gently brought the sh
ip in for landing next to the Sith's vessel. "He's here. And so is Darth Traya."
"Listen to me, Padmé," Obi-Wan implored. "Let me deal with Darth Traya. Try your b
est to get through to Anakin, but if you can't, get away."
"I won't run!"
"We don't know how long or how deep Anakin has been steeped in the Dark Side, Pa
dmé!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "As much as I hate to say it, it may not be possible to g
et through to him, at least until Darth Traya has been taken care of." The ship
touched down, and the two looked out from the cockpit towards the command center
where two figures hurried towards the ship. "Promise me you'll be careful."
Padmé huffed and got out of her seat. "I'm a dead woman, Obi-Wan. I have nothing l
eft to lose." Padmé strode quickly out of the cockpit towards the exit ramp. Obi-W
an sighed, and rose to follow her.
"Sister!" Traya exclaimed happily as Padmé emerged from the ship. "And the ever st
oic Obi-Wan Kenobi! My, aren't you hard to kill?"
"Darth Traya, always a pleasure," Obi-Wan replied sarcastically, Padmé ignored her
sister totally, her eyes fixed on her husband's face.
"Anakin, listen to me, please! Fight her, for us!"
"And what 'us' is there, Padmé? Why would I want to be with you, when you would br
ing him here to kill us?" Vader's tone was taunting. Traya's obsidian eyes danci
ng as she gazed at the sappy Padmé and her newest creation.
"Him?" Padmé looked back confused at Obi-Wan and then suddenly realized what Vader
was thinking. "I didn't bring him here to kill you, Anakin! I brought him here
to help you!"
"Let him go, Traya!" Obi-Wan demanded. The Sith looked innocently back at him.
"What makes you think I haven't already?"
"I refuse to believe the man I married would willing submit to this life!" Padmé s
houted back, turning to glare at Traya.
"And why wouldn't I, Padmé?" Darth Vader asked. "I have power, I have respect. I h
ave brought security and peace to our new empire."
"Your new Empire? Listen to yourself! You can't mean this!"
"I can and I do," Vader shot back, stepping towards her threateningly. "Now, my
Master gave you a choice - stand with us or die. Which is it?"
Padmé sighed sadly. "You know I could never stand with you like this."
Vader eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then you've chosen death." The Sith reached ou
t with his hand and squeezed his fingers together and suddenly Padmé found her thr
oat constricting.
Obi-Wan stepped towards Vader. "Enough! This ends now!" He felt as though he nee
ded to do something, but was vastly outnumbered against the strength of both Vad
er and Traya. "Let her go... you'll kill your child!"
Traya laughed. "And do you think you can take on the both of us alone?"
Tray's laughter was cut off when Darth Vader was suddenly flung away from Padmé an
d into the side of the Senator's Star Cruiser. As Padmè sunk to the ground unconsc
ious, Traya spun around and ignited her crimson blade as another figure stepped
out of the shadows.
"Who said he was alone?" Buffy asked.
====BtVS====
Coruscant
====BtVS====
The Chancellor's Red Guards were the elite guards of the Senate. Like the Swiss
Guards of Earth, the Red Guards (formerly the blue guards) were selected after a
lengthy weeding out process, and then put through years of training that would
make the hardest Marine weep. They were the preeminent guards of the Senate and
no one in history had ever gotten past them.
Sidious sat behind his desk under the Senate Rotunda, Mas Amedda right behind. A
light tapping sound got their attention, and they looked up to the doorway -
To see the diminutive Master Yoda enter the room. At once, the Red guards moved
to intercept the Jedi Master -
And with a wave of his hand, both were slammed against the wall behind them with
bone crunching force, instantly rendering them unconscious. Yoda stopped and le
aned forward on his cane, looking at the Sith Master.
"I hear a new apprentice, you have, Emperor, or should I call you Darth Sidious.
"
"Master Yoda, you survived," Darth Sidious replied dryly, hardly surprised
"Surprised?"
"Your arrogance blinds you, Master Yoda," Darth Sidious growled. "Now you will e
xperience the full power of the dark side."
The Dark Lord raised his arms and suddenly let loose with a blast of blue lighte
ning. It struck Yoda before he could act, hurtling the Jedi Master across the ro
om until he impacted with the far wall and slid down into a crumpled heap. As Ma
s Amedda left, the only sound was Darth Sidious' dark laughter.
====BtVS====
Mustafar
====BtVS====
Darth Vader scowled at his sister as he stood up. Darth Traya merely smiled and
clasped her empty hand over her heart. "Micro-brain! Growl for me, show me you s
till care!"
Buffy smirked at her former best friend and, never taking her eyes off of Traya,
addressed her brother. "Ani, go and play with Obi-Wan. We girls need to have a
little chat."
"Yes, Lord Vader," Traya agreed. "Go kill your friend. Then you can join me in k
illing your sister."
Obi-Wan instantly ignited his blade. And he brought it up to defend himself. "I
think you'll find, Vader, that I am not that easy to kill."
"No," Vader agreed, igniting his blade, "You'll be easier." Darth Vader leapt at
Obi-Wan, his blade flashing and Obi-Wan immediately moved to block. Soon the tw
o former friends were going full tilt; their blades moving faster than any norma
l eyes could follow.
Traya watched the show before turning back to Buffy. "So...here we are." Traya p
ulled out Mace's lightsaber and ignited the purple blade, showing it to Buffy. "
Do you like it? My Master gave it to me after he killed your old Master. It's on
ly fitting that I cut you down with it."
Buffy narrowed her eyes at her former friend. "Are we really gonna do this?" Buf
fy asked. Traya chuckled.
"Still don't want to take me on, Buffy? Still want to hold back?"
"I'd rather not have to kill you, Traya," Buffy replied steadily, "I'd like to b
elieve there's a little bit of Willow left somewhere in there."
"Oh come on, Buffy! Face the fact that Willow is dead and good riddance!" Traya
spat. "Willow was weak and pathetic and allowed others to use her for their own
benefit. She was glad when I came to power! And now I'm going to show you what t
hat power can do."
"You won't win, Traya," Buffy stated simply. Traya sneered.
"Oh, I will win, Buffy. This is a huge deal for me! All those years as a side ma
n, and now I get to be the Slayer."
"A killer isn't a Slayer. Being a Slayer; being a Jedi, means something you can'
t conceive of."
Traya sighed in annoyance. "Oh, Buffy. You really need to have every square inch
of your ass kicked."
Buffy ignited both of her blades, curling one up over her head and bringing the
other down to her side. "Then show me what you got. And I'll show you what a Sla
yer really is."
And then Traya attacked.
====BtVS====
Yoda
====BtVS====
Sidious cackled as he approached the unconscious Yoda. "I have waited a long tim
e for this moment, my little green friend," he said. Yoda struggled to his feet,
facing off against the Sith Lord, who glared back. "At last, the Jedi are no mo
re," he added in a smug tone.
"Not if anything to say about it, I have!" Yoda shot back, thrusting his tiny ha
nd out and using the Force to throw Sidious back across the room and over his de
sk.
"At an end your rule is," Yoda said, motioning Sidious to come to him, "And not
short enough it was."
Sidious snarled and leapt through the air, his cloak billowing out around him. H
e landed right at the exit - only to have Yoda land right in front of him. "If s
o powerful you are," Yoda asked, drawing his lightsaber and igniting it, "Why le
ave?"
"You will not stop me. Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us,"
Sidious exclaimed, igniting his own crimson blade. "And if he fails..." A truly
evil smile lit his face now. "Darth Traya will still remain."
"Faith in your new apprentices, misplaced may be, as is your faith in the dark s
ide of the Force."
And with that, the two Masters - one Jedi and one Sith, faced off in their ultim
ate battle.
====BtVS====
Obi-Wan
====BtVS====
The battle was fast and furious. Vader may have been younger and more powerful,
but Obi-Wan had experience under his belt - as well as having the advantage of h
aving taught Anakin everything he knew.
They traded blows, blocking and thrusting, stabbing and parrying. Vader kicked O
bi-Wan, causing him to fly back towards the control room and he used the Force t
o land on his feet. Vader moved in and pressed his attack, his blue blade flashi
ng. Obi-Wan blocked his blade and lashed out with his right hand, snapping back
Vader's jaw.
"You're stronger than her, Anakin!" Obi-Wan pleaded as he was forced by Vader do
wn the hall into the control room. "Fight her!"
"You know, I already had a nagging wife," Vader growled, swiping his sword down
and barely missing Obi-Wan, cutting into one of the holo-tables instead. "I real
ly don't need another one."
Vader lunged at Obi-Wan, who spun around out of the way and brought his blade ba
ck to bear. The two spun their blades at each other, each looking for a hit, but
each knowing each other so well that they were able to avoid each other. Finall
y Obi-Wan managed to lock his blade with Vader's, then reached out with the Forc
e to hurl the Sith away. At the same moment Vader did the same and for a few mom
ents it was a battle of wills, each calling upon the Force against each other -
Until finally the power between them seemed to explode, blasting the two away fr
om each other. Vader recovered quickly, picking himself up from the console he h
ad landed on and hurtling himself across the room towards his former Master. Vad
er brought his blade down and Obi-Wan just managed to move so the blade sliced t
hrough the control panel instead. As the two continued to fight, neither noticed
the panel Darth Vader had just destroyed controlled the force fields that prote
cted the outer areas of the center.
====BtVS====
Buffy
====BtVS====
Buffy and Traya moved along the outskirts of the facility, sticking to the hard,
ashen ground, their four blades moving faster than the normal eye could follow.
Traya attacked viciously, pushing Buffy farther down the steep embankment towar
ds the river of lava below. Buffy continued to block, desperately searching for
an opening. She brought her silver blade down at Traya's head, but the Sith brou
ght both of hers up and trapping Buffy's between her blades. Buffy swung around
and batted the lightsaber blades away with her green blade, forcing Traya off ba
lance for a moment. Buffy took the opportunity to Force-leap onto a small bridge
that was suspended over the river. She stood at the ready as Traya leapt up aft
er her.
"Going so soon, old friend?"
"Nah, just wanted a better view," Buffy replied sarcastically.
"You're getting slow in your old age," Traya mocked, moving lightly on the balls
of her feet. Buffy kept up her guard.
"And you sure like to tal-" Buffy was cut off by the sound of a blaring siren. "
What the hell..." she breathed as she watched the blue glow of the Force field a
round the bridge fail - just as a large wave of lava bore down on the bridge. "Y
ou have got to be kidding me!"
The two leapt backwards as the lava washed over the bridge. Traya thrust out her
hand. "Congelo!" she yelled, and instantly the lava turned to ice. Billows of s
team thrust into the air, obscuring Traya's vision. Suddenly Buffy came thrustin
g at her, sliding through the steam across the already melting ice. Traya batted
away the silver blade and swung for Buffy's head, but the Slayer was too quick
and rolled under, coming up to her feet and instantly running for the end of the
bridge as it collapsed behind her. Traya cursed and ran after her quarry, deter
mined to put an end to her once and for all.
====BtVS====
Yoda
====BtVS====
Yoda was not having a good day.
The biggest asset Yoda had in a fight was his ability to move around rapidly and
attack from many different angles almost at once. Sidious had nullified that ad
vantage almost at once when he fled into the Chancellor's podium and raised it i
nto the massive senate chamber. As a result, Yoda was confined to only a spare f
ew feet to maneuver. A lucky shot finally gave him the break he had been looking
for and caused the Sith Lord to jump off of the podium to one of the senate pod
s.
And then he started flinging the pods at Yoda.
Of course, his speed and agility, bolstered by the Force, proved to be a lifesav
er as he leapt from pod to pod, avoiding the deadly projectiles that the Dark Lo
rd flung at him. He finally managed to turn the tide when he used his mastery of
the Force to send a pod crashing back at Sidious, who leapt to a lower pod to a
void it. Yoda jumped up to meet him, his lightsaber ignited -
And was met by a powerful blast of Force lightening, which knocked his lightsabe
r out of his hand. Yoda called upon the Force once more, using its power to bloc
k the brute force of the lightening. Sidious leaned forward, pouring everything
he had into the lightening; all while Yoda called upon his inner reserves to blo
ck it. Finally, after what seemed to Yoda to be an eternity the energy back lash
ed, sending both Force wielders over the edge to the floor far below.
Yoda bounced off of a couple of downed pods and landed on the floor in a heap. S
idious landed a bit more gracefully, calling upon the Force to land on his feet.
"You are beaten, Jedi," the Dark Lord rasped as Yoda struggled to his feet. "You
r powers are weakened, your Order destroyed. And there is no one left to come to
your aid."
And suddenly Darth Sidious was thrown across the floor, knocking into a fallen p
od and collapsing in a heap. "You really shouldn't tempt fate, your Highness." Y
oda's eyes widened in shock as a figure stepped out of the shadows of the Senate
.
"For fate has a way of coming back to bite you in the ass as a friend would prob
ably say." Qui-Gon Jinn said, a small smile on his face.
====BtVS====
Obi-Wan
====BtVS====
Obi-Wan was nearly spent. Vader was half his age with double his strength. But t
he Jedi Master could feel the conflict in his former student; could feel Anakin
rearing his head trying to break through Darth Traya's control. But the spell wa
s ultimately too strong and Anakin just wasn't experience in throwing off the ki
nd of mental intrusion Traya had put upon him. And Obi-Wan had come to the sad r
ealization that ultimately, he may have to kill Vader to save Anakin.
So Obi-Wan stood on the small platform as it flowed over the river of lava, look
ing over at Darth Vader as he approached on the top of a small lava-collecting d
roid. Darth Vader looked back at his former Master, a cold look on his face.
Obi-Wan stared at his former apprentice for a moment before he began to see some
thing... there was more emotion in Anakin now. He was gaining strength through t
he use of the Dark Side. Traya's plot to turn him over without having to use her
dark magic on him was almost complete.
Which meant that he was still faced with the realization that Vader had to die t
o save his brother...
"This is the end for you, my Master," he said coldly. Obi-Wan sighed.
"I don't want to, but I will destroy you if I must."
"You will try," Vader snarled and then leapt over Obi-Wan and onto the platform,
where they dueled once more...
====BtVS====
Buffy
====BtVS====
Buffy was getting tired. She had made it to the far shore as the bridge had coll
apsed and turned just in time to hold off another vicious attack from Darth Tray
a that had managed to knock Qui-Gon's lightsaber from her hand. She had ducked t
he next attack and lashed out with her foot, knocking Mace's purple blade from h
er hand. Now both with only single blades, the two launched a flurry of offensiv
e and defensive moves at each other, only backing off as they both ran out of br
eath.
As Buffy turned back, wielding her blade over her shoulder, her chest rising and
falling with her shortened breath, she watched as Willow leapt into view. Her m
ovements were almost cat-like as she slid foot-over-foot, almost like a dance. H
er crimson blade was held to her side in a more formal style.
And the one thing Buffy could barely register through the entire fight was that
it had finally come down to this. She had loved Willow like a sister... she had
been her closest friend. For years they had looked after each other.
But this wasn't Willow, not anymore. This was a darker version of her best frien
d, one that was too far involved with the Magics. Even if she didn't want to adm
it it, she knew that Willow could never come back. And Buffy was going to have t
o kill the woman she once considered her closest friend.
She thought about Jacen and her dead children; she thought about Traya's hold ov
er her brother whom Buffy spent so much time and energy to protect from the Dark
Lord's control only to have Traya trounce her again. And then she remembered th
e look on Neeja's face as Traya told Anakin to kill him.
Biting back a cry of rage, Buffy sped forward, her arms twisting and turning, pu
shing Traya to the defensive. Each thrust was built out of her rage. She felt th
e darkness starting to slip in, but fought against it. This had nothing to do wi
th revenge; this was about preserving what little of the Jedi Order remained.
Finally, Traya caught the tip of Buffy's mechanical arm and kicked it, sending B
uffy sprawling towards the river of lava that bubbled below. As she did, Traya s
lipped behind her. Glancing up, she smiled.
"Recognize our old stomping grounds?" she asked, gesturing to the ash covered gr
ound and the small outcroppings of igneous rock. "I guess you wouldn't, seeing a
s you spent most of your time here locked in a box. This, old friend," she made
a sweeping gesture with her hands, "is where we were held by the Slavers. Back t
o the beginning, indeed."
"Or arriving at the end," Buffy remarked, raising her blade in a salute. "Come o
n, Traya. Give us a kiss."
Traya was the one to bite this time. Buffy simply used her Slayer abilities to k
ick the Sith away from her before swirling her lightsaber back to her. The ashen
landscape looked almost foreign to her, and yet it seemed right that this was w
here she could potentially make her last stand.
Traya leapt with the grace of the Force, landing straight in front of Buffy. Aga
in they began their duet, spinning, twisting and snarling their way across the a
shen landscape.
Panting, they pulled away, the tips of their lightsabers clashing with a slight
hiss. Buffy walked below, stepping carefully over the uneven ground. "Do you rea
lly think you're ready for this?" she asked steadily, watching as Traya flashed
her that cruel, demented smile that Buffy found almost relieving. It would be fa
r better to kill Traya as long as she acted like her and didn't look like the on
e Buffy used to know.
"Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" Traya mocked instead, pushing her lips
into a full pout. She then changed her voice into something both otherworldly an
d screechy. "Mom, Ani, waaah."
Buffy pushed forward her attack, more to shut her up than anything. But this tim
e, she worked in her attack, trying to force Traya to put her blade in the sweet
est little spot... when Traya's wrists finally twisted into the perfect position
, Buffy brought her blade up and slammed it down as far as it could go.
Nothing happened and Traya grinned.
"Come now, Buffy. You didn't expect me to not prepare for that old trick, did yo
u?" she asked mockingly, before releasing one hand from her lightsaber and point
ing it at Buffy, letting loose with a blast of Force lightening.
It caught Buffy in the chest and blew her back twenty feet, where she landed on
her back writhing in pain. She couldn't help screaming as she felt as though her
very blood was boiling within her skin.
"That's right, Buffy! Feel the burn!" Traya shouted with malice as Buffy convuls
ed on the ground. After a few moments, Traya relented her attack and Buffy rolle
d over onto her stomach, groaning in pain.
Traya smiled in triumph as she circled her former friend, her lightsaber glowing
and ready to strike. "How did you think this was going to go, Buffy? You'd defe
at me, maybe even bring back Willow? That Anakin would snap out of my spell and
beg for forgiveness? Please. You were never going to defeat me. I will kill you
here and then go on to kill Palpatine and rule over this Empire, remaking it in
my image. Why?" Traya smiled wickedly as she stepped around Buffy's moaning form
. "Because I have the power to do so. Because I have power that no one could eve
r dream of! And because there's no one in this galaxy with the power to stop me
now..."
Traya was cut short by a burst of green energy that struck her in the chest and
sent her flying into an outcropping of rock, where landed in a heap at the base
of it. She looked up expecting to find another Jedi to take care of...but what s
he saw shocked her to her core.
Buffy looked at Traya's shocked face, then followed her line of sight - and gasp
ed in shock.
For at the top of a small incline Rupert Giles stood, his arm outstretched, his
glasses missing, his eyes boring directly into Darth Traya's
"I'd like to test that theory."
====BtVS====
WTF!
Errr...
====BtVS====
Episode 3 Chapter 13
London Calling
====BtVS====
Cuz we came here to set this party off
Right - let's bounce tonight
And if they don't let us in through the front
We'll come through the side
Cuz I don't ever wanna leave again
Without - at least saying goodbye
So All my people on the left, all my people on the right
Swing one last time
Rupert Giles rubbed his forehead, wishing away the headache that had plagued him
since earlier that afternoon when the Slayers returned from their training with
Faith.
"What is that ghastly noise they're playing?" Giles asked brusquely to Xander, w
ho was lounging on the couch across from his desk.
"It's called music, Giles," Xander deadpanned without looking at him. "You know.
.. music? Has a beat, usually played loud, girls like to dance to it?"
"I know music, Xander," Giles retorted, "and that ruckus, shouted by some bloke
who named himself after a chocolate candy is most certainly not music. Now Led Z
eppelin, the Who, the Rolling Stones... that's music."
"The Rolling Stones are zombies."
"The Stones are not zombies!" Giles protested.
"Oh, please!" Xander shot back. "Any band that's toured that long can't be norma
l. I'd say vampires, but they've been seen in daylight..."
Giles shook his head and tuned the younger man out as he looked down onto his de
sk at the report a young Slayer named Belle had delivered this morning. Finding
it impossible to concentrate, Giles sat back and reflected on the past three yea
rs.
====BtVS====
Life had been hard after Buffy and Willow's apparent deaths. Tara, whose mind ha
d only just been recovered mere minutes before, was left heartbroken at the loss
of her girlfriend. And Dawn, whose father was no where to be found, was left an
orphan. Tara's situation was helped by Anya of all people, who became Tara's cl
osest friend and confidant next to Dawn. As for Dawn, the Watcher's Council fina
lly did something right by the Summers' family and pulled some strings, giving c
ustody of Dawn over to Giles.
The first few months were the hardest for all of them. While Xander and Anya hel
ped Tara work through her grief, Giles became the father that Dawn had always wa
nted. Tara moved in to the Summers' residence on Revello Drive and the two griev
ing women spent their time talking with each other working though their grief.
It was two months after the incident at the tower when the Council arrived once
more - with Faith, recently released with her record expunged. After some initia
l hostilities, Quentin Travers finally managed to convince the Scoobies that a S
layer was needed on the Hellmouth and that Faith had shown she was willing to fa
ce up to what she had done and had earned a second chance. Of all the people, it
was Dawn who finally welcomed her into her home, giving her that second chance
and convincing the others to do the same.
If Dawn's ready acceptance of Faith was surprising, the real shocker came three
months after Buffy and Willow disappearance when Spike returned-disheveled, ramb
ling and newly ensouled. His reason became clear once he became more coherent -
he had made a promise to Buffy to look after Dawn, but he realized he couldn't d
o that as the monster. To fulfill his promise, he had to become a man once more.
Even Xander was moved at the admission. And Spike was given a cot in the baseme
nt.
In an odd turn, that first year without Buffy and Willow turned out to be strang
ely quiet. The only thing that qualified as a threat turned out to be, of all pe
ople, Jonathan who, along with fellow nerds Andrew and Warren, dubbed themselves
the Troika and decided to rule the world.
Faith and Spike managed to nip that one in the bud fairly easily - Spike through
fear and intimidation, and Faith through a little brute force. Jonathan and And
rew took the hint and headed for the Mexican border but Warren refused to be bea
ten by a woman and came after Faith with a gun.
His first mistake was trying to kill Faith in the house or Revello Drive.
His second mistake was coming in when the entire Scooby gang was present.
His final mistake was pointing a gun at Dawn.
Spike immediately leapt at the homicidal nerd, taking several bullets to the che
st as he tackled Warren through the living room windows. The move proved nearly
fatal for both - Warren ended up with large shards of glass embedded in his back
and Spike's chip overloaded, putting the master vampire into a coma for a month
. He eventually recovered as did Warren - though he recovered in a prison hospit
al. Warren was eventually tried for the murder of his girlfriend and the attempt
ed murder of Faith Lehane and Dawn Summers and was sentenced to life without par
ole.
Things started to get worse around Sunnydale the next year, however. And it soon
became apparent that something evil was at work. This fact was proven when the
Watchers Council was destroyed and blind assassins came after Faith and Giles wh
o were luckily able to defeat them. Giles felt there was something familiar abou
t the would-be killers - which were confirmed when Angel arrived with most his c
rew and identified them as harbingers of the First Evil, the so-called source of
all evil that Angel had become acquainted with four years previous.
The First Evil's plans soon became apparent as young girls from all over the wor
ld were brought to Sunnydale by Wesley. He informed everyone that the Bringers w
ere killing off all of the Potentials - girls who may become the Slayer one day
- in order to bring the Slayer line to a halt. When this was done, the First wou
ld raise its army of Turok-Han vampires and become corporeal. Wesley had brought
he girls to Faith so she could both protect them from the First's Bringers and
train them for the coming battle.
Faith took the challenge with relish, seeing it as opportunity to prevent any fu
ture Slayers from making her mistakes. Soon all of the Scoobies, along with Ange
l's team, were helping to train and defend the Potentials while Giles, Wesley an
d Tara worked on ways to foil the First's plan. Eventually they found it, in the
forms of an ancient amulet and a mysterious scythe. Tara had used the scythe to
activate all of the Potentials who, with Faith, had stormed the Hellmouth to ta
ke the fight to the First's Turok-Han, while the witch Amy utilized the power of
the amulet to destroy the remaining troops and close the Hellmouth while the ot
hers got away at the cost of her own life.
After the destruction of Sunnydale, the survivors headed for Los Angeles and the
Hyperion Hotel for some well-deserved rest. It was there that Robson had contac
ted Giles and Wesley, telling them that the Watcher's Council had been reconstit
uted to deal with the influx of several hundred Slayers and that Giles, Wesley a
nd their Slayers had been ordered back to London by Lord Nigel Ambrose-Bellairs,
newly named head of the Council. Faith hadn't been happy with that as even thou
gh they had facilitated her release, she still didn't trust them because of the
times they had tried to kill her. Nevertheless, Giles and Wesley managed to conv
ince her that it was a good thing that the Council had been restored, seeing as
there were now so many new Slayers that needed to be trained.
The optimistic feelings had disappeared upon their arrival to the new Council he
adquarters in Bristol, where they found the 'Old Guard' was basically using the
new Slayers like slaves, housing them in the servant's quarters and having them
do servant's work.
Giles still smiled when he thought about Faith's ultimatum to Sir Nigel, particu
larly her comment about a very inventive place she would stick her crossbow if t
he treatment continued.
Since that day nearly eight months ago, Giles and Wesley had worked tirelessly t
o change how the Council treated the Slayers. The girls now operated in groups,
outfitted in the latest slaying gear designed by, of all people, Andrew and Jona
than, who had been saved by a couple of Slayers in Mexico. While Wesley worked m
ore with the girls in the field, Giles had been named the second in command by v
irtually all of the Slayers (much to the older Watchers' chagrin). And he worked
as hard as ever to change the Council from within. Xander had been given the ta
sk of organizing a construction crew to build all new facilities on the grounds
to house the new Slayers. Tara, who had recently begun a relationship with a you
ng Slayer named Kennedy, had enlisted the aid of a coven of witches from Devon t
o aid the Slayer with magical support. And Dawn-
Dawn had taken to being taught by private tutors provided by the Council. She al
so worked as a Watcher-in-Training, her skills with languages unparalleled, desp
ite her age. And in her spare time, she devoted her research to finding a way to
bring her sister and Willow home. And endeavor that annoyed Sir Nigel to no end
, as he felt it was a waste of time.
Giles rubbed his temple as the music thankfully came to a sudden stop. "Thank th
e Lord..."
"Actually, you can probably thank Spike," Xander replied. "He hates Eminem. Anyw
ays, as I was saying before we were interrupted by the battle of the bands... co
nstruction of the new dorms is proceeding ahead of schedule, thanks mostly to th
e Council's judicious allowance of overtime and a twenty-four hour rotating sche
dule for the crew. The buildings themselves will be done by next Tuesday, but ma
king them livable will take a little bit longer."
"How much longer?" Giles asked wearily. He really couldn't stand anymore of this
music.
"Several weeks," Xander replied ruefully. Giles was about to say something, but
a knock on the door put a stop to their conversation. "Enter!" they both called
out and the door opened to find two Slayers - a Sunnydale survivor named Vi and
a newer, England-native Slayer named Belle.
"Pardon the interruption, sir," Belle said in her Cockney accent, "But we though
t we'd best tell you tha' Sir Nigel is lookin' for you."
"And he seems kind of irate," Vi added nervously. While not as shy and withdrawn
as she had been in Sunnydale, Vi still found herself intimidated by some of the
higher ranking members of the Council like Sir Nigel and Giles.
"Any idea what he's irate about?" Xander asked, though he already knew the answe
r. Vi shrugged her shoulders apologetically.
"I'll give you two guesses, though you'll only need one."
Giles sighed. "I guess we could make a run for it..."
"You're not scared of this pompous blow-hard, are you?" Xander asked, unbelievin
g. Giles shook his head.
"No, but I really don't feel like dealing with him today..." he sighed and smile
d wearily at the two Slayers. "Thank you for the heads up, ladies. But you'd bes
t be off - you have patrol tonight."
"Righ' then, sir," Bell nodded, then headed out of the room, followed by Vi, who
threw a 'Good luck!' over her shoulder. Giles looked over to Xander, who was st
ill reclining on the couch. "You still have time to get away."
"Nah, I'm good."
"Mr. Giles!" a voice called from the hallway in a distinguished British accent.
Giles looked up to see the head of the Council bearing down on him.
"And what seems to be the problem today, Sir Nigel? Upset that the girls won't s
hine your shoes anymore?" Giles asked in a mildly sarcastic tone. Lord Ambrose-B
ellairs stalked into the office and came to a halt before Giles' desk and glower
ed at the man.
"We need to talk about your young charge."
"Which one, he has so many now," Xander said teasingly. Sir Nigel glared at the
young carpenter.
"You may go now, carpenter."
"Yeah, and you can kiss my rosy red a-"
"Xander, that's enough," Giles cut in sharply, before returning his attention to
Lord Ambrose-Bellairs. "As for Dawn, she is keeping up in her studies and her W
atcher's training is proceeding apace. I see no problem."
"She continues to squander her times, as well as the Council's resources, on a p
ipe-dream!" he exclaimed hotly. Giles abruptly stood up from his chair.
"It has never been proven that Buffy is dead!" he retorted angrily. "As little a
s a few months ago, Faith reported to me that she had a Slayer dream with Buffy
in it!"
"Slayer dreams can mean many things!" Sir Nigel shot back. "It does not mean tha
t Buffy Summers is alive!"
"I will not tell Dawn to give up hope!"
"Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg are dead, Rupert! Accept it-"
"I did it!"
The voice startled the three men, who looked out the door to see the object of t
he discussion running towards them. "I did it! I've figured out how to locate th
em!" Dawn screamed excitedly, then turned and headed down the corridor. The thre
e men looked at each other in confusion for a few moments, before Dawn appeared
back at the door. "Follow me," she said and moved off again. The three Watchers
hurriedly followed after the teenage girl.
"I've been having the same problem for three years," Dawn explained as they walk
ed. "How do you find people trapped in an alternate dimension, when there are an
infinite number of dimensions they could have ended up in? You can only open a
portal to one dimension at a time - at least, that's the common conception."
"It's a magical certainty," Sir Nigel pointed out. Dawn shook her head.
"There are no certainties in magic, Sir Nigel," Dawn pointed out. "Just look at
me - the Key was designed to open a doorway to all possible dimensions simultane
ously."
"Surely you're not suggesting-"
"Of course not," Dawn interrupted, knowing where he was going. "The Key was made
to be used once every couple million years or so and it would be too dangerous
to even attempt to use it in any case. No, the answer is much simpler. Answer me
this - what is a portal?"
"A mystical doorway to another dimension," Giles responded at once, but Dawn sho
ok her head.
"Think simpler."
"Energy," Xander responded at once and Dawn nodded.
"Exactly," Dawn said, beaming. "A portal is nothing more than energy tuned to a
specific field, or frequency. Now, I was talking with Fred about her research in
to portals and we started talking about this and we figured out how to access mu
ltiple dimensions at once."
"How?" Sir Nigel asked, clearly intrigued.
"Simple. We open a portal to any place, but manipulate its energy field to switc
h the point of destination. Like....switching channels."
"But how would this help you locate Buffy and Willow?" Giles asked. Dawn smiled.
"That's the easy part," she responded. "We do a simple locating spell, modified
to be continuous and scan each dimension. Fred and the nerds are working on a de
vice to rapidly change the energy frequency to expedite the search. It could tak
e minutes or it could take weeks, but this is the best chance we have of ever fi
nding them. And I know it will work."
"And what would you use to find Buffy?" Sir Nigel prodded. "All of your personal
belongings were destroyed with Sunnydale."
"That's even easier. I'll use me," Dawn said. "I was made out of Buffy, Sir Nige
l. Her blood, her DNA. If I use my blood with the locator spell, the results wil
l show up in two places - here and wherever Buffy is. And Willow is bound to be
there, too."
"Let me get this straight," Xander interrupted. "Three years of research. Three
years of frustration, stress and agonizing and in the end it all came down to 'r
otate shield frequencies'?"
Dawn shrugged and Xander laughed. Sir Nigel looked the girl dead in the eye.
"You really think this will work?" he asked.
"I do."
There was a moment as the three Sunnydale survivors waited to hear what the Coun
cil Head would say. What he said, it turned out, surprised them.
"Very well, then. Do it."
"I'm sorry?" Dawn asked, expecting a fight.
"This Council has lost a lot of good people these past few years," Sir Nigel exp
lained. "Any opportunity we have to get some back... well, I say we take it. You
have the full backing of the Council on this, Ms. Summers. Take whatever person
nel or materials you need and make this happen. Bring them home."
Dawn smiled happily at the elder Watcher for the first time since she had arrive
d. "Yes, sir!" she said, then turned and rushed down the hall to find Fred and t
he nerds.
====BtVS====
Things moved rapidly from that point. Dawn worked with Tara and the Devon Coven
to perfect the locator spell they would use. Meanwhile Fred, Andrew and Jonathan
managed to design a device that could not only house a small portal but also au
tomatically shift its frequency at a rapid pace. While this was happening, Giles
worked with Wesley to form a retrieval plan.
"Assuming we are successful in finding them, I suggest a four-man team go throug
h to bring them home," Wesley aid during one of their planning sessions.
"Agreed," Giles replied. "We also have to allow for the fact that the passage of
time may be different wherever they are. Many years may have passed or it may h
ave seemed like a blink of the eye to them. We need friendly faces there..."
"You're worried about Willow, aren't you?" Wesley asked. Giles looked back at hi
s friend and colleague.
"You aren't?"
====BtVS====
The night before they ran the search, Tara sat in her private room meditating.
"Something wrong, sweetie?" Kennedy asked as she slipped into the room. Tara sig
hed and opened her eyes to look at her girlfriend.
"Three years, Kennedy," she said at length, all traces of her former stutter gon
e now. "It's been three years and I've only just begun to put Willow behind me.
Now we're hours away from possibly finding her..."
"And you're scared?" Kennedy supplied, sitting down besides Tara on the floor. T
he blonde nodded.
"Things have changed so much and not just us - what about Willow? How has she ch
anged? What has she gone through? And how can we - how can I - possible help her
?"
Kennedy put a reassuring arm around her girlfriend and laid her head on Tara's s
houlder. "Don't worry, baby. We'll figure it out."
====BtVS====
The next day Sir Nigel, along with the Sunnydale survivors and the AI crew stood
in Fred's lab, staring at the machine she and the nerdy duo had created.
"So, here's how this works," Fred started, making adjustments as she talked. "Ta
ra opens a small portal inside the device and then does the locator spell. The m
achine will cycle through different frequencies every few seconds until we get a
lock. Once that happens, the computer will store the frequency so we can open u
p a larger portal directly to the correct dimension."
"What if something comes through?" Sir Nigel asked.
"Nothing will," Fred responded. "The portal will only be open on the end for a f
ew seconds, and will be too small for anything to get through. On top of that, I
have magnetically shielded the portal so anything that did manage to get throug
h would be contained. And finally, Faith and some of the Slayers will be present
here to deal with anything nasty."
"We're all set over here, Fred!" Andrew called out. Sir Nigel nodded.
"Proceed with the operation," he said. Tara and Althenea from the Devon Coven st
arted chanting and soon a small portal flickered to existence. Once it was stabi
lized, Dawn pulled a small silver dagger from her belt and quickly slid it acros
s the palm of her hand, cutting her palm open and covering the blade in her (and
Buffy's) blood. She passed the dagger over to Tara, who quickly performed the l
ocator spell. As expected, a bright dot appeared on the map over Bristol.
Meanwhile, the spell settled over and into the portal, searching for the other o
wner of the blood. At Fred's direction, Andrew hit the controls that started the
frequency search, causing the portal to flash and change colors every few secon
ds.
"And now, we wait," Fred murmured, as they all settled in for the long haul.
====BtVS====
It was well after midnight when Dawn was woken by an incessant beeping noise. Gr
oggily she pushed herself up out of the chair she had fallen asleep and looked o
ver to the 'portal jumper', as Andrew had taken to call it and saw immediately t
hat the portal was gone and the machine was silent. Frowning, she walked over to
the computer to check the readings. What she saw brought a smile to her face an
d tears to her eyes.
"We've found her!"
A few hours later, everybody was gathered once more in the lab. Giles, Dawn, Xan
der and Faith were all dressed for patrol - jeans and combat boots (though Faith
wore her leather pants). The girls wore black tank tops covered by dark leather
jackets and the guys wore dark, heavy shirts under their own leather jackets. A
ll four were outfitted for slaying and Faith had the Scythe strapped to her back
.
"All right, listen up everybody!" Andrew yelled in an authoritative voice. At th
e assorted glares he received in return, he meekly added, "Uh, please? Um...okay
! In a few moments we will open the portal and adjust the frequency. How will we
do that, you ask? Simple! We use this small device," Andrew held up a small bla
ck rectangle about the size of a TV remote, "A GDO. This is the only way you hav
e of getting home, ladies and gentlemen."
"Andrew?" Xander spoke.
"Yes, Xander?"
"Any more Stargate references and I'll sick Spike on you."
Andrew gulped as Spike growled maliciously.
"Anyway," Fred continued, "the...GDO, as Andrew called it, fires a small energy
pulse. The first button will tune the portal to the destination dimension and th
e second will set the portal for home. I tried to make something to open a porta
l, but I haven't been able to mesh the magic and machine and I haven't quite per
fected it yet, so it will be up to our magic users." Fred pointed to the mechani
cal archway she had constructed. "The portal will be opened in this archway. And
rew will then input the frequency into the computer which will instruct the arch
to change the frequency. After that, you merely have to step through."
"It's been decided to use a four-person team," Giles announced. "Dawn and myself
will be going as we both know Buffy the best. Xander will be the third due to h
is closeness with both Buffy and especially Willow. Faith will be the fourth and
provide Slayer back up. Tara," he turned to the witch, "I know you want to come
to help bring Willow home but I need you here. The Coven has graciously supplie
d me with some borrowed magic in order to be able to open the portal. If we don'
t return in forty-eight hours, you will need to open another portal to send a te
am in to retrieve us."
Tara sighed, nodding. "Very well. We'll be waiting here."
Spike moved into the circle and gave Dawn a hug. "Be safe, lil Bit."
"I will, Spike," she said, returning the hug.
"Mr. Giles," Sir Nigel said, extending a hand, which Giles shook. "Good luck. Br
ing them home."
Giles nodded and then motioned to Althenea, who dutifully opened a large portal
in the archway. Fred motioned to Andrew, who began to slowly entered commands in
to the computer.
"Chevron one, encoded!" he called out. "Chevron one-"
"Andrew, you stupid git!" Spike growled. "Get on with it!"
Andrew swallowed. "Sorry," he apologized, rapidly entering codes into the comput
ers. There was a flash as the portal shifted, ending in brilliant blue color. "P
ortal stabilized. Team has a go."
Giles took a deep breath. "I have a bad feeling about this..." he muttered as he
stepped through the portal.
"One small step for man," Xander quipped, closing his eyes and holding his breat
h as he jumped through.
"One giant leap for Slayer-kind," Faith finished, stepping through after the car
penter, leaving Dawn standing before the portal.
"Here I come, Buffy," she whispered as she stepped through the portal.
Light seemed to bend, space spun and Dawn got the impression that she was being
flung through space at high speed. And suddenly it ended as she stepped through
the other side of the portal onto hard, dry earth. She looked around, horror blo
ssoming on her face as she took in the surroundings - a land of ash, rocks, and
volcanoes; rivers of lava-
Suddenly Dawn seized up, her eyes rolled back into her head, and then she droppe
d to the ground, unconscious.
"Dawn!" Faith cried, rushing over to the girl's side. She rolled Dawn onto her b
ack and felt for a pulse. "She's alive," she told the two men who had come rushi
ng over. "Pulse is strong, breathing is steady. Looks like she's just knocked ou
t."
"But why?" Xander asked. "What happened?"
"Well, the Key was designed to open portals," Giles surmised. "Perhaps because o
f that, Dawn can't easily travel through portals?"
"We'll figure out the why's after we find our girls," Faith decided. "We'll spli
t up. Xander, take Dawn with you. Hopefully she'll wake up soon or we'll be goin
g back soon. I'll head north; Giles, you head west to that ridge over there. The
locator spell should have put us down somewhere near them but I'm not sure how
close we'll be." Faith withdrew the Scythe from her back. "Let's get them out of
this hell."
Xander gently picked Dawn up and headed off to the east near the base of a volca
no. Faith headed off to the north, her Scythe held at the ready. And Giles heade
d off to the ridge in the west. As he approached, he heard the unmistakable soun
ds of battle coming from the other side. Cautiously he approached and peered ove
r the edge and saw his worst nightmare come to life.
Buffy, looking far older than he would ever have imagined seeing her, was fighti
ng a raven-haired Willow with some kind of glowing sword. It was painfully obvio
us to Giles that Willow had fallen to the dark magicks she had toyed with in Sun
nydale and he felt a pang of regret that he hadn't been stricter in restricting
her from them. He paused in his remembrance as Buffy slammed her blade down onto
Willow's, clearly expecting something and looking shocked when nothing happened
.
"Come now, Buffy. You didn't expect me to not prepare for that old trick, did yo
u?" Willow asked his Slayer mockingly, before she released one hand from her lig
htsaber and pointed it at Buffy, letting loose with a blast of purple lightening
that caught Buffy in the chest and blew her back twenty feet where she landed o
n her back, writhing in pain. She couldn't help screaming as she felt as though
her very blood was boiling within her skin.
"That's right, Buffy! Feel the burn!" Willow shouted with malice as Buffy convul
sed on the ground. After a few moments she relented in her attack and Buffy roll
ed over onto her stomach, groaning in pain. Giles saw how powerful she had becom
e and instantly prayed the magicks the Coven had provided him with would be enou
gh to stop her.
"How did you think this was going to go, Buffy? You'd defeat me, maybe even brin
g back Willow?" Giles started at that. Was this even Willow, he wondered. Or was
Willow buried so deep down inside of that woman that she, perhaps, no longer ex
isted? "That Anakin would snap out of my spell and beg for forgiveness?" Who was
Anakin? Another prisoner in this hell dimension, perhaps? "Please. You were nev
er going to defeat me. I will kill you here and then go on to kill Palpatine and
rule over this Empire, remaking it in my image." Dear god, Willow. What have yo
u become? "Why? Because I have the power to do so. Because I have power that no
one could ever dream of! And because there's no one in this galaxy with the powe
r to stop me now..."
Giles had heard enough. He stepped over the ridge and raised his hand to Willow
and then let loose a powerful blast of magic at the witch. The power of the blas
t sent Willow rocketing off of her feet and into an outcropping of rock, where s
he landed in a heap. He ignored Buffy's shocked look as his calm brown eyes met
Willow's onyx eyes.
"I'd like to test that theory," he said.
Episode 3 Chapter 14
Battle of the Heroes Part 2 - Scoobies in Space
====BtVS====
Qui-Gon
====BtVS====
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the clone. Come all the way from Kamino, have you
?" Sidious sneered as he called his lightsaber to his hand. "What do you possibl
e hope to accomplish here?"
What indeed? Qui-Gon thought to himself. The Jedi Knight held no illusions - he
may have been called back from the netherworld of the Force into a brand new and
younger body, but he was no where near as powerful as the Emperor. Of course, h
e didn't need to defeat the Sith Lord - just distract him. He pulled out the lig
htsaber Count Dooku had given him and activated its red blade.
"I've never particularly cared for this weapon," Qui-Gon said mildly. "But, seei
ng as I was never able to fashion a new one after my...resurrection...I guess it
will have to do. Master Yoda," he addressed the small Jedi Master that still la
y on the ground behind him. "Leave now. Your part in this affair is over."
"But what of you?" the smaller Jedi asked, rising to his feet.
"Don't worry about me, Master. We shall see each other again soon."
"That is highly unlikely, clone," Sidious hissed, igniting his own blade and rus
hing at the Jedi, who easily blocked the opening thrust.
"My name," he said, returning the attack with his casual flourish, "is Qui-Gon J
inn."
====BtVS====
Mustafar
====BtVS====
Darth Traya, Dark Lady of the Sith, looked up at the ridge in shock, unable to b
elieve what she was seeing.
Rupert Giles. Alive and well, not looking a day over 45, standing before her.
"This...this isn't possible!" she breathed. "It's NOT POSSIBLE!"
"I assure you, it's quite possible," Giles responded calmly.
"This is a Jedi trick!" Darth Traya snarled as she started to rise to her feet.
"I am no trick," Giles replied, gesturing at Willow. "Stay down."
Traya fell back to the ground, growling in frustration. As she rose again, Giles
once more tried to hold her down and she angrily waved away his power with her
own. "Enough!"
"I agree, that's quite enough," Giles responded. "You need to stop this, Willow.
These dark magicks are doing nothing more than destroying you!"
Traya stared at the Watcher for a few moments and then grinned evilly. "All righ
t, Rupert," she said at length, "I'll play along. First and foremost - why would
I even want to go home? I mean, really? What is there for me on Earth that I ca
n't get here?"
"Your family and friends for one," Giles replied sharply, keeping a wary eye on
Willow who scoffed in return.
"Please, I can make a whole new family here. Here, in my galaxy. A galaxy I will
remake into my vision."
"You are not well, Willow! Let me help you!" Giles pleaded.
"Help me? What have you ever done for me except hold me back!" Traya retorted. "
All the time in Sunnydale when I was helping Buffy, what did you teach me? NOTHI
NG! All those books on magic and you kept them locked away from me! You, who kne
w so much, refused to teach me anything!" She adopted a voice that was low and n
early demonic and yet clipped with a cold British accent. "It's too dangerous, i
t's too risky, you're not old enough, not mature enough..." Her voice then retur
ned to normal with a cackle that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on
end. "Everything I learned, I learned on my own or from my Master. And he gave m
e something that you never, ever offered me."
Giles stared back warily at his former pupil. "And what is that?"
Traya's grin turned to a sneer as she raised her right hand. "Power!" she scream
ed as she let loose with a blast of Force lightening. Giles hastily tried to ere
ct a shield to block it but the dark magic enhanced lightening ripped through th
e shield like tissue paper and sent Giles flying to the ground.
"Absolute power!" Traya continued, pushing more and more energy at her former me
ntor. Giles writhed and screamed in agony on the ground as, second after second,
Traya held him under her power until finally she released him.
Slowly, Traya sauntered up to the fallen Watcher, who still groaned in pain. "Yo
u think you can help me, old man? You're about fifteen years too late." She call
ed her lightsaber back to her hand and ignited the blade. "Now, I just don't wan
t your help. Nor do I need it." Traya raised her lightsaber to deliver the killi
ng blow. "Goodbye, Rupert. But look on the bright side! At least you won't have
to travel too far to go to hell."
====BtVS====
Giles.
Buffy was in shock. Giles was here. Not ten feet in front of her and he'd come t
o take them home.
Thirteen years. For thirteen years she'd held out hope that she'd find a way hom
e, that she'd see her friends and family again. It had only been after she'd met
Jacen that she'd finally been able to let go. But now, here was Giles - her Wat
cher, her mentor, the man who was like a father to her...
And he was about to be killed by Darth Traya.
Buffy couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen.
Buffy called upon every shred of power she could find in the Force and pushed it
through her tired, worn muscles. She called her lightsaber to her hand and leap
t. She landed next to Traya on her right foot and spun, arcing her silver blade
up as Traya's blade went down. The silver blade sliced through Traya's right arm
at the wrist and sending both the lightsaber and the hand that was still attach
ed to it flying into the river of lava below.
Traya didn't even have time to scream as Buffy completed her spin and thrust out
her left hand, still sparking from the Sith's earlier attack, and used the Forc
e to push her hard into the outcropping of rock Giles had introduced her to mome
nts before.
Buffy, breathing hard, her blade held at the ready, glared at her former friend.
"It's over, Traya!"
Traya leaned against the rock, staring at the stump that had been her hand in sh
ock. Her gaze traveled back up to Buffy's who stared in shock. For the first tim
e in five years, Buffy looked into Willow's clear green eyes.
"Buffy?" she asked in a small, broken voice. "Please, kill me..."
"Willow?" she asked in shock. It couldn't be...
It only lasted a few seconds before the magicks overtook Willow once more and he
r eyes returned to the evil obsidian of Darth Traya. Screaming in outrage, the S
ith raised her remaining hand and let loose with a blast of lightening. Buffy br
ought her blade up to block and as the energy struck the silver blade it was red
irected back at Traya. It struck her with tremendous force. And finally Darth Tr
aya, Dark Lady of the Sith was slammed into the rock and rendered unconscious.
Buffy staggered over to the fallen woman and knelt beside her, verifying that sh
e was indeed out cold and using the Force to put her into a coma. Leaning back o
n her haunches, Buffy sighed and closed her eyes.
"It's over," she whispered to herself.
"Buffy!"
The strangled voice caught the Slayer's attention. Slowly she turned to look beh
ind her where she saw Giles painfully trying to sit up. Cautiously she stood and
walked towards the man, kneeling once more as she reached his side. Hesitantly
she reached out to touch him, as if to prove to herself that he was real.
"Giles?" The word was a single sob on her lips, which then opened the floodgates
as Buffy collapsed into her Watcher's arms, weeping.
====BtVS====
"This is the end for you, my Master," Vader said coldly. Obi-Wan sighed.
"I don't want to but I will destroy you if I must."
"You will try," Vader snarled and then he leapt over Obi-Wan and onto the platfo
rm, where they dueled once more, their blades flashing fast and furiously. Both
men were exhausted, spent in both body and soul but neither would give up. It wa
s intensely difficult - the narrow platform made it hard to maneuver around. Obi
-Wan realized that unless he got off soon, Vader would overpower him.
Using the Force, he guided the platform closer to the riverbank leaping and land
ing gracefully on the rocky terrain.
"It's over, Anakin!" Obi-Wan yelled out as his former friend brought the platfor
m alongside the riverbank. "I have the high ground!"
"You underestimate my power!" Vader snarled in reply.
Obi-Wan braced himself for what he knew had become the inevitable. "Don't try it
!"
Vader's black eyes seemed to bore into the Jedi Master's for a moment as he prep
ared to leap...
... And suddenly he cried out in pain, clasping a hand to his head as he collaps
ed onto the platform. His lightsaber fell from his limp hand and clattered usele
ssly to the platform beneath him. Obi-Wan remained still for a moment as he trie
d to determine what was happening to his friend. Soon, anguished sobs reached hi
s ears.
"What have I done? Oh, god...."
Anakin looked up to Obi-Wan, anguish evident in his eyes.
Look at his eyes.
Anakin's eyes had returned to the crystal blue color they had been before. And O
bi-Wan knew right then that Darth Traya's spell had been lifted.
"I killed them, Master," Anakin sobbed, struggling to pull himself together. But
every last memory of Vader's grasp . "I tried to stop, but I couldn't...I kille
d them, killed them all. Oh my..."
Anakin staggered to his feet, inching closer to the edge of the platform. Obi-Wa
n suddenly feared the his friend would leap into the lava to assuage his grief.
"Anakin, listen to me," he said, deactivating his lightsaber and placing it back
on his belt. "Anakin, I need you to jump over here, do you hear me? I need you
to jump over here to me."
"I killed them all, Obi-Wan. I couldn't stop...I tried to stop...Oh, god....Neja
a, Cin Drallig...RUNtse de SHANG-DEE, ching DAIwuhtzo" he rambled on, edging clo
ser to the edge.
"Anakin, listen!" Obi-Wan shouted. "Come to your senses! It wasn't you, it was D
arth Traya! She made you do those things!"
"I should have been stronger!" Anakin shouted back. "I'm more powerful...I shoul
d have been able to resist..."
"Listen to me, if only for once!" Obi-Wan roared. "What's done is done, Anakin.
You were not at fault! And throwing yourself into the lava won't help anyone!" H
e saw him edge closer to the edge, so he persisted. "Think of your sister, Anaki
n!" The broken Jedi froze on the platform. "She has lost everything - her family
, her friends, her child! What do you think will happen to her if she loses you,
too? Please Anakin, jump over to me! Let us go find her and leave this rock!"
"How can I face her?" he asked weakly.
"How could you leave her?" Obi-Wan replied rationally.
Anakin seemed torn for a moment, so Obi-Wan threw in his trump card. "And what a
bout your wife... Padmé? Would you leave her like this?"
"I hurt her," he replied plaintively, his eyes showing no surprise that Obi-Wan
had discovered at last the truth.
"She loves you, Anakin. She'll forgive you. She's already forgiven you. Please,
Anakin."
Anakin paused for a moment before making his decision. Reaching into the Force,
he leapt from the platform to the shore besides his former Master, who embraced
him as soon as he landed. "Come on, old friend," Obi-Wan said, calling Anakin's
lightsaber to his hand and placing it back on his former Padawan's belt, "let's
go find your sister and get out of here.
====BtVS====
Buffy sat besides her Watcher, her arms around him in a bone crushing hug as if
she thought that if she let go, he'd disappear. Of course, with Slayer strength,
the bone-crushing was in danger of becoming literal...
"Buffy, I do need to breathe..." Giles wheezed. Buffy immediately let go, a look
of chagrin on her face.
"Oh God, Giles! I'm sorry!"
"It's all right, Buffy..." Giles replied with a warm smile that slowly faded off
of his face as she took in his Slayer's appearance. She looked thinner than he
remembered, even under the military-style clothes she wore. Her face also had mo
re lines then he remembered, accentuated by a scar over her left eye. Her once-b
londe hair had reverted to its more natural dirty-blonde color, similar to Dawn'
s. But the most significant change he saw was in her eyes. Her eyes which had ca
rried a haunted look at time back in Sunnydale, looked positively tortured now.
"Dear god, Buffy....how long-"
Before he could finish, Buffy's head whipped up as she sensed a familiar presenc
e approaching. She jumped to her feet and spun around, switching on her lightsab
er just as a voice from the past yelled "Hey!"
Standing not ten feet from her stood Faith, who held the Scythe up in a ready po
sition. Her sister Slayer looked back at her with a look of disbelief on her fac
e. Buffy, for her part, gave Faith a warm smile.
"Buffy?"
"Hello, Faith," Burry replied, deactivating her lightsaber. Faith lowered the Sc
ythe, all the while eyeing Buffy's weapon. "Sweet. Where can I get one of those?
"
"It's been a while, Faith. You look well."
"Thanks, B. You look like shit."
Buffy laughed at that, a short but relieved laugh, full of hope and happiness. "
How?"
"Dawn, actually," Giles replied. "She never gave up hope. And as soon as Fred jo
ined us..."
"Fred?"
"Part of Angel's crew," Faith supplied, jumping down the last set of rocks and m
eandering towards the pair. "We've joined up recently. Fred's kind of a mad scie
ntist - plus she knows tons about portals and wormhole theory. Put Little D and
Fred into a room - boom, a few months later, instant portal."
"Who else came?" Buffy asked, pulling Giles to his feet with her good arm; her l
eft arm sparked, the damage rendering it immobile. Giles noticed, but didn't say
anything - there were too many things happening at once and so much he was dyin
g to ask.
"Xander and Dawn - though Dawn seemed to have an unexpected reaction to portal t
ravel."
"Is she alright?" Buffy asked, suddenly frantic. She couldn't lose her sister be
fore she even got a chance to see her again.
"She's fine, B," Faith assured her, sensing her uneasiness. "She's just unconsci
ous, nothing more. We just need to worry about getting out of here..."
"Faith! Giles! Where the frilly heck are you two!" Xander's frantic voice called
from over the ridge. A moment later he appeared, Dawn cradled in his arms. "I h
eard screaming and then there were fire...works..." his voice trailed off as he
caught sight of one of his best friends. "Buffy?"
Buffy slowly walked up to her friend, gracing him with a smile before turning he
r attention to her sister. She looked almost exactly as he remembered her, thoug
h her features looked slightly more mature, her hair a bit longer. Closing her e
yes, she reached out with the Force, trying to see if she could sense what was w
rong with her sister-
And what she found surprised the hell out of her. Because Dawn was showing signs
of being Force-sensitive. What's more, it appeared to be growing. A quick intak
e of breath broke Buffy's concentration and her eyes opened to see Xander lookin
g past her to the outcropping where his childhood friend lay propped up against.
"What happened?" Xander whispered, gently handing Dawn to Buffy as he made his w
ay over to his friend. "What happened to her?"
"She was deceived by a lie and it nearly destroyed her." Buffy said, the effort
of speaking the words nearly breaking her heart. "What you see before you is not
your friend, Xander. Merely the thing that took over her body and mind."
"She's a vampire?" Faith asked in disbelief. Buffy shook her head.
"Not in the way you are thinking, Faith. Willow can still be saved." She eyed Xa
nder shrewdly. "As a matter of fact, I believe you may be the only one who can s
ave her...." Buffy trailed off as a vision overtook her.
A Senate pod with a Clone commander hovered up next to a pod containing Chancell
or Palpatine and Mas Amedda. Below them was the wrecked remains of the Senate.
"There is no sign of them, sir. It would appear that the Clone and Master Yoda b
oth managed to escape.
"Double your search," Palpatine snarled. "I want both of them found immediately.
"
"Yes sir. Right away, sir."
Palpatine turned to Mas Amedda. "Tell Captain Kagi to prepare my shuttle for imm
ediate takeoff."
"Yes, Master."
"I sense my young apprentices are in danger."
"Buffy? Are you alright? Buffy!"
The Slayer blinked away the vision and focused back on a worried-looking Giles.
"Buffy?"
"He's coming," Buffy whispered. Part of her wanted him to come, so she could fac
e him and end it once and for all. But the rational part of her brain realized t
he state she was in - exhausted, injured and her mechanical hand was not working
. The fight with Traya had taken almost everything she had and to top it all off
- her family was here.
"Who's coming?" Faith asked. "Buffy?"
"Can you get back?" Buffy asked quickly. "Can you open the portal?"
"I'm afraid not, Buffy," Giles responded. "The fight with Willow took a lot of m
agic out of me. I need time to recover."
"Do you have to open it here? In this place?"
"I don't suppose so," Giles replied. "I can open the portal anywhere. As long as
I have the tuning remote, it should get us home."
"Good," Buffy replied decisively. "Faith, I need you to grab Willow. If she wake
s up, you need to knock her out again. Xander, take Dawn. I need both of my hand
s free. Giles, can you walk on your own?"
"Yes, but to where?" Giles asked.
"We need to find the others and get off of this rock," Buffy said, as though mak
ing up her mind about something. She handed Dawn back to Xander as Faith picked
up Willow's prone form. "Follow me, but stay back a bit. I need some room to man
euver." Buffy called her Master's and Qui-Gon's old lightsabers to her and stuck
them in her coat and then called hers and hooked it to her belt. Ignoring their
astonished looks for a moment and pulled her com link out of her coat. "Threepi
o, do you copy?"
After a brief pause, the com link crackled to life. "Oh, Master Skywalker! Thank
goodness you called! Poor Artoo has been in such a state..."
"Listen, Threepio!" Buffy cut him off, "I need you to take Padmé and bring her on
board the Falcon. It's parked on the next pad over from Padmé's ship. Then tell Ar
too to plug into the Falcon's com unit and take control of her ship - we'll need
a diversion getting out of here."
"Very well, Master Skywalker. If you need anything else-"
"That's all for now, Threepio. Skywalker out." She turned the unit off and slipp
ed it back into her coat, then turned back to her family. "Come on, let's go."
"Where are we going exactly, Buffy?" Xander asked as they followed Buffy across
the rocky terrain.
"To the Falcon," Buffy replied mysteriously. "But first we got to find-"
"Buffy!"
"Ben?" Buffy called back, seeing the two figures appeared over the ridge. But he
wasn't alone. Standing at his side wearing a grim smile but his cerulean eyes s
hining brightly against the gloomy volcanic rock was her brother. She felt as th
ough something inside her collapsed with relief.
"Ani!" she shouted, the joy evident in her tone. Buffy took off running, coming
up to her brother and grabbing him in a hug. His arms tightened around her, easi
ly lifting her from the rock and crushing her to him. "Ohmygod Ani. I thought I
lost you..." she breathed.
"I'm so sorry, Buffy," Anakin moaned, dissolving into tears as he clung to her,
drawing that warm strength she had always carried, the strength he so desperatel
y needed right now. "So very sorry."
"Um, Buffy?" Obi-Wan interrupted, looking past her to her friends who stood a sh
ort ways behind her. Buffy noticed the look and grinned.
"Family came in from out of town. Of course, their timing was as impeccable as e
ver..." She turned back to Anakin. "Ani, I need you to listen to me. He's coming
. You know it, don't you?"
Anakin nodded. "I can feel him coming," he confirmed, shaking his head as he gla
nced at the others.
"So can I," Buffy replied. "So I need you to hold it together at least until we
can all get out of here. Dong le ma?" Anakin nodded. "Good. Now we just have to
cross the river and make it to the Falcon. Ideas?"
"There's a small platform a little ways back," Obi-Wan suggested. "It would be a
tight fit, but I think we can all make it across on it."
"Good," Buffy said. "Then let's go." Turning, she started walking back towards t
he rolling waves of lava.
"Yeah. Let's go... to wherever," Faith mumbled, adjusting Willow in her arms and
following the elder Slayer.
The group made their way back to the platform that Obi-Wan and Darth Vader had b
attled on. In short order, they had arranged themselves on the platform and Obi-
Wan used the Force to slowly guide it to the other side. As they traveled, Buffy
peeled the glove off of her damaged artificial hand and then pulled a small too
l from her jacket and went to work on it. Faith started at the hand in shock.
"Jesus Buffy, what happened?"
"Lost it in a fight," Buffy replied simply, reconnecting a severed wire. Instant
ly the fingers started responding to her commands again.
"With what?" After all the Slayers had been through, it was hard to imagine some
thing human taking Buffy's hand from her.
"Darth Traya," she replied, briefly glancing at the prone figure in Faith's arms
. Faith caught the look and her eyes widened. "See why I wanted a Slayer to hold
onto her?"
Soon the raft came to a stop and the group piled off onto the shore. They made t
heir way up the steep sloped slowly due to the burdens in their arms, but soon t
hey came to the landing pad. On it sat the Falcon-
Along with a Clone Troop carrier with a dozen Clone Troopers milling about.
"Ai-yah. Tyen-ah, he must have sent an advanced guard," Buffy whispered.
"What are they?" Faith asked, setting Willow down and reaching for the Scythe. B
uffy's hand on hers stopped her.
"They're clones. They were on our side during the war, but now they've turned on
us and are killing Jedi everywhere. And you won't be able to deal with them."
Faith was starting to get fed up with the obvious that she knew absolutely nothi
ng about the world she was currently in. "Okay, that's it!" she hissed. "First -
what war? Second - clones? And third - what the hell is a Jedi?"
"Faith, there is more going on here than you realize but it will take too long t
o explain it all. But I promise - when we get out of here and everybody is awake
and ready - I will tell you everything. But for right now, I just need you to t
rust me. Can you do that?"
Faith was silent for a moment and in that moment Buffy thought that Faith really
wouldn't trust her. Then her sister Slayer sighed and nodded and Buffy let go a
sigh of her own. "Alright then. Obi-Wan and I can handle this. You all stay her
e until we tell you and then run like hell for that ship." She pointed to the Mi
llennium Falcon. Then she turned to her brother. "Ani, listen to me. Ben and I w
ill deal with the troops, but I need you to protect everyone else if they come o
ver here. Can you do that?"
Anakin hesitantly removed his lightsaber from his belt and held it in his hand,
inactivated. "I'll protect them, Buffy. I promise." He wouldn't let her down now
, not with these strangers here that seemed to breathe life into his wounded sis
ter.
Buffy grinned. "Good, 'cause when she wakes up, I'm going to introduce you to ou
r sister." She pulled her lightsaber from her belt and then reached under her co
at to remove another - and came up with Mace's. Obi-Wan noticed and his expressi
on fell.
"Master Windu?"
"Traya had it," Buffy said simply. "Shall we?"
Obi-Wan steeled himself as he pulled his own lightsaber from his belt. "Yes, let
s."
The two Jedi leapt up onto the platform and walked towards the Clones, igniting
their blades. The Clones spotted them almost immediately.
"Hello, boys. Looking for us?" Buffy asked mockingly.
"Jedi scum!" one clone snarled in return, raising his blaster. "Blast 'em!"
====BtVS====
Faith, Xander and Giles watched in astonishment as Buffy stalked towards the str
ange soldiers with only her two glowing swords as protection from their guns. Th
ey watched, astonished, as Buffy blocked laser bolt after laser bolt, sending so
me straight back to their senders. Their fascination turned to horror, however,
as Buffy waded into the troops - severing arms, legs, heads and torsos without e
ven blinking. After only a few seconds it was over and the two Jedi stood amidst
a sea of bodies.
"Dear god..." Giles whispered to himself.
Buffy ran over to the Falcon and punched in the code, lowering the ramp - and re
vealing Threepio right inside.
"Oh, Master Skywalker! I'm so glad you're here..."
"Is Padmé on board?" Buffy asked, motioning for the others to come over.
"Oh yes. She's resting in the medbay at the moment. She's quite weak."
"She'll feel better when she sees Anakin," Buffy replied. "Power her up and tell
Artoo to launch Padmé's ship and do everything he can to make it an obvious targe
t."
"Right away, Master Skywalker," Threepio replied as he shuffled towards the cock
pit. Buffy turned to Obi-Wan. "You better tend to our guests. Get them strapped
in and put Dawn and Tray-Willow-" she corrected, "in the Medbay. Anakin," she tu
rned to her brother, who had just arrived, "go see your wife. But be warned - Wi
llow is in the Medbay and I don't want her touched, dong ma?"
"Crystal," Anakin replied, hurrying into the ship. As the Scoobies approached, O
bi-Wan herded them into the ship as well.
"I need to get you all strapped in. Our exit sequence may be a little rough." Fa
ith looked ready to ignore the Jedi to get some answers out of Buffy, but he too
k her arm with a surprisingly strong grip and led her inside. "There is a time a
nd place for confrontations and I daresay there have been too many here today."
Buffy followed everyone else in and closed the hatch behind her and then hurried
to the cockpit where she found Threepio in the second seat. "We are ready to de
part, Master Skywalker."
"Lift off!" she said, dropping into her seat just as her ship lifted off of the
pad and blasted into the sky.
"Okay, so is anybody else freaking out here?" Xander asked from his seat in the
grav couch that the Jedi-guy had put him in before taking his friends to the med
-bay. "I mean, anybody at all?"
"I'm way past freakin'," Faith said with her characteristic shrug. Giles was abo
ut to add his own remarks when the ship suddenly shuddered around them. "What th
e devil?"
Xander quickly unbuckled himself and leapt to his feet. "I'm finding out what's
going on right now," he declared, heading in the direction he had seen Buffy hea
d earlier. Soon enough he found his way to the cockpit and what he saw stopped h
im dead in his tracks.
They were in space.
And there were spaceships out there.
Heck, he was in a spaceship.
"Spedoinkle!" he exclaimed, attracting Buffy's attention.
"Damn it, Xander! You need to be sitting down! Strap in!" she indicated the seat
behind Threepio.
"What's going on?" he asked desperately, sinking into the indicated seat.
"We're going to a safe place, but we needed to slip past these clowns first. Art
oo," she indicated the small astrodroid that was plugged into the coms unit outs
ide the cockpit, "is flying Padmé's ship as a decoy while the navicomputer makes t
he calculations for the jump to light speed."
"This thing's got a warp drive?" Xander asked, both delighted and terrified at t
he same time.
"Hyperdrive, actually." There was a brilliant flash outside as Padmé's ship was de
stroyed. At the same time the computer beeped. "Great timing. Time to go!" she s
aid as she reached up to the center console and pulled back on the Hyperdrive ac
tivator and outside the pinpricks of stars lengthened as the Millenium Falcon st
reaked into hyperspace.
Buffy sighed in relief and sat back heavily in her chair. Xander looked at wonde
r at the sight of hyperspace as it streaked past the cockpit windows.
"Uh, Buffy?" he asked his friend hesitantly.
"Yes, Xander?"
"Where are we going?"
"To a sanctuary, Xander," Buffy replied in a tired voice. "Next stop, Polis Mass
a."
Episode 3 Chapter 15
Sanctuary
====BtVS====
"We'll reach Polis Massa in about two hours," Buffy announced, setting the auto
pilot. "Once we get there, we'll get the injured to the medical facilities and W
illow to a secure room. I really think you'll be the one to break through to her
..." She said the last part as though she were thinking aloud.
"Buffy, what the hell is going on!" Xander finally exclaimed. "We spent the past
three years trying to find you and when we do you're flying the freakin' Enterp
rise, killing people with lethal glowsticks..."
Buffy tuned out his tirade as she looked over her friend. He seemed older beyond
his years - stress lines adorned his face, barely covered up by a five o'clock
shadow. He had only one eye, the other was hidden behind a black eye patch. Othe
r than that he looked well physically; even more fit and filled out than he had
been the last time she saw him.
"...And now Willow's missing a hand and we're traveling to some Polar Mesa at lu
dicrous speed!" he finished, taking a deep breath. Buffy looked at her friend, s
adness evident in her eyes.
"How'd you lose the eye?"
"In a fight," Xander replied, echoing Buffy's words from minutes before. "And do
n't dodge the question. What's going on?"
Buffy sighed. "Xander, you say you've been looking for us for three years? Well
we've been looking for a way home for fifteen. Neither of us is anywhere near th
e same; not by a long shot. You have no idea what we've gone through."
"Then tell me!" Xander exclaimed.
"I will," the Jedi replied calmly, "but not until everyone is present. There are
a lot of things to tell and I really don't want to do it more than once. Please
, Xander."
Xander stared at his friend for a moment and then nodded. "All right, fine." Xan
der exhaled slowly and then stood. "I'm going to go sit with Willow."
Buffy nodded and then turned back to her controls. Xander moved to the doorway.
A moment later he turned to her, confusion evident in his face.
"Uh, Buffy? Where do I go?"
Buffy chuckled. "Take over, Threepio. Come on, Xander," she said, rising and mov
ing to her friend's side. "Let's go see our family."
====BtVS====
An hour later, the Millennium Falcon reverted to real space just outside the ast
eroid field that housed Polis Massa. Situated in the Subterrel sector in the Out
er Rim, Polis Massa was a collection of small cities buried in the shattered rem
ains of a long dead world; and had seemed to be the perfect place for a temporar
y Jedi Sanctuary. The Polis Massans, though isolationists by nature, had welcome
d Buffy when she had approached them shortly before her mission to Corellia, who
se only guidance were several disturbing visions. She had been pleased to discov
er that several of her fellow Jedi that she had confided in had continued to pre
pare the sanctuary during her absence. And as she brought he Falcon to rest in t
he main hanger of the largest city know as the Local Dig, she was pleased to see
the chief among those Jedi standing next to Master Yoda and Bail Organa waiting
 as the ramp lowered.
"Master Skywalker."
"Padawan Olee." Buffy nodded in greeting. "How much did you get?"
"Only about two-thirds, Master," Olee Starstone replied. Once an apprentice to J
ocasta Nu, the young Padawan had asked to be reassigned to gain experience in th
e field and had been taken on by Master Bol ChatakShe had been with her Master a
nd several other Jedi on Murkhana when Order 66 had been initiated and had only
narrowly managed to escape. Master Chatak had not been as lucky - cut down by Cl
one Troopers while giving time for Olee and fellow Master Roan Shryne a chance t
o sneak onto a departing transport headed for the Outer Rim. From there, it had
only been a matter of acquiring a small craft to bring them to the Sanctuary.
While Master Shryne had never been there, Starstone was very familiar with the c
omplex - she had been chosen by Buffy specifically for the task of backing up th
e Archives. "Unfortunately, it seems as if someone noticed the download and atte
mpted to trace the connection. I immediately initiated the countermeasures and d
isconnected. By now, the virus should have thoroughly destroyed the data in the
Archives."
"Better destroyed than in the hands of a Sith. Good work, Starstone." The young
Padawan nodded and then took her leave to continue her work. Buffy turned to Yod
a as the rest of the group came down the ramp. "Master Yoda," she said, bowing i
n respect. "I am pleased to report that Anakin has been freed and we have captur
ed Darth Traya. And, well...I brought some friends along."
"More Jedi?" Organa asked. Buffy shook her head.
"Not exactly," she replied. The two men looked on in confusion as two strangely
dressed men proceeded down the ramp - one with the dreaded Darth Traya unconscio
us in his arms - and one strangely dressed woman, carrying yet another unconscio
us female. Bail looked at the Jedi, who smiled sheepishly. "My family came for a
visit."
Xander, Faith and Giles looked back at Master Yoda and Senator Organa for a mome
nt, unsure of how to proceed. Finally Faith lifted her chin in greeting.
" 'Sup?" she asked calmly. "Whose the muppet?"
Yoda's eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Impossible, I thought it was for you to return home," he stated. "Also impossib
le, it would then be, for your friends to come here."
"Nothing is impossible against the will of a Summers woman," Xander said proudly
, glancing fondly at Dawn's figure in Faith's arms. Giles nodded in agreement, a
s did Yoda.
"Found that out, I have. Welcome you, the Jedi do, to our Sanctuary."
"We need a secure room for Willow," Buffy interjected. "And a quiet room for Daw
n."
"What is wrong with her?" Bail asked, looking at the dark haired girl held by th
e other Slayer. Faith shrugged.
"No idea. She just collapsed after we got...to wherever the hell we got to."
"Mustafar."
"Yeah, that too."
"Sense the Force in her, I do," Yoda said, concentrating on the girl. "Suddenly
upon her did it come. Rest is what she needs."
"Uh, we have a situation here!" a slightly panicked voice shouted from inside th
e ship Soon Obi-Wan emerged, gesturing behind himself. "It's Padmé!"
"What's wrong? Is she okay?" Bail asked, worried for his friend. Buffy, who had
just remembered that her sister-in-law was with them, looked on in concern.
"It's the baby - it's coming," Anakin remarked as he carried Padmé down the ramp.
"We need to get to the doctors now."
Bail nodded. "Follow me." Obi-Wan and Anakin, still carrying Padmé, followed the S
enator, leaving Buffy and the Scoobies with Yoda
"To your rooms, I will show you," the diminutive Jedi said. "Much to tell you on
the way, I have."
====BtVS====
The group proceeded through the complex nodding in greeting to both fellow Jedi
and Polis Massans. They moved through a rather large courtyard to the far corner
 of the complex, where a set of doors opened as they neared.
"Do all of you do that telekinetic trick?" Xander asked in wonder.
"Most of us," Buffy smirked. "But the doors are on sensors."
"Right."
They moved to the first room on the left and Yoda led them in. It was fairly bar
e - just a bed and a small set of vital monitors for the doctors. But off to the
right was a large bay window that stared out into the empty expanse of space. "
In here, your sister can rest," he told Buffy, who nodded in reply. Faith moved
to the bed and gently laid the girl down, covering with the sheets. The monitors
flared to life, instantly showing Dawn's rather stable vitals.
"Bet she'll love the view," Faith remarked. "She's had a thing about star watchi
ng, since you...yeah," she finished lamely. Buffy smiled.
"I know."
"Where do we put Willow?" Xander asked. Yoda's eyes narrowed.
"This way," he said, his voice surprisingly gruff to the non-Jedi following behi
nd him.
They followed the tiny Jedi out of Dawn's room with Buffy giving her sister once
last look before moving out into the hallway. They moved down to the last room
on the left and Yoda gestured to Xander to put the witch in the room. Xander ent
ered to find a room similar to Dawns, only sans the window. Instead all four wal
ls appeared to be heavily fortified and the only exit was the door behind him. G
rimly he placed his friend on the bed and headed back out.
"It's a cell," Xander stated plainly, anger evident in his voice.
"As Darth Traya, she's responsible for ordering the deaths of millions of people
. Giles, I need to know - can you bind her magic?"
Giles, who was startled at hearing what Willow had done, shook off the confusion
and nodded his head. "Yes, temporarily."
"Then do it," Buffy continued. "Right now, she's too dangerous to talk down. But
deny her of her powers and it may be possible to break through to Willow." Gile
s nodded and proceeded into the room to perform the necessary spells.
Buffy turned to Xander. "Xander... that will be up to you. Before you go in, tho
ugh, I'll need to tell you a few things. We'll do that in a few minutes, okay?"
"All of us?" Faith asked. Buffy sighed.
"Yeah, all of you." Before Buffy could continue, Giles emerged.
"The spells are completed." Buffy nodded as her former Watcher paused, looking r
ather uncomfortable. "I never thought I would have to do that."
"Then I guess it's time we had a talk," she said slowly, "about what happened to
Willow and I and about what I think happened to Dawn."
====BtVS====
The small group made their way into a small conference room near the hospital. O
bi-Wan joined them at Anakin's insistence. "In case there are any questions I co
uld answer," he explained. "Bail's watching over them now."
"How's Padmé?" Buffy asked.
"In labor, but her vitals are stable," Obi-Wan replied. "We should know in an ho
ur or so how the children are."
"More than one, there is?" Yoda asked, surprised. Obi-Wan nodded.
"Twins."
Buffy sighed. "Well, then. I guess it's time. I had wanted to wait for Dawn but
if Willow wakes up before her..." she looked to Xander. "Like I said, there are
things you need to know."
"Take your time, Buff," Xander replied. "Take your time."
====BtVS====
"The portal dropped us on Mustafar and I mean dropped us. About fifteen feet ont
o the hard, rocky ground where we were found by a rogue group of slavers. That w
as fifteen years ago."
The Scoobies stared in horror, but Buffy knew the fun was just getting started.
So she took a breath to steady herself and continued.
"They broke us. I won't go into details - quite frankly, I don't like to remembe
r. It took me years to finally work through it all. And the truly scary thing is
that Willow went through worse. She never told me all of the details - only tha
t she was sold to a pleasure boat as a whore. For a while she was able to use he
r magic to fool the 'clients'. But when they found out what she could do, she wa
s given to a guy named Xiazan - head of the Black Sun group, which owned the shi
p. He took her with him to use her powers to influence decisions in his favor. A
nd though she never talked about it, I'm pretty sure he made her do...other thin
gs... as well.
"And she went along with it. She had to - she was too noble. If she refused, the
other slaves would be killed and she couldn't live with that. So she lived like
that - but not for long. Pirates ended up attacking her ship and she managed to
escape, while making everyone else think she had been killed. She ended up on t
he planet Naboo and was taken in by the Naberrie family - and became something l
ike another sister to Padmé. Padmé was already in public service at the time and wit
hin a year she would be voted Queen of Naboo and Willow would follow her as one
of her handmaidens, under the name Rose Naberrie.
"My story is a bit different. It was nearly a year before I was sold and when I
was it was to the Hutts. They're gangsters, slave traders, smugglers... they run
most of the criminal empire in the galaxy. I ended up on Tatooine and was won b
y a Toydarian named Watto in a bet. The first thing he did was fit me with a Con
trol Collar - anytime I got out of hand, he'd activate it and it would shock the
hell out of me. The next thing he did was to put me with the other slaves he ow
ned - the Skywalkers. I was truly a broken girl when I came to them, lost and fr
ightened. Shmi became like a second mother to me and with Ani they were able to,
well, fix me. Well, mostly - I was still afraid of Watto, thanks to the damn co
llar. I was on Tatooine for nearly a year when I met two Jedi - Obi-Wan, and his
Master, Qui-Gon.
"They came into Watto's junk shop, looking for parts for their ship. I remember
thinking he looked a lot like Clint Eastwood, actually. He was a good man - he a
ctually set things up to win Ani and I from Watto and got us our freedom. When w
e got back to his ship, that's when I found Willow. We ended up traveling to Cor
uscant, then back to Naboo, where we helped Padmé free her planet from a droid arm
y commanded by the Trade Federation. Willow and I stayed on the planet, fighting
though the palace to get the Viceroy, while Anakin got the brilliant idea to fl
y a starfighter up into space and single-handedly take out the droid control shi
p. I never let him live that one down for years."
"You still haven't." Obi-Wan pointed out. Buffy paused to think for a moment and
then nodded.
"Oh yeah. Anyway, While Ani was flying like a maniac and Willow was with Padmé fig
hting the droids. I stayed with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, and got taken down rather q
uickly by a Sith warrior named Darth Maul."
"What's a Sith?" Faith asked. "Anything like...what you are now?" she added hesi
tantly.
"Yes and no," Obi-Wan replied, taking over with the explanation. "The Jedi and t
he Sith have both existed for millennia, but our ideology is very dissimilar. Wh
ile the Jedi believe in preserving justice and defending the peace, the Sith bel
ieve only in gaining power, by whatever means necessary. And while there are-" H
e closed his eyes for a moment, "were - thousands of Jedi in the galaxy at one t
ime, there will only ever be two Sith."
"Why is that?" Giles asked, his curiosity piqued.
"It was a rule enacted by an ancient Sith Lord named Exar Kun - only two Sith co
uld be allowed at any one time: a Master and an Apprentice. When the Apprentice
is ready, they kill the Master and the process starts over again. But both Sith
and Jedi draw their power from the Force."
"And what's that?" Xander asked.
"The simplified answer is that the Force is an energy field," Buffy continued in
a tired voice. "It surrounds everything and is present in everyone. There are t
wo sides - Light and Dark. The Sith draw from the Dark Side. The Sith I fought w
as fairly well skilled in the Dark Side and he took me out with no real effort."
FLASH
The Slayer charged forward. Ignoring Qui-Gon's shouts for her to stop, she swung
her makeshift staff over her head and brought it down with all of her strength
at the demon's head-
And the Sith warrior sliced it cleanly in two with his dual-bladed lightsaber. T
hen taking advantage of her shock, he thrust out his palm, sending a powerful Fo
rce wave hurtling at the Slayer. The blast sent Buffy sailing clear across the h
anger, where she impacted against the far wall. Her head cracked against the wal
l and she slid down to the floor, unconscious.
FLASH
"That was also when I started to realize what the Powers had done to me when I g
ot dropped in this universe."
FLASH
Qui-Gon and the Sith were fighting in a round room - a large, endless shaft in t
he middle and blocked off from the power distribution plant by a long corridor w
ith five glowing containment fields. Obi-Wan was stuck behind the final field, w
aiting for it to drop as his Master valiantly fought the Sith. But Qui-Gon was d
esperately over matched; his years of experience nothing against the raw fury of
the demon warrior. Their blades crashed against each other, until finally the S
ith, Darth Maul, Buffy knew instinctively, pushed the Jedi's blade up and away,
butted him in the face with the handle of his lightsaber and then spun around an
d buried the bottom blade of the lightsaber deep into the Jedi Masters gut as hi
s Padawan screamed...
NOOOOOOOO!
FLASH
"Slayer visions?" Giles asked, but Buffy shook her head.
"No, these are more than that. These aren't the cryptic messages the Powers used
to send me - these are entire events, played out in living color in my mind. So
metimes its a few minutes in the future, sometimes its a few years. And that's n
ot the only thing. For months before Naboo, things had started happening. Tools
that were out of reach suddenly would leap into my hands; my strength and speed
seemed to be increased even further. And when I fought the Sith on Naboo, it wen
t even further.
FLASH
"Time for you to die, little girl," he growled, as he brought the lightsaber dow
n on Buffy.
With a snarl, Darth Maul brought his remaining red blade down at Buffy's head wi
th all of his might. Buffy reached out towards Obi-Wan-
And his lightsaber leapt into her hand.
In an instant, she activated the blue blade and brought it across her face, bloc
king the Sith's blade and causing him to gape in surprise. Taking advantage of h
is confusion, she kicked her leg up into the Sith's back, sending him sprawling
over her head. The Sith rolled and came up to his feet in an instant, spinning a
round to face Buffy as she kicked up. She turned to face him and brought the lig
htsaber up to a mid guard position, eyeing the Sith critically.
"Your first words and that was it! Lame!"
"Jedi!" Maul hissed angrily. Buffy shook her head.
"No. I'm the Slayer, you're the slayee." She held out her left hand, palm up, an
d motioned with her fingers. "You want some? Come get some."
Maul rushed the Slayer then, his single blade slicing through the air before imp
acting on Buffy's blue blade. They treaded blows, back and forth, as fast as he
and Obi-Wan had - faster, even. Maul brought the blade around at her head and Bu
ffy blocked it, pushing his blade down before bringing hers back up, nearly slic
ing his chin. Maul quickly backed up and spun away, but Buffy managed to bring h
er blade swiftly down, scorching his back. Maul hissed in pain and spun around a
gain, bringing his lightsaber back up. Buffy smirked.
"Payback's a bitch, ain't it?"
Obi-Wan heard the fight going on above him and he desperately fought to get out
of the pit.
Calm yourself, Obi-Wan, he thought to himself. You must not give in to your fear
.
Letting his emotions drain out of him, Obi-Wan concentrated on the moment, letti
ng the Force fill him. Gripping the sensor node tightly, bracing his feet agains
t the slick walls of the exhaust tube, Obi-Wan pushed and pulled at the same tim
e-
And leapt out of the pit, landing just a few feet from his fallen master and jus
t across the way from the two combatants. And what he saw astounded him.
He had witnessed the ending to Buffy's fight against Maul and her accidental use
of the Force. At that time, he had realized that perhaps she had some potential
, but at this moment, he SAW her potential. It was in the way she moved, effortl
essly blocking and parrying Darth Mauls swings and thrusts. He saw fluidity in h
er motions that could only be brought about by the Force, and he saw that, at le
ast on a subconscious level, she had some mastery over it.
And then he saw it. Buffy's eyes flickered to his for just a moment, but that wa
s all it took to convey her intentions. As she pressed her attack against him, O
bi-Wan summoned his Master's lightsaber to his hand.
Buffy pressed her attack, backing Maul towards a waiting Obi-Wan. Fast and furio
us were her strokes now and it was everything Maul could do to keep deflecting t
hem. Down, up, across - she varied the pattern to her strikes, never giving him
a clue as to where she would strike next. Another swing brought the red blade up
to defend Maul's head and put the lightsaber in the exact position Buffy wanted
it.
And then, for the second time that week, Buffy brought her blue blade down, usin
g every ounce of her Slayer strength and even pouring some of the Force into it.
Her blue blade crashed against the red so violently, that it would have driven
both blades deep into the Zabrak's skull, had not the same results occurred that
had happened in her duel with Master Windu. The backlash of energy into the cry
stal was so great, this time it didn't short the saber's power generator out-
It destroyed them.
Both of them.
Violently.
The blades snapped out of existence at the same instance the hilts of the sabers
exploded. Buffy yelled in pain as the energy released in the explosion burned h
er hands and the exploding metal of the hilt was driven into them. Maul cried ou
t in similar pain, and turned away from the Slayer, in order to gain some distan
ce and try to recover-
And at that moment, Obi-Wan activated Qui-Gon's lightsaber and swung around, swe
eping the green blade out in a wide arc that caught the Sith Lord across the wai
st. Surprise flickered across the Sith's face - wasn't he supposed to be dead? -
but it only lasted a moment as both halves of the Sith Warrior fell into the ex
haust pit, falling silently down into the darkness below.
"Goodnight, Irene," Buffy muttered.
FLASH
"The fight took everything out of me and I collapsed. That's when I met Doyle...
"
FLASH
"Where the hell..."
"Not quite, Blondie."
Buffy whirled around, instantly slipping into a fighting stance as a man appeare
d out of the fog. The man raised his hands, showing that he was unarmed.
"Easy there, Blondie. I'm not here to hurt yea."
Buffy stared at the man, a memory trying to break through in her mind. She recog
nized the man - a chiseled face, short, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes, dress
ed in the gaudiest clothes she had ever seen...
"I know you... you're..." she started and then she trailed off, desperately sear
ching for his name. The man smiled a rather roguish smile at her.
"Doyle," he supplied. "We met briefly when you came to visit Angel in L.A. I als
o saw you in a vision, but that's another story."
"But, you died!" Buffy exclaimed, then realizing what she had just said, and wha
t it implied, her breath hitched. "Am I dead?"
"You?" Doyle said incredulously, then shook his head. "No, nae yet. And nae for
a long time. I'm just here to give you a message, from the Powers that Be."
Buffy narrowed her eyes at the Irishman. "Why you?"
"Because they wanted to explain some thing to yea, but they wanted to do it in p
rivate. Plus, the guy they were gonna send wouldn't do it - something about not
wanting to wear his ribcage for a hat."
"Guess Whistler was smarter than he dressed," Buffy quipped, her face turning se
rious. "So, what did they want to tell me?"
"All right kid, here's the story. The Powers that Be can't send you home. They h
ave very little real power in this universe and even though they want to send yo
u back, if only ta reward yea for everything yea've done, they cannae do it. The
only thing they can do is give you a fighting chance in this universe- you see
where I'm going with this?"
Buffy thought back to the last few days, and all of the strange things she had d
one - fighting against Windu, Maul, using the Force, the vision of Qui-Gon...
"They made me a Jedi?" she ventured, more certain of that fact then her voice ca
rried. Doyle nodded. "Can they really do that?" she asked. The Irishman just chu
ckled.
"Actually, midi-chlorians are in every living being, in every universe and dimen
sion, just usually in such small numbers that it doesn't make a difference. Ther
e rare people on Earth who have moderately high counts and can do wondrous thing
s..."
"Like witches?" Buffy asked hopefully. But the hopefulness disappeared into a fr
own when Doyle shook his head.
"Nae, witches rely on magic. Anyhoo, the Powers were able to jump start your mid
i-chlorian thingies and the next thing you know, you're powered up faster than i
f you'd had a pint of Guinness."
"And the vision?"
"Consider it an extension of your Slayer powers," Doyle responded carefully. "Yo
u're still a Slayer - there's no changing that. But you're recent-changes- have
affected your powers in certain ways. Visions are a part of the Slayer package.
They also come with studying the Force. You'll learn how to use them to your adv
antage. Buffy..." he started, trailing off for a moment.
Then, taking a deep breath, he continued. "Magic doesn't exist in this dimension
and the Power's that Be cannae send yea home, but that doesn't mean that you wo
n't be able to find a way yourself. Don't give up hope, Buffy. And in the mean t
ime," he finished, gesturing to the end of the street, where the fog had started
to lift, "the Powers wanted to grant you one last favor. A real chance to say g
oodbye."
FLASH
"So there you have it," Buffy concluded. "The Power's couldn't send us home, so
they altered my body so that I could access the Force on a level that few Jedi c
ould."
"She's not being modest, either," Obi-Wan piped in. "Buffy is one of the most po
werful Jedi in the Order, next to Yoda. And Anakin..." he added as if it were an
afterthought.
"So, the Powers turned you into a Jedi," Xander interjected. "But what does that
have to do with Dawn?"
"Dawn was made from Buffy," Faith realized, "so when she set foot in this dimens
ion-"
"Whatever the Powers did to change me happened to her. Only, instead of it happe
ning gradually, it happened all at once and overwhelmed her. That's why she's un
conscious - her body is adjusting to its new condition. Once it does, she'll be
fine."
"Well, that's good news," Xander remarked, looking to his friend. "So, after the
whole Naboo thing, you joined the Jedi?"
"Much to their chagrin, yeah," Buffy replied. "Both Ani and I were much older th
an normal for Jedi recruits."
"Children are taken in by the order before their second birthday at the latest,"
Obi-Wan explained. "The less emotional connection a Jedi has to anybody, the le
ss chance they will fall into darkness..."
"That's barbaric!" Giles exclaimed.
"That's exactly what the Watcher's Council does," Buffy pointed out calmly. "Rem
ember Kendra?"
"The Council has changed, Buffy. But I think we should discuss that later," Gile
s conceded. "Still..."
"Still nothing," Buffy interrupted. "They thought Anakin was a Prophecy boy, mea
nt to bring balance to the Force. And we had an attachment, but since I was Forc
e-sensitive and trained as a Slayer to boot they decided to take me in as well.
Figured I could keep him on track. Plus... I kinda figured I owed it to Qui-Gon.
I mean, I had the vision, but I still couldn't save him..."
"Alive, he is," Yoda suddenly spoke quietly, but loud enough to be heard by the
Slayer.
"What?"
"At the Senate, he was," Yoda explained. "Saved me from Darth Sidious, he did. D
arth Sidious called him a clone..."
Obi-Wan was beyond stunned. "But why? Why clone a Jedi Knight who died thirteen
years ago?"
====BtVS====
Several hours later, an exhausted Padmé lay in the infirmary, a happy smile on her
face as she held her new daughter Leia even as Anakin leaned back in his chair
holding his son, Luke. Anakin looked down on his son in wonder.
"He's so small," he remarked. Padmé just watched, tears in her eyes. In that momen
t, she was the happiest woman in the whole galaxy. Her happiness was tinged by s
adness as she saw his haunted eyes look up at her.
"You're leaving again, aren't you?" she asked. Anakin nodded. "For how long?"
"Not as long as you're fearing, Padmé," Anakin replied gently. "I need to go back
to Coruscant one last time."
"Master Yoda faced Palpatine and even he-"
"Not for Palpatine. For the Jedi I left behind. I broke free, Padmé," he said urge
ntly, "I allowed several to escape. And now I have to go back for them. I won't
let them be hunted down by Palpatine's clones. Not if I can help it."
Padmé nodded in understanding. "You'll need a fast ship."
Anakin smirked, showing a hint of his old cocky self. "I got the fastest ship in
the galaxy."
Episode 3 Chapter 16
Across the Stars (Reprise)
====BtVS====
The meeting broke up shortly after Yoda's revelation about Qui-Gon, and everybod
y seemed to go their separate ways for the time being.. Obi-Wan headed off with
Yoda to discuss the future of the Order, while Xander went to sit with Willow un
til she woke up. Buffy took Giles on a tour of the facility, partly as a way to
get some time to catch up with him. And Faith just wandered, doing her best to l
et everything sink in. She ended up sitting on the edge of a small fountain obli
vious to the Jedi and Polis Massans that wandered around her.
Even now, knowing what Buffy had been through, she still found it hard to reconc
ile the Buffy she'd known with the one she saw now. The old Buffy wouldn't have
killed any human; yet this one killed on instinct. She thought back to the Slaye
r dream she had a few months ago. You are the strongest person I know, Buffy. He
ll, I wanted to be like you ever since I met you. She couldn't help but wonder n
ow- did she really want to be like her anymore?
Faith was brought out of her musings as a tall figure grabbed her attention. She
watched as Anakin swiftly yet silently moved though the crowds, taking care not
to attract attention to himself as eh headed for the hanger. Her curiosity piqu
ed, he adjusted the Scythe on her back and quickly moved after him. She arrived
at the hangar just as the Jedi quickly moved up the boarding ramp to the Millenn
ium Falcon.
Buffy really cares about this guy. Faith thought to herself. And she'd never let
us hear the end of it if something happened to him, I bet. Her mind made up, sh
e ran into the hangar and jumped into the ship just as the ramp started to close
. Moments later, the Millennium Falcon lifted off, bound for Coruscant.
====BtVS====
"So Sunnydale doesn't exist anymore"
"No. It's a lake now."
Giles and Buffy walked aimlessly throughout the complex as the Watcher tried to
catch Buffy up with what had happened on Earth.
"And now there are a bunch of Slayers?"
"A couple hundred now, all over the world." Giles confirmed. "Though right now t
here are about 160 Slayers at the new Council headquarters."
"In London."
"Yes. After the destruction of the old Council, a group of surviving and retired
Watchers got together to reform the Council. Though Faith and I are striving to
change their perceptions."
"How bad are they?" Buffy asked. "As bad a Travers?"
"Worse, at times." Giles admitted. "Though Sir Nigel did give this mission his b
lessing."
"Probably because all of his problem children left in one fell swoop." Buffy rea
soned.
"Perhaps." They walked in silence for a time, with Buffy silently sneaking looks
at her mentor. Finally when the silence got to much to bear, she spoke.
"You're having a hard time with this, aren't you? And I'm not talking about the
whole space deal."
Giles nodded after a moment's hesitation. "You've changed a great deal, Buffy. I
n some respects, I don't recognize you."
Buffy nodded. "I can understand that, Giles. I really can. But I need you to rea
lize this- It's been fifteen years for me. I've lost so much over the years- fri
ends, family... it's changed me."
"As has this Jedi business."
Buffy looked over Giles with a wry expression. "What, you think they brainwashed
me?" At his silence, she laughed outright. "Oh god, you really do! Oh, god...be
lieve me Giles, if I was a model Jedi Master, I'd be more like you."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"All tweed and stiff-upper-lippy." She replied with a straight face. After a few
moments, both broke out into laughter. Finally, Buffy tugged on his arm. "Come
with me. I want to show you something." The two walked down the halls till they
reached a room brimming with computers and stacked holocrons.
"Master Skywalker!" a voice called out in surprise, and Buffy grinned when Olee
Starstone moved out of the stacks into view.
"Olee Starstone, I'd like you to meet Rupert Giles, my Watcher. Giles, this is P
adawan Olee Starstone, who's in charge of my little project."
"Your Watcher? Oh- he's the one who trained you initially, correct?" the Padawan
asked, and Buffy nodded. Starstone extended her hand to Giles, who shook it fir
mly. "Buffy's spoken of you often, Mister Giles. And may I say that you trained
her well- I've learned a lot from her which she says you taught her."
"Oh!" Giles exclaimed in surprise. "Um, well...I'm glad that she learned enough
to pass on." He shook his head in disbelief. "To be honest, I didn't even think
she ever paid attention to me."
"On occasion, Giles. But only on occasion." Buffy chuckled. "Olee, I want you to
show Giles here the history of the Jedi." She turned to give Giles an earnest l
ook. "Maybe by learning about what I'm a part of, you can start to understand wh
at I've become."
Giles considered that for a moment, before nodding in agreement. "Very well. Wha
t will you be doing?"
"Saying hello to my sister."
====BtVS====
Dawn groaned as consciousness slowly returned to her. She slowly sat up and put
her hand to her throbbing temple. "Oy...what a headache..." Slowly Dawn opened h
er eyes and took in her surroundings.
It was a clean room, with bare minimum of furniture that just screamed 'hospital
' to Dawn. While she had never shared her sister's fear of hospitals, she wasn't
that fond of them. Still, it didn't seem to be the medical wing at the Council,
so she assumed the portal worked. But if it did, where...
She gasped as she saw the tall window next to her bed- and the starfield beyond
it. Millions of stars... and asteroids... and was that a spaceship flying off in
to the distance? She was so caught up with the starscape that she never register
ed the familiar presence that came to stand in the doorway.
"Quite the view, huh?"
Dawn froze. It had been three years since she had last heard that voice ask that
very same question. Slowly, she turned from the window towards the source of th
e voice-
-And saw her sister.
She was older, more worn than the last time she had seen her, a vision in her ro
om shortly after the Tower, but it was Buffy. After three years, she had finally
done it. She had found her sister. Slowly, she moved towards her.
"Oh god, Buffy...."
Buffy closed the distance between the, and wrapped her arms around Dawn, drawing
her into a hug.
"I'm here, Dawnie. I'm really here."
"I can't believe it." Dawn breathed. Buffy sniffed and pulled away slightly, hol
ding Dawn at arm's length to get a look at her. Her long brown hair was even lon
ger than she remembered it- nearly down to the middle of her back. There were a
few more worry lines around her blue eyes, but she seemed fit. She also seemed a
foot taller than her.
"Must everyone in this family be taller than me?" she choked out. Dawn looked at
her for a moment, then laughed. She bent down and kissed Buffy on the forehead,
earning a mock scowl from her sister. "Very funny."
"Well, you do set yourself up for these things..."
"You look good, Dawn."
"You look...old." Dawn tried to joke, but fell flat. "How long..."
"Fifteen years." Buffy admitted hesitantly. "Why don't we sit down? We have a lo
t to talk about."
====BtVS====
Anakin sat back in the Falcon's cockpit, watching light swirl in front of the ca
nopy as the ship flew through hyperspace. He was more tired than he had ever bee
n in his life, he thought. The elation of becoming a father was dampened by the
fact that his hands were covered in the blood of his fellow Jedi, and the fact t
hat the survivors were now homeless and hunted.
Where do we go from here? He wondered. And what will happen with my children?
"So I've got to ask- Where are you going?"
The voice snapped Anakin back into reality, as he jumped up to face the intruder
- and came face to face with Faith.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded. Faith shrugged her shoulders, moving int
o the cockpit and plopping down in the co-pilot's chair.
"I got no freaking clue, A-K. Just thought that Buff would be pissed if you didn
't get back in one piece. So I thought I'd back you up."
"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into." Anakin ground out. Faith s
ighed in frustration.
"Look, Anakin. I messed up big time with Buffy the first time around..."
"I know." The Jedi interrupted. "Buffy told me all about you."
"Oh." Faith replied, not knowing exactly what to say to that.
"She also told me that, from what she gathered from your conversation a few year
s ago, that you turned out okay. She said that she felt she would have been prou
d of you, had she still been in Sunnydale."
Faith had to fight back tears as she heard the praise she had longed for during
her first stint in Sunnydale. Blinking rapidly, she leaned forward in her chair.
"That's why I can't afford to mess things up again, A-K. I'm going to watch you
r back, and I'm going to make sure you make it back."
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into." He argued. Faith chuckled.
"I never do. Part of the job." She replied, sitting back once more. "Now, you go
nna tell me where we're going?"
Anakin sighed in defeat and settled back into the pilot's chair. "To Coruscant.
I managed to break Traya's control long enough to allow a Jedi to take several y
ounglings away. I told her to take them to a safe place."
"And do you have any idea where to look?"
Anakin nodded. "Right now, there is probably only one safe place for a Jedi to g
o." He smiled at Faith. "Dex's Dinner."
====BtVS====
They spent hours talking. Just talking about things of little importance, really
. Dawn told Buffy about how her classes were going, how Watcher's training was p
rogressing. She told her about her love life- or rather, lack of one, to which B
uffy silently expressed relief. She wasn't quite ready for her little sister to
be dating just yet, dedpite their years apart.
Likewise, Buffy told Dawn about her years of training at the Jedi Temple- her ap
prenticeship under Mace Windu, learning how to wield the Force, her Trials, and
her run ins with various people, from Chancellor Palpatine to Master Jorus C'bao
th. She even showed Dawn her lightsaber, much to Dawn's delight. Her story taper
ed off as she got to her time or Corellia. The pain still fresh in her mind. Daw
n noticed something was wrong, and gently brushed her artificial arm. "You've be
en through a lot, haven't you?"
Buffy smiled weakly and flexed her mechanical fingers. "That's not the half of i
t. There's a lot...things that hurt to even think about...I had a daughter." She
finally blurted out. Dawn gaped at her sister- that was the last thing she had
expected to hear. "I got trapped on Corellia and met a man named Jacen. He alrea
dy had a son, Han, but his wife had died after childbirth. We fell in love... we
were engaged to be married, but we were going to wait until Corellia had been f
reed. We had a daughter; I named her Joyce. I think she would have looked a lot
like you, had she grown up." She swiftly got up and walked to the window, lookin
g out at the stars as the tears she had held in for so long fell freely. "They w
ere all killed several weeks ago when Traya ordered an all out attack on Corelli
a."
"Buffy..." Dawn whispered, rising and moving to her sister, wrapping her arms ar
ound her to comfort the grieving mother.
"So much has been going on, I've been able to block it out...but with everything
that's happened...with Anakin, you all showing up...I can't....I just can't..."
She turned into Dawn's embrace, burying her head in her sisters shoulder. And at
long last, Buffy Summers-Skywalker, Slayer and Jedi Master, finally let it all
go and broke down in her sister's arms.
====BtVS====
"Preparing to come out of hyperspace." Anakin announced, reaching forward for th
e hyperdrive control. Faith quickly sat down in the co-pilots chair again and st
rapped in as he pushed the lever forward. "Here we go...welcome to Coruscant."
Faith gaped at the sight before her. The planet before her didn't appear to have
any greenery- instead it was all silver and the concentric circles of the citie
s shining in the darkness of space. "The Lines of space ships veered into the pl
anet ahead of the, and Anakin maneuvered the Falcon into the lane with practiced
ease. In the distance, she saw what looked to be salvage vessels working on the
wrecked hulls of massive battleships.
"Separatist Battle ships.Munificent-class". Anakin explained. "They attacked a f
ew days ago."
Faith looked over to the Jedi with a incredulous look. "What, they get pissed of
f at the traffic or something?"
"Wait till we hit the actual planet." Anakin replied.
Faith's amazement grew as the Falcon descended thought the upper atmosphere and
merged into the main traffic lanes that coursed through the city. She stared at
the huge skyscrapers that rose kilometers into the sky and the floating landing
platforms. She turned to Anakin to ask about the city, but stopped short at the
intense look of concentration on his face.
"Hey, what's wrong A-K?"
"Palpatine is on the planet now." Anakin said shortly. "I'm trying to mask my pr
esence in the Force from him, but it is difficult. He's quite powerful."
"And what happens if he finds out you're here?" the Slayer asked. At his look, s
he sighed. "Yeah, I get it. Bad things. All right, lets go find your kids."
"Good idea." Anakin replied. "And by the way, would you please stop with that ri
diculous nick-name?"
Faith just smiled and whistlesd a happy tune as the Falcon descended further int
o the planet.
====BtVS====
Serra Keto, Jedi Knight and guardian of the last of the Jedi's younglings and Pa
dawans, peered out from behind the store room's door to the diner beyond as a gr
oup of Clone Troopers confronted Dex. Drake Lo'agan watched from behind her as t
he Clone Troopers started to tear the place apart.
"What do we do, Master Keto?" the Padawan asked, burying his fear deep down. Ser
ra smiled grimly.
"I buy you time to find another place to hide, Drake." She said, adjusting the g
rips on her deactivated lightsabers. I'll open up a hole, and you lead the Young
lings though."
"I'm not leaving without you!" the Padawan protested.
"There's no time for arguments!" Serra hissed. Dex can't hold them off for long,
and- " she cut off as a presence she hadn't felt since her early days as a Pada
wan flooded her senses. "It can't be..."
====BtVS====
"I'm telling ya!" Dex shouted hotly as the Clones tore up his diner, roughing up
the clients at the same time, "There's no Jedi here! Hey, you can't do that!" H
e moved to intercept a Clone roughing up one of his regulars, but stopped short
when the clone raised his blaster to his face.
"You've been charged with harboring enemies of the state, alien." The Clone snee
red. "That means we can do whatever we want."
"Excuse me, gentlemen."
The Clone's spun around to face a lone man standing in the middle of the street.
He was adorned in simple Jedi garb, with his long brown hair pulled back in a p
ony tail. The Jedi ignited his lightsaber, its green blade gleaming thanks to a
last-minute switch-out of the Illum crystal from Yoda's lost lightsaber.
"If it's a Jedi you're looking or, I'd say you've found one." Qui-Gon remarked,
raising his lightsaber in a salute.
"Jedi scum!" the Clone growled. "Blast him!" The Clones opened fire, their heavy
blasters sending bolt after bolt at the reborn Jedi Knight, who easily deflecte
d them. The Clones were so intent on Qui-Gon that they didn't notice twin green
blades of energy erupted. Serra used Qui-Gon's diversion to get the drop on seve
ral of the Clone troopers.
"Master Qui-Gon!" she shouted, her twin blades flashing as she destroyed blaster
s and body parts alike. "How..."
"The rumors of my death," Qui-Gon paused to dispatch another clone, "Well, they
were fairly accurate. Let's just call this the will of the Force, alright?"
"I'm not arguing!" Serra exclaimed as she finished off the last Clone. "It's goo
d to see you, Master Qui-Gon."
"You as well, Serra. Congratulations on achieving Knighthood."
"Qui-Gon, you old space dog!" Dex laughed. "I heard you were dead!"
"I was..." Qui-Gon trailed off as he spied an incoming pair of troop transports.
"We've got incoming!"
"I'll get the children out-" Serra' s voice was cut off as a pair of concussion
missiles streaked overhead and slammed one of the transports, destroying it inst
antly. The other veered off sharply as the Millennium Falcon streaked overhead,
banking suddenly and coming down in seconds for a landing. As the ramp lowered t
he other transport circled around and landed a block away, instantly discharging
three squads of the 501st.
"Serra! Get the children on board!" Anakin yelled as he raced down the ramp. He
stopped suddenly as he caught sight of his one-time savior. "Master Qui-Gon?"
"It's good to see you again Anakin." The Jedi said warmly. Though perhaps now is
n't the best time to catch up."
"Are you okay, Anakin?" Serra asked warily. Anakin nodded.
"I'm myself again." He confirmed. Now get those children on bo-"
A spinning blade brought him up short as it flew past his head and buried itself
in a Clone trooper that had raised its weapon at the Jedi.
"Talk later, flyboy!" Faith yelled as she ran out of the ship, the Scythe spinni
ng in her hand. "Let's move!" Anakin cursed as Faith tore into the Clones with h
er Scythe, dodging blaster bolts as she went. Anakin ignited his blade and moved
in after the Slayer as Serra and Drake led the younglings and Padawan's onto th
e Falcon..
Faith was on auto pilot. She didn't register that the Clones were, in effect, hu
mans; she saw them as a threat and the Slayer in her responded in kind. Even whe
n a blaster bolt grazed her shoulder she didn't stop; she thrust the stake end o
f the Scythe into the Clone's helmet. Anakin was more subdued in his approach, s
till haunted by what he had done, but soon the last of the elite troops were on
the ground and the two were heading back to the ship. Anakin stopped n front of
Dex and gestured towards the Falcon.
"You too, Dex. Nobody gets left behind."
"What about my diner?" the big alien asked, looking forlornly at the smoking rui
ns of his establishment.
"You stay here, you die, Dex. Come with us. You can rebuild somewhere else."
Dex finally nodded in agreement and hurriedly followed Anakin up the ramp. After
a few moments the ramp closed, and the Millennium Falcon lifted off. Anakin ran
around the corner and headed down the hall into the cockpit, where Qui-Gon and
Serra sat side by side flying the ship through Coruscant's lower levels. He look
ed down at Faith, who was groaning silently as she rubbed her injured shoulder.
"Are you alright?" he asked her. The Slayer nodded.
"I'll be fine in a few hours. Perks of being a Slayer."
"Another one?" Qui-Gon asked in amazement. Faith chuckled.
"You know, it's been a few years since I heard that..."
"There are plenty of mysteries to go around Master." Anakin said sternly. "For n
ow, let us concentrate on the here and now. What's the situation?"
"They've scrambled fighters," Drake said from the communications console. "V-Win
gs. Five-oh-First has scrambled two more troop carriers. And the Victory-class S
tar Destroyer Revanche is on an intercept course. It will reach us before we rea
ch the hyperspace jump point."
"Serra, get the oldest Padawans into the gun turrets." Anakin directed slipping
into the pilot's chair as Qui-Gon moved to cover the co-pilots station. Serra wa
s already moving out of the door.
"Understood." She called back, moving down the corridor to the belly turrets. Qu
i-Gon shook his head.
"Those guns wont make a dent in the Revanche's shields." The elderly Jedi remark
ed.
"It's all we got, besides the concussion missiles." Anakin replied. "Maybe we ca
n get in a lucky shot."
Faith tuned out the banter and bustle as she studied the sky before her. Even in
this life-or-death situation, she couldn't help but be awed by the receding atm
osphere, the bright stars of the approaching space- some blocked by the giant or
bital mirrors-
"Hey, wait," Faith interrupted, sitting up. "That big-ass ship- does it have win
dows?"
"Yes." Anakin answered irritably. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Well, why don't you use your wacky Jedi powers and point one of those big mirro
rs at it?"
"What possible good could that do?"
"Blind the crew." Qui-Gon realized. "point the mirror directly at the ship, bend
ing the sunlight right at it. The light would blind anybody near a window-"
"It'll fry any lightly-shielded electronics as well." Anakin continued, then sob
ered. "It's too big for me alone."
"Good thing we got a ship full of you guys then, huh?" Anakin smirked and hit th
e central comms switch.
"Attention, this is Anakin Skywalker. We have a plan to escape the Revanche, but
I need everyone's help. Knights, Padawans, Younglings- I need you to reach out
to me through the Force. Let me guide you...." Anakin's eye's closed as he reach
ed out with one hand towards the giant orbital mirror with the Force... coaxing
it out of its orbit. By himself, he had no chance... but with all of the Jedi on
board merging their Force-potential with his, the mirror stood no chance. After
a few moments the mirror shook, then started to move. The Falcon shook as the R
evanche fired their guns at the smaller ship, but Anakin paid it no heed. He put
all of his concentration into the battle meld, urging the mirror to rotate.
Finally, with one last nudge, the mirror finally shifted, and a beam of sunlight
shot right at the Revanche. On the bridge of the star destroyer the crew yelled
in pain as their corneas burned away before they could cover up, and sparks fle
w from random stations as the EM field from the beam fried the equipment. The Re
vanche's guns fell silent, and the Falcon streaked by the disabled warship.
A beeping noise brought Drake out of the meld, and he glanced over to the navico
mputer. "We are free and clear to navigate. Course plotted."
Anakin slowly opened his eyes, and exhaling engaged the hyperdrive. The stars st
reaked into lines as the Falcon leapt into hyperspace.
"That was...intense." Drake remarked. Anakin and Qui-Gon nodded.
"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked the younger Jedi.
"I witnessed Master C'baoth perform a demonstration of the battle meld when Mast
er Obi-Wan and I were aboard Outbound Flight. That was the first time I've actua
lly used it, though." Anakin turned to face his former savior. "Now, I think we
need to have a conversation."
====BtVS====
Buffy's sobs gradually faded away, and soon the Slayer pulled herself away from
the embrace and wiped her eyes. "Look at me, I'm a mess." Buffy joked. "I'm the
one whose supposed to be comforting you."
"You've been though hell, Buffy." Dawn remarked. "It's all right to get emotiona
l."
"There is no emotion, there is only peace." Buffy quoted, remembering when Mace
went over the Jedi code with her.
Dawn blinked. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
Buffy snorted in laughter, and nodded in agreement. "There's a lot of things in
the Jedi Code that I didn't agree with. But in some cases, it does make a strang
e kind of sense." Buffy looked at her sister, and experimentally she reached out
to her with the Force. Almost instantaneously Dawn subconsciously responded, an
d after a moment surprise registered on her face.
"What the frilly heck was that?"
"Dawn, when the Powers told me they couldn't send me back, they changed me. The
magic they used was keyed to my blood, and it helped me become sensitive to the
Force, which in turn let me become a Jedi. Well, whatever the Powers did, whatev
er spell they used, it's still floating around out there."
"And we share the same blood." Dawn realized. "So, what... are you saying I'm a
Jedi now?"
"No, you're Force-sensitive. To be a Jedi, you'll need training. Which I plan on
giving you." She smiled at her sister. "I'm taking you on as my Padawan learner
."
Dawn smiled broadly. "Does that mean I get to make a laser sword?"
Buffy chuckled. "Lightsaber. And you'll make one when you stop asking me when yo
u can make one."
"Awww." Dawn whined playfully, and Buffy smirked.
"You think that's bad, wait till you see how you're going to have to cut your ha
ir." At Dawn's look, Buffy laughed outright. "Come on, enough tears. Let's go me
et your brother and his family."
The two sisters left the room and started walking through the base towards the n
ursery. Dawn looked around in wonder at the sights around her.
"I still can't believe we're in space.: she murmured, glancing at a pair of Pada
wan's as they walked by. "Nice hair."
"They're Padawans." Buffy explained with a small smile. "The haircut's tradition
."
The two walked in silence for a few moments before Dawn stopped cold. "There is
no way in hell I'm cutting my hair like that! Do you know how long it took to gr
ow it out!"
Buffy laughed out loud at Dawn's outburst. "Time are changing, sis. But I may ju
st have to make you..."
"Please, you barely reach my shoulders as it is. What makes you think I'll let y
ou near my hair?"
"Great. More short jokes." Buffy muttered, shaking her head. "It was bad enough
with Anakin."
"Why?"
"When you see him, you'll know." Buffy replied as they reached the nursery. "Her
e we are! Padmé, can I come in?" she called through the door. After a few moments
she heard a muffled a few moments she heard a muffled Yes! And entered the room
with Dawn. The sisters entered, and saw Padmé laying on her bed with Leia in her a
rms. On the other side of the bed in a small crib lay Luke, who was fast asleep.
"Hello, Buffy." Padmé said, a tired smile on her face. "And you must be Dawn. I've
heard a lot about you."
Dawn blinked. "You have?"
"Buffy talks about you often." Padmé replied. "And Anakin always hoped he'd have a
chance to meet you."
"Dawn, this is Padmé Ami- er, Skywalker." She amended. "Former senator in the Grea
t Republic, and wife to our brother, Anakin. Padmé, this is my sister, Dawn." The
two women exchanged greetings, and Buffy looked around. "Speaking of my wayward
brother, where is he?" Buffy asked. "I thought he'd be fawning over the kids."
"He had to step out for a few minutes." Padmé answered evasively. "Would you like
to hold your nephew? I've got my hands full here, but I'm sure Luke would like t
o meet his Aunts."
Buffy smiled as she picked up her tiny nephew. He smile turned sad though as she
looked down on him, and she looked to Padmé. "Do you mind if Dawn has a turn?"
"Of course not." The young Senator smiled. Buffy handled the tiny bundle to her
younger sister, who carefully took the tiny infant in her arms.
"It's funny," she said at length. "Two days ago, I was an only child with no fam
ily left. Today, I got two sisters, a brother, a niece and a nephew."
"It must be a lot to take in." Padmé said kindly. Dawn nodded, smiling down on Luk
e's sleeping form.
"Just a little."
The three chatted for a few minutes until Obi-Wan entered the room.
"Buffy, there you are." He started, then noticed Dawn standing beside her. "And
you're Dawn, Buffy's sister. I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Nice to meet you. Buffy's told me a little bit about you."
"All good things, I hope." Obi-Wan Joked. Dawn just stared at the Jedi.
"Not really." She said deadpan. Buffy snorted in laughter, which sent Dawn off.
Obi-Wan just sighed.
"Great, now there are two of them." He groused, then turned to Padmé. "Padmé, have y
ou seen Anakin?"
Padmé shifted uneasily in her bed. "He had to step out for a few minutes," she rep
eated. Obi-Wan pieced her with a glare.
"Did 'stepping out' including taking the Falcon?"
"The Falcon's gone?" Buffy said suddenly, then reached out into the Force. The f
irst thing she realized what that she sensed her brother, but at a distance. The
next thing she noticed wasn't though the Force, but through the senses she hadn
't used in over fifteen years...
"Faith's gone." She said suddenly. "I never even realized I was feeling her with
my Slayer senses, but she's been subtly setting them off since she got here."
"That happens between Slayers." Dawn explained. "It's kind of like a Slayer rada
r. You probably didn't notice because it wouldn't feel like a threat, like a vam
pire or demon would."
So Anakin's far away, but getting closer; and Faith's MIA." Buffy whirled to fac
e Padmé. "Padmé, where in the frilly heck have they gone?"
Padmé sighed in defeat. "I don't know about anyone named Faith, but Anakin took he
Falcon on an errand he needed to do."
"To where" Obi-Wan asked.
"To Coruscant."
"BUN tyen-shung duh ee-DWAY-RO!" Buffy exclaimed, causing all parties in the roo
m to flinch.
"Jeeze, Buffy! Not in front of the kids!" Dawn exclaimed. Buffy paused a beat an
d looked over her sister.
"You understood that?" she asked incredulously. Dawn shrugged.
"Got the basic gist. Whatever it was sounds a lot like Mandarin. I filled in the
blanks myself."
"You know Mandarin?"
"I know 6 languages now, and speak four of them fluently."
"Buffy, just calm down and listen!" Padmé exclaimed, exasperated. "Ani told me he
managed to break free from Traya long enough to let several Jedi escape. He had
to go back and get them!"
Buffy was about to reply when Obi-Wan's comlink beeped. He answered it, then loo
ked to Buffy.
"The Falcon has arrived. With guests." Buffy reached out, and sure enough felt b
oth Anakin and Faith in the direction of the hanger. She nodded.
"Well Dawn, you'll get to meet your brother... right before I kill him."
====BtVS====
Buffy stalked towards the hangar, careful to keep her anger under control. Anger
led to the Dark Side, and that wasn't where she wanted to go. No, she was plann
ing a one way trip for her and Anakin to the Smackdown Hotel.
Walking behind her, Dawn watched Buffy with amusement. "Some things never change
."
"You mean she was always like this?" Obi-Wan inquired. Dawn nodded.
"If anything, I think she's calmed down. She used to be much worse."
Buffy entered the hanger and saw a group of younglings and Padawans being led do
wn by Serra Keto. Buffy stalked right past them to her brother, who was walking
down the ramp-
-Whom she promptly slugged.
"Nee TZAO ss-MA? Nee-YOW wuh-KAI CHANG?" she yelled at him, causing all heads to
turn towards the two siblings.
"Buffy, calm down." Anakin pleaded, shifting on his feet.
"Calm down? I am calm. I'm relaxed. I'm full of fucking serenity. What the hell
were you thinking going back there?"
"I couldn't leave them behind, Buffy!" Anakin exploded. "I killed so many of our
colleagues, our friends; I couldn't just abandon them!"
Buffy was about to reply, but caught movement out of the corner of her eye and s
pun to face Faith, who was trying to make a discreet exit. "And what the hell di
d you think you were doing?"
Faith sighed. "I was watching his back. I wanted to make sure he came back in on
e piece. Which he did, so chalk one up on the 'Yeah Me' column."
"Anakin did just as you would have done, Master Skywalker." A voice spoke from i
nside the ship. Buffy turned to see Qui-Gon walk down he ramp, a small smile pla
ying on his lips. "He risked his safety for those in need. Will you tell me now
that you wouldn't have done the same thing?"
Buffy crossed her arms in annoyance. "I would have gown with back-up. And don't
think you can shock me with the whole 'coming back from the dead' thing. I've pu
lled that one on more than one occasion."
While Buffy was dealing with being a higher rank than the man who had freed her
thirteen years ago, Anakin walked passed her down to the end of the ramp towards
a hesitant-looking Dawn.
"Hello," he greeted awkwardly, extending his hand. "I'm Anakin. Buffy's told me
a lot about you."
Dawn took the proffered hand, then seemed to make up her mind and drew him into
a familial hug. "It's nice to meet you, too. I'm looking forward to getting to k
now my new brother."
Any sense of fear Anakin had evaporated at those words, and he returned the hug
in earnest. The two pulled away, smiling at the understanding forming between th
em, and Anakin glanced over to Buffy, who stood farther up the ramp talking with
Qui-Gon, and smiled. Dawn looked at the smile quizzically, then looked to Buffy
 as well- and snorted in laughter. Buffy, who had remained oblivious to the two,
looked at the pair suspiciously.
"What?"
Anakin smirked. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that this would probably be th
e only time you could look either of us in the eye."
Buffy looked to Anakin, then to Dawn, who now stood just as tall as her brother.
..then looked down, to see she was about three feet off of the ground on the ram
p. She turned her glare back to her brother, who was having the first real laugh
he had had since becoming Traya's slave.
"Very funny."
"Do not be sad, Master Skywalker." Yoda said as he entered the room. "Remember:
size matters not."
Buffy stared at the tiny Jedi as her two sibling burst into laughter. "Oh, HELL
no. Tell me you aren't making short jokes about me!"
Yoda chuckled for a moment, then grew serious. "Called a meeting of the Senior J
edi, I have. Plan our next moves, we must."
"I'll gather the Scoobies there, as well. I think they'll need to sit in on this
meeting as well." Buffy remarked. "Serra," she called out to the young Knight,
"Gather the Younglings and put them with the rest for now. They're with Master S
ecura- help her watch over them."
"Yes, Master Skywalker." She replied. "Children, gather around and come with me.
" Buffy watched them leave, then turned back to Qui-Gon. "Ready to announce your
self?"
"No time like the present." He replied with a smile. Buffy nodded and turned to
Yoda.
"Alright then. Lead on, Mac-"
Buffy was cut off as Xander stumbled into the room. His clothes were disheveled,
his hair askew, and a small cut had opened at his scalp.
"Xander!" Buffy cried out as Dawn and Faith both rushed to his side. "What happe
ned.?"
Xander took a moment to catch his breath, then looked up at Buffy with a small,
triumphant smile.
"Darth Traya's dead, Buffy." He announced. "Willow's back."
====BtVS====
Episode 3 chapter 17
Willow Reborn
====BtVS====
As consciousness returned to Darth Traya, the first thing she noticed was her po
wers seemed to be gone. Bound by Giles more than likely, Traya thought. Fortunat
ely for her, witchcraft was no longer the sole source of her power.
"Good morning," a familiar voice called out. "Or should I say good evening. Hard
to keep track of time in space."
Traya opened her eyes and gazed upon the face of her - of Willow's - oldest frie
nd. "Well, well, well. The whelp. They must really be desperate to send you in h
ere."
"You'll have to forgive the restraints," he said, motioning to the straps that h
eld her down, "but they thought you might try something if you were free. Oh you
r arm. If you behave, you might even get a cool bionic arm like Buff's."
"Joy," the Sith replied sarcastically.
Xander smiled tightly. "Thought you'd like that. Now, why don't you let me talk
to Willow, mm-kay? "
"And why would I let you do that?" Traya asked. "Do you plan on boring us with y
our stories of our past life together?"
"Hey, they're good stories!" Xander defended. "I especially liked the one about
the yellow crayon."
"Willow doesn't exist, you insipid moron," Traya ground out. "There is only Dart
h Traya."
"No... Darth Traya is an aberration," Xander shot back. "A figment of Willow's i
magination that she conjured up to spare her the pain of what she was doing. Wel
l guess what, Will - it's time to face up. Now, come on out and play."
Traya scoffed. "You just don't get it, do you? Willow was weak. A pathetic littl
e slip of a girl who let others walk all over her 'for the good of everyone else
'. She let Xiazan touch her, just to spare a few pathetic slave girls' lives."
"That's called 'humanity'."
"It's called 'stupidity'," Traya corrected. "Do you know how many times she - I
- could have escaped? How much suffering I could have spared myself? But no - I
had to worry about the others and in return I was whored out. And the truly iron
ic part - they all died anyways! I ask you, what was the use?"
"Willow was doing the right thing," Xander retorted. "Willow always did everythi
ng in her power to help others before she would even think of helping herself. T
hat isn't a bad thing."
"Power. Ha!" Traya scoffed. "Her power was insignificant to what I am now capabl
e of."
"Yeah, so I hear. You're big on the dark mojo now, aren't you? Big, bad Darth Ro
senberg, terror of the galaxy," Xander shot back mockingly. "Still managed to ge
t your ass handed to you... by a so-called Jedi."
Traya's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You have no idea what you are talking about,
boy. You have no idea of the powers I now possess."
"What powers?" Xander retorted. "Were your new powers enough to beat Buffy? Huh?
Were they enough to get you back home to Tara? You remember Tara, don't you? Th
at girl you used to love?"
Traya flinched when Xander said Tara's name, but did her best to hide it. "Love
is a weakness."
Xander wasn't fooled. "Is that what you tell yourself every night as you go to s
leep alone? Is that what you tell yourself when you think of Tara?"
"Don't mention that name," Traya growled. "You don't have the right to say it."
Xander saw his opening. He realized the dangers, but if he could get her angry e
nough...
"What, Tara? Your ex-girlfriend? The love of your life? Oops, sorry. Forgot how
you feel about love..."
"I spent years looking for a way back to her, that I might open the doorway home
," Traya replied coldly.
"Then what - you decided the power was much more enticing than returning home to
your soul mate?"
"It was so much more enticing!" Traya shrieked, her voice echoing in the cell. "
Tara was as weak as Willow! The power Dooku and Sidious showed me, you have no i
dea how much better it felt! I was untouchable!"
"And it's better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven, right?"
"We were little more than grunts forced to fight the Slayer's war on a Hellmouth
, Xander! Sidious showed me my true potential. I wouldn't be reigning in hell, X
ander. I would be ruling a galaxy!"
"Yeah. Sorry that didn't work out for you," Xander replied. "Look where that pow
er got you - missing a hand, tied down to a bed - say, did that Xiazan guy like
to tie you down?"
Traya was shaking with barely suppressed rage. "Don't talk about it."
Xander waved her off. "You're right, none of my concern. And you know what - if
you want to rule the galaxy, who am I to stop you? It's not as if you have anyth
ing to go back for now, anyway..."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing. Besides, you don't even believe in love anymore..."
"Tell me," Traya's obsidian gaze was cold, but there was something other than ra
ge expressed in their endless depths. There was curiosity, longing, lust...
"Tara moved on," Xander said simply. "Got herself a new girlfriend. And a new ev
erything else. Can't say I blame her, looking at you now, looking at how utterly
pathetic you are. I mean, look at you! Not even a whole woman anymore, doing no
thing more than sucking the life out of everything you touch! You're nothing mor
e than a Vampi-ack!"
Xander's voice was cut off as an unseen force began to choke him. He stared in s
hock as purple bolts of electricity started to dance around and over Willows for
m, snapping the restraints one at a time. After only a few moments Darth Traya r
ose from the bed, her one good hand outstretched towards the horrified Xander.
"You dare judge me!" she screamed. "You dare to compare me to a vampire!"
She swung her hand towards the far wall and sent Xander flying into it. The youn
g man's head impacted with the wall, opening a small cut on his forehead and cau
sing him to see stars. He moaned as his feet hit the floor, the staggering affec
t of the blow sending him to his knees.
"Everything I did, I did it for her! That ungrateful bitch!" Once again she reac
hed out with the Force and used it to fling Xander back across the room, where h
e impacted once again with the wall. "All I ever wanted was to go back, to share
this with her! I spent years looking for a way!"
"She wouldn't want you now, Will," Xander sighed, forcing himself to his feet an
d meeting her gaze dead-on. "She loved you more than anything and never, never d
id she stop looking for a way to save you. But she loved Willow. She wouldn't...
she couldn't love a murderer. You're a monster, Will."
"I'LL SHOW YOU A MONSTER!" Traya screamed, letting loose with a blast of Force l
ightening. It struck Xander squarely in the chest, sending him back against the
wall where he writhed in pain. It only lasted for a moment before she ended it,
a deeply satisfied look crossing her pale face.
"What happened to you, Willow? Why would you do this to yourself? Why can't you
understand that Willow was stronger and more powerful than you'll ever be?" He c
ried out as he stood up, blood running freely from his face.
Willow blinked at him, her dark gaze penetrating. She didn't move nor did she re
lease her powers again. She seemed to be listening to him. Feeling emboldened, X
ander ploughed on.
"Is this what you want? Is this what you really, truly want?"
A painful look was crossing her face. As she struggled to take a breath, she fel
t her powers surging through her body, her mind screaming to kill the young man
standing in front of her. But... did she want to?
"It's what I am," she said at last, her breath raspy and strangled.
"It doesn't have to be. Instead of using that power for yourself, you could use
it for good, like the Willow I knew would have done."
"Then you didn't know me at all." The next blast struck Xander in the chest, thr
owing him back into a wall. But instantly she released it as she suddenly saw th
e man she was attacking...
"Xan-Xander? Oh, god...no...What ..."
"Is that what you want, Will? You want to kill me? You're doing a great job with
the torture just because I don't agree with you..."
"I...no!" Traya snarled, using the Force to lift Xander to his feet. "I spent ye
ars getting raped and tortured... no more! No man will ever touch me again witho
ut my consent! No one will dare lift a finger against me! I have the power!"
"At what cost!" Xander roared back. "Your humanity? Your life? No one has the ri
ght to touch you if you don't want them to, Willow... But nothing gives you the
right to kill!"
"You don't know what I've been through!" Traya retorted, almost desperately. Xan
der could tell Darth Traya was starting to fade away as her voice slowly returne
d to normal. "You don't know the pain... the humiliation... the suffering...I co
uldn't deal with it...I couldn't....I couldn't...I had to push it away. It had t
o go away!"
"What about right now, right here?" Xander asked, coming to stand right in front
of her. "What about me?"
"Xander..." The single word, his own name, broke his heart. It was the tiniest v
oice and with it came pain and the voice of a woman he knew and loved with every
thing he was. Her eyes gazed into his. The violent spark of black light was gone
, replaced by her solemn green gaze.
"I see you, Will. I see you better than anyone."
Traya felt as though she were finally losing grip on reality. As she receded, a
familiar thought crept into her head - the horror of what she had seen and the a
ctions done by her own hands. At once, it overwhelmed her. "Oh, my God..."
"I'm here, Willow." She felt his reassuring hands grasp her shoulders. But she c
ouldn't look at him. Wouldn't look at it. Everything she had been through... eve
rything she had done... how she had hurt her friends, her sister, her soul...
How high the price had been... and how high it would be to reclaim the part of h
er soul forever stolen by the darkness of the power of the Sith.
"Oh, God..."
His strong arms wrapped around her shoulders as her face collapsed onto his shou
lder. His bruised, bloodied fingers stroked her dark hair. "When it all comes do
wn to it," he breathed into her ear, "love is never a weakness. Guess that's som
ething the Sith didn't teach you."
She drew in a sharp breath, barely managing to raise her fingers to clasp his bi
ceps as he buried his face in her hair. "What have I done?"
"Just let it out, Will. Just let it out."
At that moment, it was all she could do not to scream out as she collapsed in ag
ony, her body shaking with sobs. Every face of her victims flashed before her ey
es. Her mind taunted with the dark promises of both Sith lords who had her wrapp
ed in their fingers. "What have I... what have I... what...?"
"I love you, Willow."
She heard the tears in his voice, felt the moisture in her hair. As she sobbed b
rokenly in his arms, she felt the warmth and comfort of her long-lost friend.
"I love you... I always have. I always will. You'll always be the sweet red who
broke the yellow crayon and cried."
She struggled to smile through her tears as she raised her head. Xander's hand s
wept across her forehead, locks of brilliant red hair falling into her eyes; his
smile softened as he saw the unbidden fear.
"No more hiding, okay? I love you just the way you are. We all do."
Willow felt the tears returned and bit her lip as they tricked down her cheek. "
How can you love me?" she asked, a mere shadow of the Dark Lady she had been jus
t five minutes ago.
"You're not a monster, Will. We slayed monsters together, remember?"
She moaned as she glanced away from him. His gentle hand took her face and tilte
d her gaze to meet his. "You're still Willow. You're still my Willow. I love you
more than anything. And so does Tara."
"But, you said-"
"I know what I said," Xander said, keeping his hand on her tear-stained face. "S
he may have moved on, but her heart still belongs to you. It will always belong
to you. How can love be a weakness when so many of us love you enough to save yo
u from yourself?"
"You risked your life to come in here," Willow murmured, the guilt pouring from
her pained words. "I could have killed you."
"I know. But I also knew you wouldn't. We've been through so much together. You'
re my girl."
She felt the guilt rise up within her again and fell to the ground, Xander's arm
s wrapping against around her shoulders. "What do I do now?"
"Now... things are going to get hard. I won't lie to you... but there's a lot to
face, a lot of pieces to pick up. And yes, there's even Tara."
Willow flinched as though she'd been burned. "How can I face her after all I've
done? How can I-"
"You'll find a way, Will," Xander said, the old confidence in his voice, his sin
gle eye gleaming with great effort. "You have to find a way."
====BtVS====
While the twins slept, Padmé dreamed.
She dreamed of the plains of Naboo, where Sola had her home. She watched in awe
as a grown Ryoo and Pooja walked out of the house, with who could only be Leia b
etween them. She looked to be barely twenty, her long brown hair trussed up into
two elegant buns set on either side of her head and dressed in a simple white g
own. The three were talking amongst themselves, though Padmé couldn't hear what th
ey were actually saying. Nonetheless, they were all business talking in such a w
ay that reminded Padmé of her times dealing with the other Senators in the Senate.
In an instant, the scene shifted to a familiar, sun-baked planet as a young boy
, no older than twenty sulked out of a hut and stood on a sand bank, staring out
at the land as the twin suns set. She looked closely at the boy, and gasped in
recognition. He had his father's hair, his jaw, but her eyes... it was unmistaka
bly Luke, as he would be in the future.
"You got a couple of good-lookin' kids there, Senator."
Padmé started at the voice, and turned to face a garishly dressed man standing nex
t to her, looking at the boy impassively.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "What am I seeing?"
"My name's Whistler, doll. And I think you already know what you're looking at."
"Whistler... I know that name..." Suddenly, she turned to glare at the balance d
emon. "Buffy mentioned you. And how cowardly you were in not breaking the news t
o her yourself."
Whistler just shrugged. "I'm a lover, not a fighter. And I ain't crazy, either.
I know when to avoid the Slayer."
"So what're you doing here, Whistler?"
"I'm here with a message from the Powers."
Padmé looked at the balance demon in confusion. "I think you have the wrong person
."
Whistler shook his head. "No, I really don't," he replied. He snapped his finger
s...
And suddenly, they were standing in space above Tatooine as a small Corellian Co
rvette, much like Bail's ship, sped past, firing on a massive triangular-shaped
vessel that was mercilessly pounding the smaller ships shields. Padmé thought it v
aguely resembled a Venator-class Star Destroyer, but it was much more massive an
d gleaming white.
Images started flashing past more rapidly now. A huge, planet-sized space statio
n let loose with a blast of brilliant green energy that annihilated the planet b
elow it. Huge capital ships, that were dwarfed by an even larger blue and black
painted ship, chased what appeared to be the Millennium Falcon into an asteroid
belt. Mon Cal Starcruisers, converted to battleships, engaged the white capital
ships at point-blank range as dozens of starfighters of configurations that look
ed vaguely familiar, but that she had never seen before.
The views suddenly changed from ships to people as she saw her daughter being to
rtured by some kind of probe droid as a terrifying man in black armor and a mask
that she knew would give her nightmares for weeks to come. She saw her son faci
ng off against a woman whose red hair and green eyes instantly reminded her of W
illow... and there was Willow, fighting the same girl in pristine white halls, e
ven as Buffy desperately fought off a crazed man with a red-tinted lightsaber an
d flowing white beard...
She watched as that same armored (man?) faced down her son on a catwalk, high ab
ove a seemingly bottomless pit, his red lightsaber clashing with Luke's blue bla
de...
She saw Leia, standing next to a tall Wookie and a dark-haired girl who looked s
lightly like Dawn cry as a scruffy-looking man was lowered into a carbon-freezin
g pit...
She saw Luke again, facing off in a darkened room against the masked man...with
Anakin?
The hair was a bit shorter and there were a few more lines around his eyes, but
it was unmistakably Anakin, still in his prime, fighting side by side with his s
on...and then she saw herself, only looking a few years older, fighting side by
side with Leia, holding off Clone Troopers at the entrance to a bunker while Daw
n plunged her blue lightsaber into the door, slowly melting it away, even as the
Troopers overran their position...
"What is this?" Padmé demanded. "What are you showing me?"
"The future, sweetheart," he replied calmly. "This is what may happen. What prob
ably will happen. Most people don't get heads up like these, Padmé. But the Powers
felt that you needed one."
"And why is that?" Padmé asked, already sensing the answer.
"Because," Whistler continued calmly, "in order to save the future and the Repub
lic you hold so dear, you and Anakin need to leave. And where you're going, you
can't take your children with you."
Episode 3 Chapter 18
The Last Council
====BtVS====
Xander stumbled into the room. His clothes were disheveled; his hair askew and a
small cut had opened at his scalp.
"Xander!" Buffy cried out as Dawn and Faith both rushed to his side. "What happe
ned?"
Xander took a moment to catch his breath, then looked up at Buffy with a small,
triumphant smile.
"Darth Traya's dead, Buffy," he announced. "Willow's back."
====BtVS====
"What do you mean?" Anakin asked darkly, a glower forming on his face. Buffy sho
t him a warning look before turning back to Xander.
"Are you sure?" she asked. Xander nodded.
"Yeah, I'm sure. She threw me around a bit before she finally cracked, but-"
"Wait - I thought Giles bound her powers," Buffy mused, looking to her Watcher w
ho had arrived earlier.
"I did."
Buffy looked thoughtful for a moment and then smacked herself on the side of the
head. "Of course," she reasoned, "if the Powers could use magic to enable me to
access the Force, what's to say she couldn't figure out how to do it to herself
?"
"So you're saying she's a Jedi?" Xander asked and then stepped back when Anakin
whirled on him.
"She is NOT a Jedi!"
"ANAKIN!" Buffy shouted. As the young Jedi struggled to get his temper under con
trol, Buffy put a hand on his arm. "Go be with your family. Padmé seemed a bit ups
et about something - go be with her." Anakin nodded and then stalked out of the
room, still glowering. "Ben, gather the Masters in the conference room. Giles, y
ou and the Scoobies go, too. Time to make some introductions, I think."
"And where are you going?" Giles asked as she moved to leave the room. Buffy sto
pped and glanced over her shoulder.
"To see Willow."
====BtVS====
Buffy walked down the hall, passed the room where she had finally reconnected wi
th her sister towards the cell that held the former Sith Lord. Without even knoc
king she hit the access panel and the door slid aside. Taking a calming breath,
the Slayer cautiously entered the room. Looking around, she saw the huddled form
of her former friend, curled up in the far corner of the room.
"Hello, Willow."
The witch lifted her head, her red hair spilling over her bloodshot eyes. Her ch
eeks were still moist with the tears she had shed.
"Are you here to kill me?" the broken girl asked weakly. Buffy considered her fo
r a moment before answering.
"No, I'm not."
"Why not?"
"Because I spent nearly three years hoping that I could somehow get you back, Wi
ll," Buffy said with a sigh. "I hoped, I prayed. Even when I was trapped on Core
llia, I still had hope that Anakin or Padmé could get though to you.
"And then you went and attacked Corellia," Buffy continued, her voice hardening.
Willow seemed to shrink back even further into the corner. "I'm not going to ki
ll you, Willow, because that would be a mercy. And I can think of no more adequa
te punishment for what you've done than to live a long, healthy life remembering
it all."
"I've saved you, Willow," she finished, turning to leave. She stopped at the doo
r and looked behind her one last time. "But I don't think I'll ever be able to f
orgive you." And with that she walked out and closed the door, leaving Willow to
cry fresh tears in private.
====BtVS====
A short time later, Buffy and the Scoobies sat in the glass-walled conference ro
om with the surviving Jedi Masters, Anakin and Padmé.
"I believe everyone is here, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said from his place besides t
he aged Jedi Master. Yoda nodded.
"Then we shall begin," he turned to Buffy. "Master Skywalker, introductions, I b
elieve are needed."
Buffy nodded and turned to the Scoobies, "Guys, you've met Masters Yoda and Obi-
Wan, Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn, Padawan Starstone, Senator Organa, Anakin and Padmé. The o
thers here today are Masters Secura," she indicated the blue-skinned Twi'lek, "B
ol Chatak," she indicated the horned Zabbrak, "Roan Shryne," a brown haired huma
n nodded his head, "Ydra Kilwallen," the Mirialan nodded as well, "and Teryl Sib
warra." The almost regal-looking Kuati nodded in greeting as well.
"Masters, this is my extended family - my former Watcher, Rupert Giles; one of m
y best friends Xander Harris; my sister Slayer Faith Lehane; and my sister Dawn
whom I'm taking to be my Padawan learner."
There were brief murmurs from the assembled Masters at that revelation, which ca
used Dawn to hunker down in her chair a bit. Aayla was the first to speak.
"Buffy... I thought it wasn't possible for you to go home. How is it that your s
ister came to be here - and how is it that she could possibly be Force-sensitive
?"
"And is it wise to train her, considering her age?" Teryl added, giving Dawn a s
keptical once-over. The young girl bristled and sat up straighter.
"Lady, I've faced down a hell-goddess, helped close a Hellmouth and uncovered th
e secrets of dimensional travel, all in the past three years. What exactly have
you done recently?"
"Peace, Dawn," Buffy laid a calming hand on her sister's shoulder, desperately t
rying to force down her smile. "Master Sibwarra, forgive my sister's bluntness,
but like it or not she is my Padawan. As for how she can be Force-sensitive - it
has to do with a special connection we share. But we are not here to talk about
my sister or her training - we are here to discuss the very future of our exist
ence. The Jedi are on the brink of extinction. With Palpatine in control of his
new 'Empire', the Jedi will be hunted down and killed like wild gundarks. While
we are not a true Jedi Council, it falls to us to determine the course of action
we will follow now."
"What we need to do is find a safe place," Roan started. "Every minute we stay h
ere increases the risk that the Emperor will be able to find us. And if he does,
the innocents here will suffer along with the Jedi."
"Don't suppose you all have a safe house?" Faith asked. Obi-Wan shook his head.
"This is our safe house," he replied.
"Perhaps there is a diplomatic solution to this situation," Ydra supposed, turni
ng to Padmé. "Surely there is something that you or Senator Organa could do?"
"Senator Organa cannot do anything at this time, Master Jedi," Padmé said tiredly.
"And I can no longer do anything. I am wanted for treason by the Emperor."
Ydra was confused. "Then, with all due respect, why are you here?"
"She is here as my wife, Master Kilwallen," Anakin replied calmly, drawing gasps
from the rest of the Jedi Masters. Roan whistled.
"When you break the Code, Skywalker, you break the Code."
"Do you know what this means, Skywalker?" Chatak asked. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Anakin can be disciplined by the Council later - if it even comes to that," she
replied scathingly. "For now, perhaps we can get back to our imminent demise."
"What we need is an Outbound Flight," Aayla remarked, pushing the disconcerting
news of Anakin's marriage out of her mind.
"I'm sorry, but what's 'Outbound Flight'?" Dawn asked, eyeing the Twi'lek curiou
sly. The Jedi master smiled at the girl.
"It was a rather ambitious project. Six Dreadnaughts positioned around a central
storage core, meant to travel through the Unknown Regions and out of the known
galaxy."
"I remember that," Buffy remarked sourly. "It was headed up by Master Jorus C'Bi
tch."
"Buffy..." Obi-Wan started, but Buffy silenced him with a look.
"C'baoth was an arrogant, ignorant asshole who believed himself to be better tha
n everyone else because he was a Jedi. I didn't mourn his departure. But persona
l feelings aside, I think it's a good idea. I just doubt that we can find anybod
y willing to lend us six Dreadnaughts."
"We don't need ships, Buffy," Padmé said quietly, looking at Dawn. The young girl
understood immediately.
"Earth!" she exclaimed, turning to her sister. "We can take you all back to Eart
h with us!"
"I doubt that Sir Nigel would be happy with us bringing back nearly a hundred re
fugees," Giles remarked before he smiled broadly. "I already love this plan."
"What exactly are you talking about?" Obi-Wan asked Dawn. "Is it even possible?"
"It's extremely possible," Dawn replied. "We open up a portal, get everybody to
Earth, and set up a new Jedi Academy of sorts at the Watcher's Council. It'll be
a difficult transition, but it could be done."
"What kid of problems could we face?" Master Chatak asked.
"Earth is pretty primitive in comparison to what you're used to," Xander supplie
d. "There's no fancy weapons, no regular space flights. Heck, the farthest anybo
dy from earth has gotten in space was to the moon. Also, Earth has had no contac
t with any alien species...allegedly."
"Most people on Earth don't believe that aliens exist," Buffy added. "I have to
admit that I didn't believe they existed either - till that alien-demon thing tr
ied to eat my mother."
"And the whole alien-galaxy thing you've been pulling for the past few years, ri
ght?" Faith added jokingly. Buffy chuckled in acknowledgement.
"That's another thing - the time difference," Dawn added. "The way I figure it,
for every one year that passes on Earth, about five years passes here. That coul
d actually work to our benefit, because we could spend a few years on Earth, com
e back and Palpatine would be dead of old age."
"It's more than that."
All eyes turned to Padmé, who had spoken quietly. Anakin, who was increasingly wor
ried about the sadness he was feeling from her. "Angel?" he whispered, putting a
soft hand on her shoulder. Padmé took a shuddering breath and then spoke again.
"Buffy, do you remember a being named Whistler?"
Buffy nodded. "Balance demon. I met him when he told me I had to kill Angel. Nev
er cared for him."
"He came to me earlier." At Buffy's startled look, she continued. "I fell asleep
. He came to me in my dreams. He showed me...what was to come."
"Certain of this dream, are you?" Yoda asked gently. Padmé nodded.
"Very certain. And I would have to be, considering what he told me." Taking anot
her breath, she continued. "It has already been set in motion and over the next
twenty years a rebellion against the Empire will form. Twenty years from now, th
e rebellion will erupt into full-blown war. Many battles will be fought, many li
ves lost. But it may be victorious..."
"Victorious how?" Anakin asked. Padmé sighed sadly.
"There will be two who help lead the Rebellion to victory. One raised on Tatooin
e who will become a Jedi, and one on Naboo and educated in politics. A boy and a
girl." She looked her husband in the eye. "Luke and Leia."
Buffy closed her eyes and sighed, now knowing what the grief Padmé was broadcastin
g was about. She knew what had to happen now - of all people, Anakin and Padmé cou
ld not remain behind. Which meant they would have to leave their children behind
.
"No," Anakin said. When Padmé tired to speak again, Anakin jumped up. "NO!" he scr
eamed. "I will NOT just abandon my children!"
"Anakin, listen to reason..." Buffy tried to interrupt, but her brother whirled
on her.
"REASON? WHAT REASON!" he roared. "You want me to leave my children behind, in h
opes that they grow up to be some prophesized saviors?"
"Ani, I know what you're feeling right now..."
"How could you possible know how I'm feeling, Buffy?" he interrupted scornfully.
"What would you know about leaving your child behind?"
"I LEFT MY CHILDS CORSPE BEHIND! AT LEAST YOURS WILL STILL BE ALIVE!"
There was a moment of stunned silence, as everyone digested what Buffy had just
said. Only a few knew of what happened to her on Corellia, but most had no idea
of what she had been through. Even Anakin seemed to realize that he had stepped
over the line with his comments.
"Dear god, Buffy..." Giles started, but Buffy turned around and stalked to the f
ar corner of the room, her hand on her mouth to stifle her crying. Anakin slowly
moved up behind her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Buffy, I'm sorry...I wasn't thinking..."
"No, you were," Buffy replied softly. "You were thinking like a parent. Remember
- I didn't want to leave my family, either."
"Ani," Dawn spoke tentatively, "look, I know this is hard to swallow. It was har
d for me to accept that my sister was alive and well, but I wouldn't be able to
see her again. But that's all changed now." Dawn held up the GDO. "We got a way
into this universe now. And Fred was already talking about streamlining the proc
ess, making units that open portals by themselves. Just give us a few weeks and
we'll have a way for both you and Padmé to come back and be with your kids."
"You would do that?" Padmé asked hesitantly. Dawn grinned meekly.
"Sure. You're family now."
"Reactions like this are the exact reason why attachments are forbidden to Jedi!
" Teryl exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Anakin. But if you will place your family above t
he Order, then perhaps you don't belong in the Order anymore."
Even as Anakin looked away in shame, Buffy scoffed.
"Okay, let's clear something up, right now," she said, turning her attention to
the young Master. "I hate to bring this up, but the time has come when we must a
ll face a simple, yet terrifying truth - the Jedi Order is dead."
"Not to disagree, Master Skywalker, but I'm feeling fine," Roan said deadpanned.
"Nearly twenty years, Master Shryne," Buffy said calmly. "For nearly twenty year
s, Palpatine connived and schemed and maneuvered himself into the most powerful
office in the galaxy and then proceeded to take it over. And he fooled us all."
Buffy pointed to Padmé, "He had the Trade Federation blockade his own planet and t
hen used the situation to have then Queen Amidala call for the no-confidence vot
e that put him into office."
She turned to point to Yoda next. "Master Yoda, how many meetings did you and Ma
ster Windu have with Palpatine in his office? For that matter," she turned to Ob
i-Wan, "how many meetings did you and Anakin have?" Finally, she turned to her b
rother. "And how many private meetings did you have with him?"
"Too many to count," he admitted after a moment of silence.
"Exactly!" Buffy exclaimed. "Almost all of the most powerful Jedi in the Galaxy
were around him at one point or another and yet all of them failed to sense what
he really was. The Jedi Order was so blinded by tradition and codes that we all
owed a Sith Lord to rise to the highest levels of our government. No attachments
," she spat out, almost contemptuously. "Let me tall you about attachments. I wa
s a Slayer once, one girl in a long line of girls who were taken by their Counci
l when they were babies, raised and trained by the Council, not allowed friends
or family, or boyfriends...and not one of them lived past 18. I fell through the
cracks of the Council; I had Xander and Giles and... Willow," she took a small
breath to compose herself. "I survived because of my attachments. Anakin resiste
d the call of the Dark Side because of his attachments.
"Things are going to change once we hit Earth. We'll discuss it more then, becau
se I think that right now we need to concentrate on getting everyone out of this
dimension and settling them on Earth. But once we get settled, we will be havin
g this conversation again. And I promise you this - the Code will be re-written,
the rules will be re-arranged and the Jedi Order will adapt to live in a new ce
ntury, instead of just living in the past as it has for the past millennia. Any
questions? No? Excellent."
Without giving the rest of the Masters time to argue, she turned to Yoda. "If th
e children have to remain behind, they need to be protected. More than that, we
have to keep them off of Palpatine's radar."
Pushing Buffy's outburst aside for the moment, Obi-Wan tried to concentrate on t
he question at hand. "It's possible that the Emperor has a way to search for Jed
i or Force-sensitive's I general. The best way to beat that would to make sure t
hat the children aren't trained - at least, not in the traditional sense."
"In my vision, I didn't see Leia as a Jedi - she seemed more like a political ac
tivist. I don't think she was trained at all," Padmé said, her sadness abated some
what at the knowledge that she would be able to see her children after all. "Luk
e though, he was using a lightsaber."
"Separated, they should be," Yoda advised. "Together, even dormant, the Force in
them Palpatine would sense."
"They shouldn't be strangers to one another," Anakin argued. Obi-Wan nodded.
"And I agree. But for their safety, they should live in separate places." He tur
ned to Padmé. "How would your family feel about taking in Leia? You said you see h
er as a political activist; on Naboo she could learn from the best."
"And I would be happy to sponsor her in the Senate, when the time comes," Bail a
dded, speaking up for the first time. "It could keep her background even further
shrouded from the Emperor."
"I would appreciate that very much, Bail," Padmé said warmly and then turned to Ob
i-Wan. "And I think my parents would be more than happy to help raise their gran
ddaughter."
"And I bet mom would be more than happy to take in Luke," Buffy said to Anakin.
The Jedi considered this.
"The idea has merit," he said, "But would Luke be safe on Tatooine?"
"I will look after him," Qui-Gon announced. Anakin looked to his would-be Master
, the shock evident on his face. Qui-Gon chuckled. "Are you that surprised I wou
ld volunteer? This life I find myself living is a gift. I can be of more use wat
ching over your son and passing on what knowledge I can."
"I would appreciate it very much, Master," Anakin said. Though disappointed he n
ever had Qui-Gon Jinn as his Master, the knowledge that his son would receive su
ch mentoring pleased him.
"So it is decided," Master Shryne said. "Anakin and Padmé will drop their children
off at their relatives, while the rest of us will prepare to depart this dimens
ion... that is very strange to say," Roan finished, a curious look on his face.
The other Masters couldn't help but agree.
"We have several cases of equipment packed up and ready for travel," Master Secu
ra said. "Lightsaber components, training tools, holocrons and such; and the Arc
hives are being correlated and packed as we speak. We should be ready to go in t
hree days."
"Should we attempt to send a message and alert your council to our imminent arri
val?" Obi-Wan asked Giles. The Watcher looked to Faith, then Xander, then Dawn i
n silent communication. After a moment, all four looked to the Jedi Master.
"Naah."
Buffy chuckled, though her mind was clearly elsewhere. Yoda nodded. "Then much t
o do we have. This meeting, adjourned it is."
Episode 3 Chapter 19
Dark Forces Conspire
====BtVS====
Sate Pestage was, by nature, a very ambitious man. It was his ambition that Empe
ror Palpatine admired and that had allowed him to become the new Emperor's most
trusted advisor. And in this position, he became the second most powerful man in
the galaxy, a position that sated his lust for power and ensured his absolute d
evotion to Palpatine. He had an office right across from the Emperor, his own pe
rsonal conveyance. Even the entire second-to-top floor of 500 Republica had been
converted into an executive suite, just for him; a gift from his master.
Not bad for only twenty years in politics, all things said.
Tonight though, he wasn't enjoying the grand view from his balcony. Instead, he
was walking with his Master, deep inside a lab Palpatine had set up years earlie
r.
"It is quite impressive, your Excellency," Sate said as he walked beside the Sit
h. Palpatine nodded, his scarred face partially obscured by the hood of his cloa
k.
"It is, isn't it?" he replied idly. "My most important projects are kept here. M
y visions of the future - and the instruments I will use to implement it."
"If I may ask then, My Lord, why did you not keep the clone of Jinn here?"
Palpatine sneered and then stopped before a sealed door. "For a very simple reas
on, my friend - I did not want him to cross paths with my other clone." Palpatin
e gestured at the door and it opened, revealing a brand new Spaarti cloning cyli
nder with what appeared to be a fully-grown, middle-aged man contained inside. S
ate openly gaped at the figure before him.
"Jorus C'baoth!" he exclaimed.
"Yes. The great Jedi Master himself," Palpatine replied. "He was killed, along w
ith every other living being when Captain Thrawn destroyed Outbound Flight nearl
y ten years ago. Now, he has been remade and shall serve me as the new Darth Vad
er."
"But he was a Jedi Master..."
"As was Count Dooku," Palpatine rebuked. "Besides, he was already well on his wa
y to becoming a Dark Lord of the Sith when he died. A few genetic modifications
and he will be fully subservient to me."
"Astounding, My Lord," Sate replied, inflecting just enough groveling into his v
oice to affect reverence, but not enough to seem like a beggar. A thought then s
uddenly occurred to him. "Thrawn... I recognize the name...you appointed him a c
ommision, a fleet captain, did you not? I was under the assumption that you did
not approve of his kind being appointed to such high positions?"
"Normally, I do not," Palpatine replied, stepping back into the hall with Sate a
nd gesturing towards the door, closing it once more, "but the young Captain has
proven himself to be an outstanding tactician. In fact, I am about to send him o
n an advance recon mission to the Unknown Regions. There is a threat out beyond
even them....far off, elusive, but I will be prepared when it comes. His mind wi
ll be critical to our victory, I believe."
"Very well, my Lord. Ah," he announced a moment later, "we have arrived."
The two stepped into a theater booth above a sterile operating room where below
a patient was being fitted with new cybernetic replacement limbs. "Nejaa Halcyon
. Jedi Master and apparent saber-dummy for the previous Darth Vader. According t
o the files, they shall finish installing the implants by the end of the day and
his recovery should take no longer than two weeks."
"Good, good," Palpatine said, then cast a sly look at his advisor. "You wonder w
hy I spared him, don't you. Why Nejaa Halcyon, a Jedi Master of little power and
now no longer whole?"
"It was known that Master Halcyon was an excellent duelist, my Lord. I had assum
ed that you wanted someone to train any future assassins in lightsaber combat. B
ut I am unsure how well he could accomplish that in his current state."
"Indeed, it should prove to be a challenge. However, I knew of his greatest weak
ness - his family on Corellia. A few insinuations from Darth Traya and his fall
was assured."
"Do you plan of killing his family anyway?"
"They are of no concern to me. Nejaa Halcyon shall not be setting foot on Corell
ia anymore and it is a very real possibility that they died during the siege," P
alpatine sighed. "No, my biggest concern right now is the whereabouts of Darth T
raya. I felt her diminish somewhat on Mustafar, then fade completely within the
last few hours."
"Is her loss that great, My Lord?"
"An apprentice can be replaced. But she had unique talents. Talents that I wante
d, but could never have. But most importantly, she knew things that, if they fel
l into the wrong hands, could prove... inconvenient to me," he paused, searching
the Force for an inkling of her whereabouts. He found none. "I am beginning to
believe that Darth Traya may be lost to us forever." Palpatine turned and left t
he theater, Sate close behind him. As they walked, Palpatine spoke. "Kamino will
be giving us two more shipments of Clones in the coming years. Once they are de
livered, I want Kamino wiped out. The whole planet."
"But what shall we do for troops, My Lord?" Sate asked. Palpatine smirked.
"I have already begun setting up cloning facilities of our own. Despite that, we
will need to set up a system for conscription. Begin issuing orders to build mo
re flight and command training centers on Coruscant, Kuat, Corellia, Duro, Comme
nor and Fondor. Also order the shipyards to begin drawing up plans for new warsh
ips. I want ships that will put our Venator-class ships to shame and snub fighte
rs to match. We will rebuild this clone army into a fighting force of such magni
tude and power that any an all aggressors shall tremble before it!"
"Very good, My Lord."
"And contact Moff Tarkin. Tell him I will be visiting the Maw Instillation withi
n the week. Ah, here we are."
The two had reached the end of the hall. In front of them was a wall of transpar
isteel, which showed the lab beyond. In that lab, surrounded by medical droids,
sat a single Spaarti cloning tube which contained a small fetus.
"My Lord, what is that?" Sate asked, eying the tube warily. The Sith smiled evil
ly.
"That, my friend, is the first of my Hands. She will be raised under my care, my
tutelage, raised to be the perfect spy, assassin, infiltrator....whatever I req
uire her to be. And her unique genetic breeding have ensured that, not only will
she wield the powers of the Force, but also the powers her 'mother' had as well
."
"Darth Traya," Sate reasoned. Palpatine nodded.
"I may not be able to wield her powers, but her offspring will. For my benefit."
The Sith smiled once more. "Yes, she will be the greatest of my Hands," he said
, staring at the tine from floating in the tank, "my sweet Mara Jade."
====BtVS====
Willow sat in her room on Polis Massa, idly flexing the fingers of her new artif
icial hand. It was fitting, she thought to herself, that Buffy and I are now eve
n. An eye for an eye, an arm for an arm. She shook her head to clear it and then
looked back out onto the star field.
Xander had made the case that since she was no longer Dearth Traya per se, then
she shouldn't be locked up in a windowless cell anymore. After a lot of yelling,
threatening and cajoling, Xander had come to escort Willow to her new quarters,
down the hall from where Dawn had been while unconscious. She didn't know why X
ander was making such a fuss, though. It's not like she deserved it...
"Dinner is served!" Xander announced jovially, entering the room with two covere
d trays. He set one down on the table next to the bed and kept the other as she
sat down on the bed next to Willow. He pulled off the lid and eagerly cut into w
hat appeared to be meatloaf. "Come on, Willow. You have to eat something to keep
up your strength."
Willow glanced over at Xander a she lifted the fork to his mouth. Before he swal
lowed, she asked casually. "What's for dinner, anyway?"
Xander paused for a moment and then shrugged. "No clue. Smells good, though," he
replied, stuffing a fork full of the meaty substance in to his mouth. He chewed
for a few moments and then stopped, grimacing as the powerful spices in the loa
f took hold. Sweat formed on his brown as he forced it down. "It's good!" he ras
ped out. "Real good. Now I need water..." He grabbed the cup and was about to do
wn the whole thing, when he suddenly stopped and eyed the drink warily. Willow c
ouldn't hold it back anymore; she laughed, a hearty laugh that she hadn't felt t
he urge to utter in nearly ten years.
"It's okay, Xander. It's just caf. Think coffee, without much of the bitterness.
The meat there is Corellian Spiceloaf. The Corellians don't like anything mild.
"
Xander nodded absently as he downed the caf. "Remind me to thank Buffy when she
gets back for her choice in food."
"She left?"
Xander nodded. "She left in her fighter, following Anakin and Padmé in the Falcon.
They've left to drop off the kids."
"So it has begun," Willow said, sadness creeping back into her voice. "My choice
s condemned millions to their death and now they will condemn two innocent child
ren from seeing their parents."
"It's not that bad," Xander said gently. "Dawn said that she and Fred were alrea
dy thinking of how to hasten the whole portal process. Dawn was thinking of some
kind of two-use self contained portal device."
"Magic and technology. Interesting mix," Willow said, finally uncovering her own
meal and digging in. She absently reached for the spice shaker on her tray and
sprinkling on a hefty amount. Xander looked at her incredulously.
"You've got to be kidding me." Willow smiled.
"Spend fifteen years here; you get used to spicy food."
The two ate in silence (after Xander procured a large pitcher of water), with Xa
nder sneaking glances at his friend on occasion. As they finished their meals, h
e turned to her. "So, how are you holding up now?"
Willow shrugged. "That old suicidal feeling comes and goes, but that's to be exp
ected. I'm dealing, but I doubt I'll be able to face any of them anytime soon."
"Willow..."
"Look, Xander," she said exasperatedly. "Padmé and her family took me in, treated
me like a daughter, a sister - and I betrayed them. Buffy was my best friend, th
e one I swore I would fight along side until the end and I had her family killed
. Anakin was never anything but nice to me and I overthrew his mind and used him
to kill his fellow Jedi and almost his former Master. I can't face them...not n
ow. Not so soon."
Reluctantly, Xander nodded. "But you know you'll have to talk to them sometime,
right?"
Willow nodded in reply but said nothing. After a few moments, Xander spoke up. "
So, how's the hand?"
Willow flexed the fingers once more. "Just like new. I was thinking how poetic i
t was when you came in...." she turned to her best friend. "Xander, there is som
ething I need you to do for me. Information I need you to pass on to Buffy."
"Why don't you tell her yourself?"
"Xander..."
"Alright, fine," Xander sighed, defeated. "What does she need to know?"
"I know about several of Palpatine's plans," Willow said finally, "plans that in
cluded Nejaa Halcyon and Jorus C'baoth and how he planned on turning them into h
is dark assassins. And plans for a giant super laser."
"A super laser?" Xander repeated dubiously. Willow nodded gravely.
"Yes, a super laser. One powerful enough to destroy an entire planet with a sing
le blast..."
====BtVS====
Episode 3 Chapter 20
Through the Looking Glass
====BtVS====
"Ani, got a minute?"
Anakin looked up from the forward mandible of the Millennium Falcon where he was
making repairs to see his sister (older sister, he corrected himself, rememberi
ng he now had a younger sister as well) leap up from the ground onto the mandibl
e beside him. Anakin put down the welder and removed his safety goggles to look
at Buffy.
"Sure. The repairs are almost finished anyways. We'll be ready to go in about an
hour."
"Good," Buffy replied. "The trip should take about a day, giving Olee enough tim
e to get everything situated for the move. I swear, she's like a younger Giles,
without all of the repressed anger." She paused for a moment to consider. "Thoug
h, I bet if we locked Giles in a room with Palpatine...."
"He'd be fried," Anakin reasoned. Buffy nodded.
"Probably true, but I bet he'd get a few licks in. Don't discount old Ripper."
Anakin chuckled and Buffy was heartened by it. It was good to see some of his go
od humor returning, especially after all he'd been through. "Look, before we dro
p off the kids I need you to follow me in the Falcon. I need to park the Prometh
eus someplace safe - I have a feeling I'll need it again in the future and I sur
e as hell can't take it with me."
"Of course, sis," Anakin replied. "Where will you be leaving it?"
And so it was a few hours later when two small ships reverted to real space insi
de the Yavin system. The ARC fighter Prometheus , followed by the YT-1300 freigh
ter Millennium Falcon, made way for the fourth planet of the system, just beyond
 it red giant sun.
"Falcon, this is Prometheus," Buffy said into her mike. "Follow me down to the p
lanet and land beside the temple. I'm going to take her into the temple itself a
nd park her inside."
"And you think it will still be there in twenty years?" Anakin replied. "And why
here?"
"Call it the will of the Force, Ani," Buffy replied, bringing her fighter down t
hrough the atmosphere. "As for it still being here - I've packed this ship with
generators, all hooked up to the cloaking device. Baby's got enough power to sta
y cloaked for fifty years."
The two ships put down in front of the largest temple on the surface. It was sea
led tight, but a gesture from Buffy and the Force opened the large doors on he g
round level. "Just sit tight, I'll be out in a few minutes."
And sure enough, after Buffy had secured the Prometheus deep inside the temple,
cloaked it and locked the doors behind which it was hidden, Buffy made her way o
ut of the temple. She absently closed the door as she entered the Falcon. She he
aded up to the cockpit, where Padmé and Dawn sat, both holding a tiny infant in th
eir arms. She moved to the co-pilots chair and relieved Qui-Gon, who moved to th
e hyperdrive computer and started plotting courses - one for Tatooine and one fo
r Naboo.
"Where to first, Captain?" she asked as the Falcon lifted off.
"Naboo," Anakin replied.
====BtVS====
Theed Province, Naboo.
====BtVS====
Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie lived a relative simple life; albeit one in comfort. Ho
wever, no comforts they had could assuage their grief when they had been told th
eir youngest daughter had died mere days ago. At first they had cried - they, al
ong with their oldest Sola. But soon the tears ran dry and all they had left was
the numbness of loss.
Imagine their surprise when Padmé showed up at their door, surrounded by three Jed
i, a young, dark haired girl and two tiny infants.
"Hi mom," Padmé said apprehensively. "Did we come at a bad time?"
====BtVS====
"They announced your deaths on the holonet," Jobal said, passing cups of tea to
everyone. "Said your ship was destroyed by some remaining rouge Separatists over
Mustafar. They also said that Maser's Kenobi and Skywalker were killed in actio
n."
"Well, for once, the rumors of our deaths have been greatly exaggerated," Buffy
said with a small smile. Padmé nodded.
"But it must not seem that it has," she added. "For the good of us all, especial
ly you, I must remain dead."
"But why?" Sola asked. "Why not just come home?"
"Because of what I am about to ask of you," Padmé replied sadly. She looked down t
o the tiny bundle she carried. "This is Leia, my daughter. And Anakin is holding
Luke, our son."
"Your son?" Ruwee exclaimed. Anakin nodded.
"We were married in secret a little over three years ago."
"We apologize for not telling you father; mother, but we couldn't. Marriage is f
orbidden to the Jedi and he was needed in the Order because of the war."
"And now our children are in danger," Anakin continued. "A Dark Lord of the Sith
has taken control of the government. He has hunted down the Jedi and killed the
m and he wants Padmé and I, as well as our children."
"Chancellor Palpatine!" Ruwee exclaimed. Padmé nodded.
"Yes, Palpatine," she replied. "He fooled all of us, even the Jedi. And now we w
ill suffer for it. That's why we need your help." She took a deep breath before
continuing. "I need you to take Leia."
"What?" Jobal breathed, looking at the infant.
"She needs to be kept somewhere safe; somewhere she will be loved and cared for.
I know you can do this. I'm begging you to do this."
Ruwee moved to kneel in font of her daughter and clasped her small hands in his.
"Padmé, you never needed to beg us to do this. Of course we'll take her. But why
can't you..."
"Where we are going, they can't follow," Padmé said sadly. "They need to be raised
here. Bail Organa has already promised me that he will check in from time to ti
me and sponsor her when the time comes for her to join the Senate."
"And Luke?" Jobal asked.
"Luke will go to my mother on Tatooine," Anakin said. "Qui-Gon Jinn will be watc
hing over him."
"And we'll be watching over these two," Buffy said, gesturing to the married cou
ple.
"And I promise that they'll be by to visit as often as it's safe," Dawn added.
Jobal nodded and then looked to her daughter. "Can you at least stay, for a litt
le while?"
Padmé looked to Anakin, who smiled and nodded.
"We can stay for a little while," she conceded.
====BtVS====
Lars' Moisture Farm, Tatooine
====BtVS====
The Millennium Falcon set down just outside the Lars' homestead, kicking up a la
rge cloud of dust in its wake. As the dust settled the ramp lowered and the smal
l group exited the ship as was greeted by Owen Lars.
"Anakin!" he called out, grasping the Jedi's hand and shaking it. "Welcome back.
We've been fearing the worst since the news hit the holonet."
"How's mom?" he asked Owen, heading towards the home.
"She felt a lot better when she saw that ship land. She knew it had to be you."
"Ani!" Shim cried, rushing out of the house as Anakin descended the stairs. Anak
in swept her up into his arms in a warm hug.
"We're okay, mom. We're okay." Shmi smiled and wiped away an unshed tear and the
n turned to Buffy. "Oh, Buffy," she exclaimed softly, enveloping the small Slaye
r in a hug of her own. Buffy smiled as she pulled away.
"Mom, there's someone I'd like you to meet," she said as she stepped back and gu
ided Dawn up to the front. "Dawn, this is Shmi Skywalker, the woman who took me
in like her own daughter. Mom, this is Dawn, my sister."
Awkwardly, Dawn moved forward and raised her hand in greeting. Shmi smiled broad
ly and stepped forward herself, enveloping the young girl in a warm hug. "Buffy'
s told me so much about you, Dawn. I know this must be incredibly awkward for yo
u..."
"Yeah, just a little bit."
"Well, I don't expect you to call me mom. I never asked Buffy to, either; but sh
e did anyways. Just know that I care about your sister, Dawn. And I care about y
ou, as well."
"Thanks. I'm glad she had somebody looking out for her here."
"Not to rain on this parade," Cliegg said, hobbling out on his new artificial le
g. "But to what do we owe the pleasure? And who's the little one?" he indicated
the infant in Padmé's arms.
"This is our son, Luke," Padmé announced. "And we have a very large favor to ask..
.."
====BtVS====
"The Jedi are on the brink or extinction," Qui-Gon explained as the group sat ar
ound the kitchen table. "The Emperor's purge has nearly wiped us all out. The su
rvivors are preparing to leave for a safe haven of sorts, but unfortunately ther
e are two who cannot make that journey. Luke here is one of them."
"They need to be raised here, Shmi," Padmé said with unshed tears in her eyes. "Bu
t with Palpatine looking for us, Anakin and I have to leave. As much as it pains
me, we have to leave them behind."
"But what about your daughter... Leia was it?" Beru asked. "Where is she?"
"She's with my parents."
"For their safety, they needed to be kept separate," Qui-Gon continued. "Not per
manently - the Naberrie's have already told us that they will bring Leia by at l
east a few days a month and will arrange for you to come to Naboo. But they cann
ot live together for an extended period of time. The Force is too strong with th
em."
"Then what about his training?" Shmi asked.
"Luke will receive no training, until the time is right," Qui-Gon said sadly. "I
n the meantime, I will remain close by to watch over and protect him, as well as
protect all of you."
"And we'll visit when we can, mom," Anakin added. "It won't be often enough, but
it will be something..."
"And you're sure this is the only way?"
"We are," Padmé sighed. "Lords how I wish it wasn't."
"Then it's settled. We will gladly take Luke in," Owen said without hesitation a
nd then looked right at Luke. "And we will make sure he knows how much his paren
ts love him and how much they sacrificed for him."
Anakin smiled and grasped Owen's hand. "Thank you, Owen. I know you'll take good
care of our son."
"We give your our word, Ani," Shmi said, placing an arm around her son. "He will
be loved here."
====BtVS====
A few hours later the Millennium Falcon took off from Tatooine two passengers li
ghter. Qui-Gon had assured Anakin and Buffy that he would acquire a small homest
ead somewhere in the Jundland Wastes and that he would watch over Luke until it
was time for him to begin his training. Still, it was hard for them to leave the
old Jedi behind so soon after finding him again. Anakin briefly thoughgt over t
heir final farewell, where he had given the Jedi Knight his lightsaber to pass o
nto his son when the time was right; then tried to keep his mind occupied by tak
ing the stick and flying the group back to Polis Massa, while Buffy busied herse
lf in the engine room.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Dawn asked as she walked into the compartment. Buffy
sighed and set down her hydrospanner.
"Just wishing there was some other way for this to play out. I hate leaving the
twins behind, even if they will be with family. And Master Qui-Gon...he was the
one to rescue us from Tatooine. If it hadn't' been for him, Ani and I probably w
ould have spent out lives as slaves. We probably would have been separated event
ually. I just wish he could have come with us..."
"Don't use the 'W' word," Dawn said absently, looking around the cramped engine
compartment. "And besides, Qui-Gon wanted to stay. On Tatooine, he can watch ove
r Luke and prepare him for the future ahead."
"I know," Buffy looked sideways at her sister. "And you? How are you holding up?
"
"Okay, I guess. It's just..." Dawn took a breath as she struggled to explain her
feelings. "It's only been a little over three years for me since mom died. I kn
ow you had more time and harder circumstances. And I know Shmi took care of you
and all and I'm grateful for that, but..."
"But you just can't think of her as 'Mom'," Buffy finished and Dawn nodded. "Daw
n, you don't have to. In a lot of ways Shmi reminded me of our mom, so I didn't
have too much trouble calling her that. But like she said, she doesn't expect th
at of you. Just know that if you ever need to talk to someone while we're here,
she'll be there for you. Okay?"
"Alright," Dawn agreed and then chuckled. "It seems like my family just keeps gr
owing, you know."
"It's a good feeling, isn't it?"
"Little bit."
====BtVS====
Polis Massa
====BtVS====
"How's everything going, Starstone?" Master Shryne asked, glancing around at the
assembled crates. The young Padawan looked up from her list and gave the Master
a light smiled.
"Everything's packed and ready to go. Clothes, training material, lightsaber com
ponents, the archives... everything. Nearly a hundred cases."
Roan nodded absently. "How will we transport them?"
"By hand. According to both Faith and Mr. Giles, travel via a portal can sometim
es be rough. No one, save you Masters, may have enough control to move the crate
s with the Force. So we'll give a crate every Padawan, Knight or Youngling that
can carry one. Once we're on the other side, we can move them with ease to where
ver we are staying."
"Very good, Padawan. You've done a good job organizing all of this."
Olee smiled meekly. "Thank you, Master. I've had help..."
"Yes, you have," Roan agreed. "But still, the amount of work you have pulled off
by yourself is admirable. You will make a great Jedi Knight, Olee. Never doubt
that."
"Thank you, Master."
"Now, we best gather everybody in the main hall," Roan said. "It's almost time t
o leave."
====BtVS====
"Is everything alright, Master Skywalker?"
"I just hate to let the girl go."
Buffy stood with Bail Organa in the main hanger of the Polis Massa complex, look
ing lovingly on the Millennium Falcon one last time. Knowing how recognizable th
e ship had become and how if it remained here and was found, the Empire would br
ing their wrath down upon the citizens of the asteroid, it had been decided by B
uffy that the ship should be sold to new owners; a task that Bail had agreed to
carry out.
"The buyer owns a small shipping company," Bail told the Jedi. "He acquires ship
s all of the time, especially derelicts. If the Empire stops him in it, he can s
ay he recovered it from deep space and was salvaging it. That would also give An
akin a nice cover of a falsified death to turn the Emperor's attention away from
him."
Buffy nodded. "Who's the buyer, anyways? Anybody I'm familiar with?"
"Probably not. He's a small-time operator - Soro Calrissian. He runs his shippin
g company with his son, Lando."
Buffy nodded absently, still looking at the Falcon. "I hope he takes good care o
f her. Listen, Senator..."
"Call me Bail."
"Alright, Bail...I just want to thank you...for everything. And I know Padmé and A
nakin appreciate it as well."
"It is an honor, Buffy," Bail replied. "And anytime you need anything, just let
me know."
"Actually, there is one more thing."
"Name it."
"Artoo and Threepio. We can't really bring them with us, as we don't have the me
ans to care for droids on Earth, nor do we really need them. I'd like you to tak
e them."
Bail nodded. "Very well. I promise to take good care of them. Now if you'll excu
se me, I'm going to go say goodbye to Padmé."
Buffy nodded and the statesman exited the hanger. Buffy took one more look at th
e Falcon, her hand settling on the hull as she smiled sadly.
"Goodbye, Jacen," she whispered and then turned her back on the Falcon and left.
====BtVS====
A short time later, Buffy stood outside the main area of the complex while the l
ast of the Jedi marched in. Buffy spied Xander moving towards her and smiled.
"Xander. Everything set?"
"Yup. Giles is getting read to work his mojo and Dawn's got the GDO. Listen, Buf
fy - about Willow..."
"What about her?" the Jedi asked indifferently, causing Xander to sigh.
"She's a wreck right now. I know you have your problems with her right now, but
when we cross over, I need you to keep Tara away from her."
"Why?"
"Because she's a wreck!" he exclaimed. "She barely talks to me right now; she ca
n't handle seeing Tara."
"Well Xander that may be a bit difficult, seeing as we are going back to Earth a
nd all..."
"Dawn and Giles set aside rooms for both of you," Xander replied. "I'm just aski
ng you to head her off while I get her to her room."
Buffy thought for a few moments before nodding. "All right. But make sure she kn
ows she will have to speak with her eventually."
"I will. It wouldn't hurt if you talked to her, you know," Xander added, then fl
inched slightly at the cold look Buffy gave him. Finally Buffy couldn't hold it
any longer and sighed.
"Someday. Not anytime soon, but someday...I need time too, you know." She looked
into the hall and saw that everyone had gathered. Everyone that was left. "You'
d better go get her. We'll be leaving shortly."
Xander nodded and hurried back down the hall towards Willow's room, while Buffy
turned and walked into the hall. As she entered, Faith came running up to her.
"Hey, B. Giles is almost ready to go."
"Good. The sooner we're out of here the safer I'd feel."
"Yeah, look..." Faith said as she started walking with Buffy to the head of the
room. "There's something you should know before we get back to Earth."
"Good timing."
"Funny. It's about the other Slayers." Buffy turned a questioning look on her si
ster Slayer, who sighed. "Look, you may have been gone for a while, but you're..
.well, you're kind of a legend."
Buffy looked at Faith, emotionless. "A legend."
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because you were the longest living Slayer on record, a mark that has been grea
tly extended thanks to your stay here. Because you broke every rule and law the
Council laid down for you and then spit in their faces by quitting them. Because
you broke all conventions, formed a team and took down some of the most feared
Big Bads the Council had - the Master, Angelus, you beat Spike and Drusilla seve
ral times; you beat a government-created Frankenstein, a Hellgod and forty-foot
ascended snake demon and yes, a rogue Slayer turned homicidal maniac. You're lik
e a rock star to them, Buffy."
"But they're your girls, Faith. No," she held up a hand to still the other girl'
s arguments, "your thoughts betray you, Faith. I haven't been a Slayer for fifte
en years and I doubt I'll take up that mantel again unless I'm needed for a patr
ol or two. Faith, listen to me - not many could walk the dark path and come back
from it. But you did and you are stronger for it. The Slayers can look up to me
all they want; but I look up to you. And I'll let them know that they couldn't
have a better teacher than you." With one last smile, Buffy turned to head to th
e front of the room, pretending not to notice Faith as she wiped away a few erra
nt tears.
Buffy moved to teh head of the room and stood in front of the small assemblage,
the remains of the mighty Jedi Order. Six Masters, 18 Knights, 24 Padawans and 3
2 Younglings. Conspicuous in his absence was Master Yoda, who had left already t
o make his home on the far off planet of Dagobah.
"Everybody, your attention please," she said at length and the hall fell instant
ly silent save for the quiet chanting of Giles. "Everybody here knows the score.
Everybody knows what we are being forced to do. We are fleeing the Re-the EMPIR
E, I'm sorry, and settling in a place where the Emperor's forces cannot touch us
. You all know this, but most of you don't know where we will be going or how we
will get there."
Giles finished chanting and with a loud woosh, a large, bright cloud of floating
white energy formed behind Buffy. Dawn aimed her GDO at it and activated the de
vice and instantly the portal changed to a purple and white cloud of swirling en
ergy. Buffy jerked her thumb at the portal, paying no heed to the astonished loo
ks of all of the Jedi.
"We will be walking though that. It's a portal that will take us to my home dime
nsion, to a planet called Earth. Now, I have to warn you - Earth is a primitive
planet. All of the comforts and luxuries you have become accustomed to - most, i
f not all, do not exist there. There are no hovercars. No space flight. No hyper
drives. We live, breath, eat and sleep planet-side. Above all of that, Earth had
had no contact with alien species. So until we can discover a secure method of
disguising you, all of us will be remaining at our destination.
"Where is our destination, you are asking. We will be staying at the Watcher's C
ouncil, my alma mater, with the Slayers whose lineage I share. Once there and on
ce we are settled, we will begin the task of rebuilding our Order and training a
ll of you. Make no mistake - everything is about to change. Everything," she emp
hasized, looking directly at the Masters. "But that is a discussion for another
time. For now, everybody grab a case and prepare yourselves - travel through a p
ortal can be disconcerting."
"Giles and I will be going first," Dawn announced, "so we can tell any Slayers g
uarding the embarkation room to stand down. Buffy will then send though the rest
of you and Faith and Xander will bring up the rear. Any questions?"
Zett raised his hand and Dawn nodded at the young Knight. "Are we there yet?"
Dawn shot the boy a sour glance, which she then turned on her sister. "I blame t
hat on your influence, Buffy."
Buffy smiled and then hefted a crate. "And you're right to do so. Now, everybody
grab their stuff - it's time to step through the looking glass."
====BtVS====
"What do you mean, seal the room!" Spike roared. "They've only been gone a few h
ours!"
The embarkation room was in bedlam, pure and simple. Inside the room were severa
l Slayers, along with Angel, Fred, Wesley, and Cordy. Tara and Kennedy stood off
to the side with Andrew and Jonathan. And in the doorway stood Lord Nigel Ambro
se-Bellairs, the head of the Watcher's Council, who was determined to be rid of
his 'problem children', by any means necessary.
It had been a risky move on his part, backing that idiot child Summers' plan to
open a portal into another dimension in some vain attempt to find her long-dead
sister. But the containment system the Burkle woman had designed had been brilli
ant and to make things even better, Dawn had taken almost everyone that had stoo
d in his way of rebuilding the Council into the glorious organization it had bee
n once. And to make things even better, he could use the same shielding technolo
gy to keep them out.
If only these damn people would leave...
"Now you listen here, vampire," he sneered, showing no fear in the face of one o
f the most ruthless vampires in two hundred years, soul or not. "If they had fou
nd them, they would have brought them back already. That they haven't tells me t
hat they have been compromised. Now, I will not have some hell-beast open a port
al and waltz right into my Council-" he was cut off as a bright purpled cloud of
energy suddenly flashed into existence.
Before Sir Nigel could say anything more, Dawn leapt through, followed closely b
y Giles. Both looked around in confusion, obviously not expecting such a large c
rowd.
"Uh, hi!' Dawn waved. "Don't shoot! We got refugees coming through!"
"You have WHAT!" Sir Nigel exploded. Giles looked at the man with narrowed eyes
and then looked at Spike, who still stood uncomfortably close to the man.
"Spike, what's going on?"
"Your esteemed leader decided to seal the room. Fortunately, we wouldn't let him
."
"Define seal the room."
"He wanted to make sure you couldn't get back, Rupert," Angel said, staring dagg
ers at the head of the Council. Giles considered this for a moment and then haul
ed off and slugged Sir Nigel, sending him crashing to the floor just as Master S
hryne came through. He looked to Giles, then to the man on the floor and finally
back up to Giles.
"Has the party started without us?" he asked casually, setting down his crate an
d directing the arriving Youngling to a far corner of the room. He warily kept h
is senses on the few Slayers in the room, all who had visibly stiffened as the c
hildren started coming though. He wasn't the only one to notice and Dawn started
moving between the Slayers, calmly telling them to take it easy and that the ki
ds weren't a threat. Roan was amused to see that a few times Dawn had inadverten
tly put the Force behind the suggestion and made a mental note to inform Buffy o
f how powerful she seemed to be.
There was silence as the Jedi poured through the gateway, each carrying a contai
ner, until finally a figure stepped through. Her arms were crossed in front of h
er, hands concealed in the selves of her robes and the hood was up to partially
conceal her face. She turned back to the portal, just in time to see Anakin tumb
le through, his arm wrapped protectively around Padmé.
"Dawn," the figure said, "could you show Anakin and Padmé to my room, please? Padmé
could probably do with some sleep."
"No problem, Buffy," Dawn replied, causing the crowd to gasp as they finally rea
lized who the hooded figure was. Padmé nodded in gratitude as Dawn led the two out
of the room. Buffy the gathered her courage and then drew her hood back and tur
ned to face the crowd.
She was both elated and saddened to see so many familiar faces. Elated to see th
em alive and well, but saddened in how much she had changed and how little they
would truly know her anymore. Her eyes found Angel's handsome face and for the f
irst time she could look at him without any of the usual feelings stirring in he
r heart. With a start, she realized that there was nothing for her there anymore
. Any love she had felt had presumably died with Jacen. Her eyes passed over sev
eral unfamiliar faces before finally settling on Tara's familiar blonde head. Th
e witch smiled and then gasped as Buffy felt the ripple in the Force she had bee
n waiting for. Without hesitation she headed off the witch, who had been rushing
to the newly-arrived Willow.
"Tara, wait..." she asked, stopping Tara before she got halfway. She could hear
Willow whimpering behind her and Xander quickly escorted her out.
"Willow!" Tara cried out, trying to get around Buffy. The Jedi wouldn't let her.
"Buffy, what..."
"Tara, I need you to listen to me," she explained calmly, laying her hand gently
on Tara's shoulder. "Willow has been through a lot. More than you can possibly
know and she's in no condition to see anybody. Give me some time to get my stude
nts settled and then I promise I'll tell you everything. Okay?"
Tara wanted to argue, but felt the truth behind Buffy's words. "Alright," Tara r
elented. "But make it soon, Buffy. I want to know what happened."
Buffy shook her head sadly. "No, Tara. You really don't."
Faith finally leapt through the portal, which snapped closed behind her. "That's
everybody - why is Sir Nigel on the floor?"
They all turned to face the head of the Council, who finally staggered to his fe
et. Spike grinned at Faith.
"Mainly because dickless here wanted to seal the room and strand you in whatever
hell dimension you were in."
Silence reigned in the room and Buffy turned to Sir Nigel. "Is this true?" she a
sked quietly.
"Yes, it's true," Faith replied. "This man has no dick."
"Why you insolent little-" he started, but came up short as she came face to fac
e with Buffy.
"You would seal your own people in another dimension, simply because they don't
agree with your policies?" she asked sadly, shaking her head. "I see now how lit
tle this Council has changed in my absence."
"Now you see here! I don't know what all of these...things...are, but they-"
"These 'things' are my students. My responsibility," she said calmly, then subtl
y waved her hand in front of his face. "We were told you would gladly allow us t
o stay here."
"Of course we'll allow you to stay here," Sir Nigel replied at once.
"And you won't mind if we stay awhile," Buffy continued, waving her hand again.
""No, I don't mind at all."
"And I doubt that you will ever have to bother with us. In fact, I believe that
Giles could easily handle our dealings with the Council."
"No, I'll leave your dealings with the council to Giles."
"Good night, Sir Nigel."
"Good night," the elder Watcher replied before turning and walking out of the ro
om, leaving a group of composed Jedi and awestruck Slayers behind. Buffy turned
to face them and smirked.
Faith laughed outright. "Goddamn, B! Can you teach me how to do that?"
Buffy shook her head. "Sadly, no." she replied and then moved over to Angel. "He
llo, Angel," she said warmly, pulling the vampire into a hug. She was surprised
and a bit relieved that the hug was purely platonic on his end, too. A flash of
annoyance from next to him gave her all of the answers she needed and she pulled
away.
"It's been a while," Angel observed, taking in her aged appearance. Buffy nodded
.
"It certainly has." She turned to the tall brunette next to him. "And hello, Cor
delia. It's good to see you again. How long have you and Angel been together?"
Cordelia blinked in surprise. "Uh, just over a year now. You're not..."
"I'm not," the Jedi assured her, pulling the seer into a hug as well. "I'm happy
for you. Both of you."
The two chuckled and Buffy turned to the other brunette. "And you must be Fred.
I'm told you've had ideas how to make the portal process a little easier?"
"Uh, yeah!" Fred said. "I have some ideas. I just need to draw up the plans. And
make them, of course, Just need to get Dawn's input and in a few weeks, I could
have something for ya, if you want."
Buffy smiled warmly. "I do. It's not imperative, but it will be necessary." She
moved on, and blinked in surprise. "Wesley? Damn, you got hot!" she exclaimed gl
ibly, causing the slightly scruffy looking Watcher to blush slightly. Buffy chuc
kled at his discomfort and then pulled him into a hug. "It's good to see you, We
sley. Dawn's told me how much you've helped out around here."
"It was nothing," Wesley said. Buffy smiled and then turned to the door where th
e one last person she knew stood.
"Hello, Spike."
"Buffy."
Buffy strode up to the vampire and pulled him into a hug. She stood on her toes
to whisper in his ear." Thank you, Spike. For looking out for her. For everythin
g you did for her."
Spike pulled back, a small smile on his face. "I did what I had to, luv. And I'd
do it again."
Buffy smiled and then moved to the center of the room. "You all know who I am,"
she started, looking to the Slayers. "In time, I will get to know who you all ar
e. But please, be aware of this - the people who have come back with me are my s
tudents. It is my job and the job of my fellow Masters, to train them. That bein
g said, while I won't have much time for Slaying, I will gladly fight along side
any one of you."
With that, she turned to her old Watcher. "Giles, if you could show us to our ne
w quarters, I would appreciate it. Students, gather our belongings. For the next
few years, this will be our home. In the next few days, my fellow Masters and I
will have a plan of action, but for now, let us rest. And may the Force be with
us all."
Under the direction of Faith the Slayers moved out and back to their dorms. Kenn
edy led Tara back to their room, promising her she'd talk to Buffy herself to ge
t some answers. And Giles led the group of eighty Jedi out of the embarkation ro
om to their new home in the Council's unfinished Travers' wing.
Quite appropriate, Buffy thought, that the safe haven I'm taking these children
to is named after the same man who made my life hell when I was a Slayer. Those
thoughts were pushed out of her head by other, more pressing concerns, as she pl
aned out in her mind the changes that she would bring to the Council during thei
r exile.
And may the Force be with me in this, as well...
Finite
====BtVS====
To be continued in Star Wars Episode 4: Hope Reborn
A/N: I seriously considered holding off this update until July 7th- the one year
aniversary of the birth of this story. But who am I to deny my readers? My than
ks to my two wonderful beta's Winterd and Fallenstar2, and special thanks to all
of you, for sticking with this story for so long. I'm already hard at work on E
pisode 4, but don't expect it for about a month- I wan't to get a lot written be
fore hand before I start to post.
====BtVS====
Episode 4 Prologue:
In Exile: Year One
====BtVS====
The first year of their exile was undoubtedly the hardest.
Giles had set the Jedi up in the Travers Wing, a brand new building on the groun
ds whose construction Xander had been in charge of. It was originally meant to b
e a new dormitory/training facility for the hundreds of Slayers that had started
popping up all over the world and was thus perfect for housing the resurgent Je
di Order. So the first week on Earth, the Jedi (along with some shanghaied Slaye
rs) put the new dorm in order - laying out the training rooms, setting up the pe
rsonal quarters and such. There was an outdoor courtyard area situated in the ce
nter of the building the Buffy felt would be a perfect place for a new room of a
thousand fountains, which Xander gleefully went to work designing.
While they were getting situated, all lessons were put on hold. It was as much f
or getting used to their new surroundings as it was for the Masters to convene t
o hammer out a new code.
"You all know my opinions," Buffy said at that first meeting. "Discuss."
"I think Master Skywalker is right," Roan Shryne said almost at once. "I know my
record with the Order has been anything but spotless, but Buffy does have a poi
nt. We allowed a Sith Lord to obtain total control over our galaxy. If that does
n't say we need to adapt, what does?"
"I concur as well," Aayla Secura seconded.
"You would throw away our oldest traditions, then?" Teryl Sibwarra asked. The Tw
i'lek master shook her head, but was cut off by Master Chatak before she could s
peak.
"She doesn't want to throw them away, Master Sibwarra. Indeed, we should endeavo
r to hold our ideals close to us. But that is not to say we should not grow beyo
nd the limitations placed on us by them. Anakin Skywalker would very well have t
urned to the Dark Side had it not been for his attachments to his sister and his
wife. Are you saying we should have denied him that?"
"Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Master Chatak," Ydra Kilwallen observed. "From what
Buffy has told us, it was Willow's attachment to her girlfriend that drove her
to the Sith."
"Something that could have been prevented if she had been taken in by the Order
and properly trained," Buffy shot back. "But you are right. What I'm saying is t
hat while we shouldn't discourage or prohibit romantic or platonic attachments,
we should teach caution and try to show our students how to control their feelin
gs... and not let their feelings control them."
Teryl sighed and then nodded. "That would seem to be a reasonable compromise."
"And if they fail?" Ydra asked archly. This time Buffy sighed.
"Then we help them. That's why we are here, after all."
"There is one more thing we need to discuss," Roan said, "the age limit."
"If this has to do with Dawn..."
"No, surprisingly it doesn't," the Master replied. "When we return, we will be f
aced with the challenge of rebuilding the Order there. When we do that, we have
to face the fact that many Force sensitives we find will be much older than we w
ould like."
"Then I propose we consider Dawn a test," Chatak said. "Buffy was already and ad
ult, but a trained warrior. Anakin was a small boy. Dawn is in the middle of the
two ages and while she has some training, she is nowhere near her sister's leve
l. Let us see how her training progresses, then we shall see if there needs to b
e an age limit or not."
"Then it is decided," Roan said, rising from his chair. "May the Force be with u
s."
====BtVS====
Buffy made her way into the main building of the Watcher's Council that currentl
y housed both the Slayers and Watchers in rather close quarters. Buffy remembere
d talking to Faith when they had settled down at Polis Massa, where the Slayer h
ad told Buffy of everything that had transpired since her departure. She remembe
red Faith telling her that, when the Scoobies had arrived, the Slayers were bein
g housed in the servant's quarters under the building (and being treated like se
rvants, to boot). That had been changed for the most part before the Jedi had ar
rived, though a lot of Slayers were still being housed in the lower levels until
Xander could complete the second new wing. But a lot of the Slayers and most of
the Watchers were housed in the many rooms that adorned the old manor house the
Council had taken over, which was where Buffy was headed now.
She made her way up the staircase and across the hall that overlooked the grand
foyer. She passed the room that had been designated hers and that she in turn ha
d passed on to Anakin and Padmé and walked past it, taking a left at the end of th
e hall and walking down towards the Slayer's temporary quarters. As she approach
ed Dawn's room, she heard someone singing. Puzzled, she moved to her sister's op
en door and saw Dawn sorting though several boxes, dancing in place as she sang
out the song she was listening to on her walkman.
"Hey now you're an all star get your game on, go play
Hey now you're a rock star get the show on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold..."
Buffy watched with an amused smile as her sister danced around the room, oblivio
us to her presence.
"She's happy, now," a voice said. Buffy turned as saw a young girl with short re
d hair lying on a bed in the room across from Dawn's. Buffy recognized her as Vi
, one of the Slayer's Dawn had taken on. "She didn't used to be like this. She w
as always so serious, so...focused. She spent all of her free time looking for y
ou and Willow. Now, she can just be herself."
Buffy paused to consider this while Dawn sung on.
"It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
You're bundled up now but wait 'til you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture..."
"She doesn't want to be a Watcher, I think."
Buffy spun and faced Vi, a surprised look on her face. "Really? When we talked,
it seemed as if she enjoyed the job."
"She enjoys working with the girls, myself included, I hope," Vi responded glibl
y. "But she doesn't like sitting on the sidelines, writing reports. She doesn't
like watching her Slayers get beat up. I think she mainly does it to make sure w
e get treated fairly. And to metaphorically spit in the face of Sir Nigel."
Buffy chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Thanks for the info, Vi."
""No problem. Nice to talk to you, Buffy," Vi replied, digging into her book onc
e more. Buffy smiled and then turned back to Dawn's room. Subtly she reached out
with the Force and shut off the walkman. Dawn stopped singing suddenly and look
ed down at the Walkman, then spun around when she caught Buffy out of the corner
of her eye.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Hey, Buffy!"
"Whatcha up to?"
"Just looking for some of my old notes on portal theory," Dawn said, turning bac
k to the boxes in front of her. "Fred wanted to look them over for the portable
portal." She shook her head. "We have got to come up with a better name for that
." Grunting in triumph, she pulled out the notebook in question and then turned
back to her sister. "So, what's up?"
"I wanted to talk to you about your training, actually. I realized I said that I
was going to train you, but I never actually asked if you wanted to be trained.
 So I-"
"I do."
Buffy blinked. "You're sure? This won't be a walk in the park, Dawn. There're a
lot of things you're going to have to learn all over again."
"Buffy, over the past few days, I've noticed a disturbing trend of Slayers doing
exactly what I say," Dawn replied patiently. "And I mean that - exactly what I
say. I'm influencing them like you influenced Sir Nigel and I don't like it. I d
on't like inadvertently taking away these girls' free will. That's just too simi
lar to what the old Council used to do. So I want to be trained. Teach me how to
control this. Please."
Buffy smiled and ruffled her sister's hair. "Of course, you know that means this
all has to go."
"Don't remind me."
And so it came to be that Dawn officially became Buffy's Padawan learner. The fi
rst thing she did was to tender her resignation from the Watcher's Council to Gi
les, with the promise that she would always be on hand to lend a hand if needed.
The second thing she did was cut her hair.
====BtVS====
The first week was the hardest for Willow. She spent most of her time holed up i
n her room, which was more like an apartment; it consisted of a small living roo
m, a kitchenette off to one side and a bedroom with an enclosed bathroom. She ra
rely left the room, except for a few occasions in the dead of night to restock t
he kitchenette. She flat out refused to speak to anybody, especially Tara, and t
ook to locking the door and sealing it magically, ensuring that nothing living w
ould be able to get in.
So she wasn't really surprised to see Angel and Spike sitting in the living room
one night as she prepared to raid the kitchens.
"What's this? Mass-murderers anonymous?" she asked tiredly, bowing to the inevit
able and plopping down in the chair across from them.
"We were worried about you, Willow," Angel said gently.
"And not just us, luv. Tara, Xander, Dawn... everybody," Spike added. Willow jus
t snorted.
"Meanwhile, back in reality..." she crossed her arms and glared defiantly. "I wa
s a Dark Lady of the Sith, boys. I know that doesn't mean much to you, but belie
ve me - that means I was worse than the Master EVER was. I gave the orders that
occupied worlds, that wiped out entire races. It was my orders that killed Buffy
's child. Oh, yeah. She didn't mention it?" she said at their surprised looks. "
That's right, Buffy got engaged, had a child and lost them all because of my ord
ers. So forgive me for locking myself away; I'm just not aware of who would even
want to be around me for real."
"I would."
Willow leapt and spun to face the owner of the voice, gaping in shock as she fin
ally saw Tara standing in the darkened corner of the room. "How..."
"Did I get in, with all of your wards?" Tara finished. "You may be older than me
now, Willow, but I still have years of experience on you when it comes to magic
. I could have broken down your wards days ago."
"Then why didn't you?"
"Because I wanted to give you time. Because I need to digest what Buffy told me
about what you did... and I have. I think I understand now."
"Well, that makes one of us," Willow scoffed bitterly.
"Willow, dark magic changes a person," Tara explained calmly. "The real you gets
buried deep down inside your own mind, while the magic itself crafts a whole ne
w personality. Amy's mom, for example, was probably once a very loving, caring i
ndividual. It was only after years of being submerged in the darks arts that she
turned into the evil woman you and Buffy managed to vanquish."
"She's not lying, Willow," Angel said. "I've seen it many times over the centuri
es."
"I'm not naïve, Willow," Tara said. "I accept that, while what we had once was spe
cial, we'll never have it again. But that doesn't mean I down want to be your fr
iend, or that I don't want to help you."
Willow looked at the girl that had once held her heart, and that still did, to s
ome extent and finally began to realize that perhaps she wasn't alone. Sighing,
she sat down once more.
"How could you help me?"
"Well, I could teach you a thing or two about magic..."
And so over the next year, Willow and Tara reconnected. Not as lovers - they cou
ld never recapture what they had had for a few brief years; but as friends and c
olleagues. Tara made good on her promise on teaching Willow a thing or two about
magic, taking to instructing her several times a week. And she found solace and
comfort in her newfound friendships with both Angel and Spike, who could honest
ly say they knew exactly what she was going through; and in her friendship with
Xander, which had never wavered. In her free time, she rebuilt a friendship with
Giles, who had admitted to Willow that he had in fact held her back in Sunnydal
e and had told her he felt partially responsible for what had happened with her.
The only two relationships she couldn't seem to repair were her friendships to B
uffy and Padmé. For Buffy, she had at least come to an uneasy truce with the blond
e Jedi. Buffy was always cordial with her and never openly mean, but she remaine
d distant and never talked to her outside of work concerns. As for Padmé - Willow
had little hope in her heart that her sister would ever forgive her, a fact that
was reinforced every time Padmé left the room when Willow entered.
In that first year, Willow had started down the road to redemption. But it was a
long road and one she wasn't sure she could mange, even with her friends...
====BtVS====
They say no parent should ever bury their child. Likewise, no parent should ever
be forced to leave their child behind. This was the thought that tore through t
he minds of both Padmé and Anakin during the first few weeks of their exile.
Both found ways to ignore the pain, though they never forgot it. Padmé spent her t
ime setting up their new household, as well as working with Giles in establishin
g a steady relationship with the Watcher's Council. That alone called upon every
thing Padmé had ever learned about diplomacy and her meetings with Sir Nigel would
have, at times, put her many sessions of the Senate to shame.
Anakin, meanwhile, decided to use the time to meditate, as well as build a new l
ightsaber to replace the one he had given to Qui-Gon for Luke. Seeing as they ha
d limited supplies for lightsaber building, Anakin challenged himself to find mo
st of the supplies for the handle in the Council's storehouse and he lucked out
when he found an old Graflex camera light. Not the sturdiest thing for a lightsa
ber handle, but it would do in a flash, no pun intended.
After a few days, Anakin grew tired of meditation and for the first time wandere
d the halls of the new Council. He politely ignored the hungry looks and wolf-wh
istles that some of the more...rambunctious Slayers threw his way and made a men
tal note to ask Buffy to tell the Slayers that he was married. Wandering thought
he halls of the main building, he recognized Buffy's laughter coming from down
a side hallway and turned to go see her-
And was nearly bowled over by Dawn, sporting a new Padawan-style haircut.
"Don't say a word!" she growled at Anakin, who held his hands up in mock-defense
.
"I wouldn't dare. I had to wear that look myself once."
Dawn grunted in response and started moving back down the hall. "Come by the lab
later," she said over her shoulder. "Fred needs some readings for the portable
portal."
"I will!" he called out to her, then turned to see Buffy coming towards him, chu
ckling silently to herself. "Were you trying to antagonize her?"
Buffy looked mock-affronted at the suggestion. "Really, Ani! Would I do somethin
g like that?"
"Yes."
Buffy laughed out loud at that. "Yeah, well...I've got fifteen years of antagoni
zing to make up for. Glad to see you out and about."
"I was getting stir-crazy and I'm starting to realize I can't just sit around an
d wait for Fred to work out the portal technology. I need to start working with
the Younglings. Training with them, teaching them what I know..."
"That's a good idea," Buffy agreed. "I'm going to have my hands full with Dawn,
especially in these first few months. Maybe you can start with youngest? Go over
the basics and such. You can be the new Yoda - only taller and a little less gr
een."
After Anakin had agreed, he had made his way to Fred's lab. Originally set up as
another research room, the lab wasn't very big, and there was even less room th
anks to the several long tables filled with various pieces of equipment that, to
Anakin, look positively archaic.
"Sorry about the mess," Fred was saying, typing away furiously at her computer,
"I've been using this old research room while Xander was building me a new lab i
n the Travers wing. Which is going to work out great now, since I'll need to int
erface my computers with your databanks for the portals. Just have a seat over t
here and I'll get these scans done in a jiffy."
Anakin moved over to the corner of the room, where an uncomfortable looking easy
chair sat, surrounded by several sensors mounted on revolving arms. "What exact
ly will this do?" he asked, sitting down. Almost immediately the sensors started
moving around his body.
"The sensors collect biometric data. What I'll do is program the data into the d
evice, so when you open a portal it will lock onto a similar reading in the dime
nsion you're going to. Theoretically, your son will have more of you in him than
your daughter, so it should lock onto his biometric data and the same should wo
rk for Padmé and your daughter."
"That's rather ingenious," Anakin remarked. Though her face was still buried in
the screen, the Jedi could feel her smile.
"It's more refined than what we did to find Buffy, but still along the same line
s," she replied. "But once I get hooked into your database, Dawn had the idea th
at I could use your star charts to input coordinates into the portal itself, kin
d of like a navigation computer. Theoretically, we could then pre-program the po
rtals to open up to different planets in your dimension, though it would only wo
rk from Earth to a designated planet.Of course, it would takes months to program
and calculate each planet... there!" she exclaimed as the sensor stopped moving
and fell silent. "All finished. Give me a few weeks and hopefully I'll be able
to build you your very own portal opener."
"Thank you, Fred," Anakin said warmly. "You have no idea how much this means to
Padmé and I."
"Hey, it's not problem!" the young physicist replied. "Nothing I like more than
a challenge!"
As it turned out, they didn't have to wait long. Fred had a rudimentary Portable
Portal Generator (which she in turned called a PPG) ready to go by the end of t
he month. Anakin and Padmé took the opportunity to visit Luke and the family on Ta
tooine for a few days, before returning and leaving for Naboo. The twins were al
ready crawling, but they both seemed to recognize their parents when they arrive
d, a fact that they were both extremely happy about. Unfortunately they had to k
eep their visits short and spaced out, so before they knew it the twins were wal
king, then speaking, then running around. Every time they returned, they were sa
ddened just a little bit by how much of their children's childhoods they were mi
ssing, yet glad that they were able to see any of it at all.
And thus that first year passed, with everybody adjusting to their new situation
, new alliances being made and rules being set down. But it wasn't until their s
econd year on Earth that things really started heating up for both Councils...
TBC
Episode 4 Chapter 2
In Exile: Year 2
====BtVS====
The second year of the Jedi exiled dawned with, well... a scream.
It was quite by accident. Really. Master Shryne would attest to that fact for ye
ars to come. He had merely sent the young Knight Zett Jukassa to fetch Dawn to h
elp with some routine translations. He had helpfully suggested that he start loo
king for her in her room.
And he had accidentally forgotten to mention she just finished another marathon
training day and may be in the shower when he got there.
At Master Shryne's behest, Zett made his way down the corridors of the Watcher's
Council towards Dawn's room. As it had wanted to do recently, his mind wandered
to the changes wrought in his life over the past few years. A product of the 'o
ld teachings', as some had come to call them, Zett was very much a model of what
the older Masters like Mace Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi had expected in their Jedi -
unwaveringly dedicated to the Order, dedicated to preserving life, upholding tr
uth, justice and whatnot. It was the whatnot that made him think these days, as
he found himself surprisingly willing to follow the new Code that the Council ha
d laid down not a year ago. In some ways, it was liberating - he had always harb
ored the desire to let his emotions go at times, to fall in love... feelings tha
t had only intensified as he watched a certain brown-haired, silver eyed Padawan
being put through her paces over the past year by Master Skywalker.
As he came to her room, he quickly quashed those emotions as he had done for yea
rs before and knocked on the door. After a few moment he heard a muffled voice s
ay 'Come in!', so he opened the door and stepped inside-
To come face to face with a very wet, very naked Dawn Summers.
"Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Oh my...."
Zett whipped around quickly, even as Dawn used the Force to summon a towel from
the bathroom.
"What the FUCK do you think you're doing! Barging in here -"
"You said 'come in'!"
"I said 'coming'!" Dawn growled, securing the towel around her body. "Now what d
o you want?"
"Master Shryne asked me to come get you for some translations," Zett said. Then,
before he could stop himself, he added, "If it makes you feel better, you looke
d really, really good."
Dawn's eyes narrowed and she violently reached out to the force, shoving Zett ou
t of the room and into the adjoining wall. Another nudge from the Force slammed
her door shut. Gingerly he rubbed his chest and then turned back to the now clos
ed door.
"Anger leads to the Dark Side, Dawn!"
"Beat it, before I shove your lightsaber up your ass, Zett!"
====BtVS====
"Roan, what the hell are you playing at?"
Roan Shryne looked up form the book he had borrowed from Dawn and looked at his
fellow Jedi Master impassively. "To what are you referring, Master Skywalker?"
Buffy stood with her arms crossed, staring down at her friend. "Don't play dumb,
Roan; although you're certainly good enough at it. I'm referring to the tizzy y
ou've put my apprentice in over the past few days. I'm referring to the little m
eetings you've orchestrated between Dawn and Zett. What are you playing at, Roan
?"
He nonchalantly turned a page. "Nothing. Just giving nature a slight - nudge, yo
u might say."
Buffy blinked. "You're setting up my sister?"
"It's a brave new world, Buffy. And a whole new Order. A lot of the Younglings l
ook up to Zett. And if we want to get across to them that the Jedi are evolving
from what they've been taught, what better example than the best and the brighte
st falling in love?"
Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed. "When Dawn finds out, you're in for a world of
hurt."
"You'll protect me."
"I'll laugh," Buffy retorted with a smirk. "I'm off to help Sera with lightsaber
training." With a casual wave, she turned and headed out of the room.
Roane chuckled to himself. "Mischief managed," he said softly, closing the copy
of 'Prisoner of Azkaban' Dawn had lent him and rising to hunt down his apprentic
es.
====BtVS====
Xander walked into the large gym in the Travers wing just as Aayla and Buffy wer
e finishing up with the older Padawans.
"Remember, a Jedi feels the Force flowing through them," Aayla was saying. "No m
atter what happens, maintain your calm and stay focused on the task at hand."
"Let the Slayers take the lead," Buffy added. "Sir Nigel wants us to start pulli
ng our weight around here and, short of giving the Slayers lightsabers, the best
way to do that is by patrolling with them. I think it's a perfect way to get co
mbat experience - just remember that you can gain experience by observing as wel
l. Watch how the Slayers move, how they fight. If they need help, then defer to
their judgment on how you can best do that. And if you go up against vampires, a
quick decapitation is the best bet. Any questions?" The group answered in a res
ounding foe. "Then may the Force be with you. Good hunting!"
The small group proceeded out of the gym, saying hello to Xander as they passed.
The young man's easy-going attitude and quick wit had made him a popular figure
among the young Jedi. He gave them all a quick wave.
"Remember," he called out to them, "a good Watcher or Slayer will laugh in the f
ace of danger. Literally - the bad guys hate it. Crack some jokes and they'll ne
ver see you coming!"
"Good advice, Xander," Buffy laughed.
"Xander," Aayla said, bowing her head in respect. Xander flashed her his charmer
smile.
"Aayla. How's the new windows?"
"Wonderful and thank you again for installing them."
"Hey, it's what I do!" he said modestly. Aayla chuckled.
"Well, you two obviously have something to talk about," the Twi'lek said. "I'll
leave you to it. Master Skywalker, Xander."
The two said their goodbyes and Buffy couldn't help but smirk at Xander as he wa
tched the Jedi Master leave the room.
"Looking to keep the streak intact, huh?" she asked jokingly. "You sure do set y
our sights high."
"Eh, human girls are boring. And Aayla is sure a lot safer than most of the girl
s I dated."
"I should introduce you to some Barabels I met before the war. They'd be right u
p your alley."
Xander looked at her quizzically and then shook his head. "No, I don't want to k
now. Look, can we talk?" he asked, suddenly serious. Buffy eyed him warily.
"Alright," she said. "What do you want to talk about?"
"I want to talk about Willow."
Buffy sighed in annoyance. "Well, as the great prophet Jagger once said, 'You ca
n't always get what you want'."
"Yeah, but if you try some time, you just might get what you need," Xander shot
back. "It's been a year and you barely say two words to her anytime you see her.
"
"We have issues."
"Work them out!" Xander shot back. "I thought you Jedi were supposed to be all a
bout peace and forgiveness and crap. What kind of double standard is this?"
"You have NO idea what I went through!" Buffy shouted back, her temper wearing t
hin. Xander shook his head.
"No, I have a very good idea, thanks to Ben."
"Ben talks too much."
"No, he talks more than you. There's a difference. Buffy, he told me. He told me
how many times you could have killed her, but held back because you wanted to s
ave her. What changed?"
"What changed is that she gave the order that killed my family," Buffy growled o
ut.
"She gave the order that killed millions of families!" Xander shouted back. "Wha
t's the difference?"
"Because you don't know what it's like until it happens to you," she shouted bac
k, tears springing to her eyes. "You don't know what it's like to know that some
one you considered to be your best friend betrays you like that."
"No, I don't," Xander said, his temper waning. "But, Buffy... things have change
d. She's not that monster anymore. She's hurting and she needs you. Why can't yo
u just let it go?"
"BECAUSE IT HURTS!" Buffy yelled, openly sobbing. "I l-look at Dawn and I see w-
what Joyce might have become! I look at y-y-you and I see the man that Jacen was
, what Han would have become! Everyday I'm reminded of what she took away and it
hurts!"
"It won't stop hurting, Buffy," Xander murmured. "It will never stop hurting. Bu
t you can make it hurt a little bit less if you would just make peace. Please, B
uffy," he pleaded. "It's time to put some demons to rest."
====BtVS====
Willow sat on her couch, looking through some older mystical books that Tara had
provided for her to study. They had once belonged to Tara's mother and went in-
depth into several types of healing magics - magics that Willow had a keen inter
est in these days. The past year had been an eye-opener to her in terms of magic
- she had learned so much from her former girlfriend. Not so surprisingly she l
earned that the majority of the magic she had practiced in the other dimension h
ad been dark - even the healing spell she had used on Shmi was rooted in dark ma
gic.
Well, never again she had told herself. She had dedicated herself to her studies
, working tirelessly to rid herself of the vestiges of Darth Traya. Willow leane
d back into the couch, stretching her stiff back and taking the time to re-secur
e her long red hair behind her head before leaning forward once more to delve in
to the secrets of ancient magic. A knock on the door, though, brought her up sho
rt.
"Coming!" the red head shouted, gracefully rising from her seat and crossing the
room to the door. She opened the door-
And gasped.
Buffy stood just outside her room. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were in
disarray and a sickeningly familiar haunted look played over her face.
"Buffy!"
"Hi, Willow," Buffy started hesitantly. "Can I come in?"
"Of course!" Willow exclaimed, moving to the side and gesturing her in. "Please,
come in."
Hesitantly Buffy made her way into the small apartment. She spied the many books
that littered the coffee table. "Are you in the middle of something? Because I
could come back..."
"No!" Willow exclaimed. "I mean, I was just doing some studying, but I've been m
eaning to take a break. Can I get you some tea? I was about to make some..."
"Actually, I could use something a bit stronger," Buffy said, taking Willows' pr
offered seat on the couch. The witch smiled and moved to the kitchenette.
"I got just the thing," she called out and then let out a triumphant, "ah-ha!" M
oments later, she came back into the living room with two glasses in one hand an
d a bottle of liquor in the other. Buffy moved some of the books to the floor an
d Willow set down the glasses and poured some of the amber liquid into each glas
s. Buffy lifted the glass and sniffed it hesitantly, then pulled back in surpris
e.
"Where the hell did you get Corellian brandy?"
Willow smiled as she took a sip of her drink. "Fred got the PPG working at 100.
I asked her to take a trial run to Corellia for supplies."
"Nice."
"I thought so."
The two sipped their drinks in silence for a few moments, before Willow spoke.
"So...I know you didn't come here to share drinks with me, Buffy. What did you w
ant to talk about?"
Buffy sat nursing her drink in silence for a few moments, before finally she sig
hed. "I'm tired, Will. I'm tired of hating you, tired of blaming you... I spent
years hoping that I could bring you back, turn you away from the Dark Side, rega
rdless of what you did. It was only after Jacen died and I learned that you gave
the order to attack that I started - not caring. Resenting, even. Me saving you
became less about getting my friend back, and more about a form of revenge." Sh
e smiled ruefully. "Not very Jedi of me."
"But understandable all the same," Willow replied. "Look, Buffy...I made a lot o
f mistakes over there, the least of which was following Dooku and Palpatine. I h
urt billions of people, tore apart millions of families. But the ones that weigh
on my conscience most are yours and Padmé's." Willow took a deep calming breath a
nd then pressed on. "I can't begin to tell you how much I regret what I did and
I can't begin to make up for it. All I can do is tell you that I'm sorry and try
to make up for at least a small part of that in any way I can."
"I don't want you to say you're sorry," Buffy said forcefully. Then she sighed a
nd added in a soft voice, "I just want my friend back."
Willow blinked back tears, hope blossoming in her heart. "I would like that, too
."
The two spent the next several hours just talking. For the first time in nearly
seventeen years, Buffy and Willow cleared the air between them, aired their grie
vances and talked out their issues. By the time Xander dropped by sometime aroun
d midnight for a late night Indian movie-fest, the two had started rebuilding th
e foundation to their friendship. Both new it would take time, patience and unde
rstanding, but they were resolved to working it out.
====BtVS====
Later the next night, Dawn was walking through the main building on an errand fo
r Master Shryne when she spied one of the most beautiful sights she had seen in
a long time-
Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles; geared up and heading out.
"Hey guys," Dawn said cheerfully. "Where are you off to?"
"Well, we don't want our Padawans to have all of the fun," Buffy smirked. "So we
decided to go out on patrol." She paused for a moment, seemingly sizing up her
sister. "Want to come? Could be in lieu of lessons."
Dawn shook her head. "Nah, that's okay. I got stuff to do for Master Shryne; you
all go on."
"All right, have it your way," Buffy said, giving her sister a hug. "I'll see yo
u later."
"Yes, Master," Dawn said in her usual mocking voice. Buffy playfully slapped Daw
n on her arm, before turning and heading towards the door with the rest of the S
coobies.
"So, where to?" she asked. "Any good cemeteries around here?"
"Yeah, but there's also a good mini-golf course, too," Xander replied.
"Ooh, mini-golf!" Willow exclaimed and then sighed wistfully. "I missed that."
"Surely there are more pressing areas to patrol than a mini-golf course?" Giles
interjected, slightly exasperated.
"Only if there's a mall around. I need new shoes."
"I need new tops. Short sleeves don't work on me like they used to."
"Tell me about it."
"I could use a few new things..."
"And here I am, oblivious to the eye..." Giles sighed, trailing behind the three
as they walked out the door. "The Earth is definitely doomed."
Dawn smiled as the door closed, tears of happiness forming in her eyes. Vi, who
had been wandering the halls, saw the tears and came up to her friend.
"Dawn? Is everything all right?" she asked. Dawn wiped the tears away and nodded
.
"It is now," she said with a smile. "The band's back together."
====BtVS====
"You know, we really have to stop meeting like this."
Dawn stood, her moth gaping like a fish out of water and her eyes wide, in the d
oorway to Zett's quarters. Inside stood Zett, fresh from the shower and naked as
the day he was born. The young Jedi Knight couldn't help but smirk at Dawn's ex
pression.
"See anything you like?" he continued, causing the young girl to turn a brillian
t shade of red before she quickly turned around.
"I don't know," Dawn retorted after a moment, finally regaining some of her comp
osure. "There wasn't much there to see."
"Ouch Dawn. That really hurts."
"You know, I think I preferred all of you Jedi before you learned the art of wit
ty bantering." She paused for a moment, "Though I hope you're still learning, 'c
ause you suck. And no 'sucking' joke!" she added hastily. "And put some damn pan
ts on, would you?"
There was a brief rustling of cloth and then Zett's voice called out, "You can t
urn around now." Dawn turned to see that, thankfully, he had put on some pants.
"Now, is there a reason you barged into my room?"
"You said 'come in'."
"I said 'coming'."
Dawn huffed. "Whatever. Master Shryne sent-" she paused suddenly, considering so
mething and then scowled. "Why that crafty, conniving son of a bitch!"
"I'm still in the room."
"Not you, Zippy. Shryne!" Dawn exclaimed irritably. "He's setting us up!"
"What do you mean, 'setting us up'?" Zett asked as he pulled on his shirt.
"He's taking the whole 'attachments aren't a bad thing' to a whole new level and
he's starting to play matchmaker. Lucky for me, he started with us," she finish
ed sarcastically.
"So, what? He want's us to...copulate?" Zett asked. Dawn shuddered.
"God, I hope not," she replied. "No, he probably just thinks we should date or s
omething."
"Oh." Zett said at length. "Well then, why don't we?"
Dawn looked at him startled. "What?"
"Well, maybe if we - go out - he might get off of our backs," Zett reasoned. "At
the very least, he might stop sending us to each other when we're naked. Not th
at I'm complaining...."
"You pig...wait, are you asking me out?" she said suddenly, realization hitting.
"Like out on a date?"
"Well, there are worse fates out there."
"You really want to go on a date with me," she stated. "Why? And it better not b
e because you saw me naked!"
"It's not." He paused for a moment. "Okay, maybe a bit, but the reason I'm askin
g is that, well, I enjoy your company. You're so different than anybody I've eve
r known and so much more than any Jedi I've ever worked with. And while I'm not
entirely sure how I feel about you, I'd like the opportunity to find out."
Dawn considered him for a moment. "You're serious about this?"
"I am," Zett replied. "Of course, I have absolutely no idea what to do or how I
would pay for it. Unless the Council would like to convert republic credits into
Earth money?"
Dawn chuckled fondly. "Tell you what. You talk to Wes and have him draw some mon
ey out of the Council's miscellaneous budget and I'll choose the place."
"Excellent," Zett said with a smile. "Then I guess I shall pick you up at your q
uarters tomorrow night, at around seven?"
"That sounds like a plan," Dawn said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go fi
nd Shryne and kick his ass."
"And I need to finish getting dressed."
"Right!" Dawn stood uncertainly at the door, then turned and walked away, doing
her best to hide her smile. Unseen to her, Zett closed his door to finish gettin
g dressed, a smile of his own never leaving his lips.
TBC
Episode 4 Chapter 3
In Exile: Year 3
====BtVS====
"It's preposterous."
"It's impossible. The energy needs alone..."
"...Are no problem for a matter-antimatter reactor!"
"There is no such thing as a matter-antimatter reactor!"
"Then how do you power your ships, hmm? Don't try and cover up your government s
ecrets from us! We have ways of making you talk!"
"Okay, no more caffeine for Andrew."
"What's going on?"
Buffy was leaning on the doorframe to the den where Andrew, Jonathon, Dawn, Vi,
Zett, Xander and Aayla sat watching an old sci-fi movie. Well, watching was a su
bjective term - arguing around the movie was a more apt description, as they spe
nt more time talking at each other than they did watching the old flick.
Dawn and Zett sat together, his arm around her shoulder. They had finally gotten
together after a rather hilarious first date attempt several months ago and sin
ce then they had been nearly inseparable. The exception was during their Jedi tr
aining, in which case they maintained a friendly working relationship out of def
erence to the other, more stringent Council members.
Aayla and Xander, however, had come out of left field to everybody except for Bu
ffy and Willow. Due to the occasional hyper-sexual drives of the Twi'lek species
, Buffy hadn't had many doubts about Aayla adjusting to the new codes of the Cou
ncil and had been happy when her Jedi friend had begun reciprocating the feeling
s her old friend had been broadcasting for some time. They had begun dating only
weeks ago, but it looked to be going well.
Dawn looked over to her sister with a grin. "Andrew and Jonathon are bemoaning t
he fact that you guys didn't have transporters."
"Transporters are a must!" Andrew proclaimed. "Man, if Captain Kirk showed up in
your galaxy, he could kick all of your butts."
"Maybe, but Captain Janeway could kick Kirks'," Jonathan argued, launching a hea
ted argument between the two and drawing amused grins from the others. Buffy rol
led her eyes.
"I've traveled the galaxy, visited dozens of worlds, met with hundreds of differ
ent species - and I end up living with these two," she sighed. "God hates me."
"But we love you, Master," Dawn said sweetly. Buffy scowled at her sister.
"Shouldn't you be practicing your saber techniques?"
"Yes, Master."
"Why is it every time you say 'Yes, Master' it sounds like 'bite me'?"
"Funny, she doesn't look like Spike..." Vi joked, then turned away abashed at th
e look on Buffy's face. She was about to reply when Fred came running up to her.
"Buffy, thank God I found you!" she said, pausing a moment to catch her breath.
Buffy noted the concern on her face instantly.
"What's wrong?" she asked and Fred pinned her with a pained look.
"I just got a burst transmission from Tatooine," she said. "Your mother died las
t night."
====BtVS====
"Anakin, are you here?"
Padmé entered their small apartment and tossed her light jacket to the couch - tho
ugh it stopped a few inches from the surface, hovering in the air. Then slowly,
it was pulled back into the air and placed gently on the hook on the wall by the
door. Padmé chuckled. "I guess you are."
"Hi, Angel," Anakin said, leaning on the doorway to their bedroom. "How was the
meeting?"
"Tiring, as always," Padmé replied ruefully, "though on the bright side, Sir Nigel
has said the Slayer squads' efficiency has increased by over 150 percent with t
he Padawans tagging along. And he's intrigued by our newly expanded medical faci
lities, thanks to the equipment Fred's recovery teams have acquired from home."
"Has she said when they can speed up the acquisitions?"
"A few weeks, at least."
Anakin sighed. "And yet, we still can't see our kids more often."
Padmé moved to her husband's arms and gently put a hand on his cheek. "You know th
e longer we stay, the more likely it is that Palpatine would sense our presence,
which would bring him and his agents to Tatooine..."
"Which would lead him to Luke and then Leia. I know...." he trailed off, a frown
forming on his face. Padmé took notice immediately.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Buffy's' on her way here," Anakin replied. "And something terrible has happened
." He gestured at the door, using the Force to open it just as Buffy stopped out
side. "Buffy, what's wrong?"
Buffy looked back at her brother, her eyes full of unshed tears. "Ani, it's mom,
" she said quietly. "She's dead."
====BtVS====
The current residents of they Skywalker farm revolved between muffled sobs and d
eafening silence. Owen and Beru sat on the sofa, with Beru's arm holding her hus
band close. Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie were there as well, sitting next to the sad
den couple. And across the room, Luke Skywalker sat hunched over, his eyes red f
rom crying, even as his sister Lei tried to comfort him.
Suddenly there was a flash and for an instant a purple-white cloud formed in the
living room. The next instant Buffy, Anakin and Padmé appeared and the portal van
ished. Owen was on his feet the next moment and pulled Anakin into a brotherly h
ug.
"Anakin, I'm glad you could make it."
"How..."
"She passed during the night, Ani. There was no pain," Owen assured the Jedi. He
nodded and then looked over to his children. Leia was sobbing quietly in her mo
ther's arms. His eyes moved over to his son's face which looked up and glared at
him. Anakin felt a surge of anger from his son and then Luke was gone, running
out of the house.
"Luke-" he started, but stopped when Beru put a restraining hand on his arm.
"He's taken Shmi's death hard, Anakin," she said. "And he's been frustrated ofte
n lately. Give him some time to calm down."
Anakin looked in the direction his son had gone, but only nodded in resignation.
====BtVS====
Buffy stood silently in Shmi's room, looking at the body of the second woman she
had called mother as it lay peacefully on her bed. Shmi had managed to age grac
efully, even on this hellish planet. She had even outlived her husband Cliegg, w
ho had died several years earlier. She once told Buffy that she suspected Willow
was the reason for that, as whatever the witch had done to heal her had complet
ely healed her, restoring her health to pristine condition. Idly, Buffy wondered
how Anakin would react to that little tidbit. Buffy smiled a little at that, an
d then sobered once more as she sensed her brother's presence behind her.
"How's Luke?" Anakin's sigh told her everything she needed to know. "Don't worry
about him, Ani. He's fifteen, his grandmother just died and he probably resents
you for not being here more often. Just give him some time and then go talk to
him."
"You think that's all this is? Some kind of phase he's going through?"
"Yeah. I went through the same thing with my dad when he disappeared," Buffy rep
lied. "The thing about you is that you at least try to be here for him."
Anakin nodded and silently stared at his mother. "How are you holding up, Buffy?
" he asked at length. Buffy sighed and shrugged.
"I've now lost two mothers. You'd think it would get easier over time, but it re
ally doesn't."
"I know what you mean," Anakin replied, as both took to a silent vigil over thei
r mother's body.
====BtVS====
"How are things on Naboo, Leia?"
Padmé sat with her daughter and her parents in the den, using this time to catch u
p with her family. It had been several weeks since their last visit - several mo
nths for Leia, and Padmé wanted to know everything.
"I've been admitted into the Apprentice Legislator's guild and I'm working direc
tly under Queen Serena. Some around the temple have started calling me Princess.
" Padmé smiled at that. "I hope to take my place in the Senate in a few years. Sen
ator Organa from Alderaan has already contacted me to say he would sponsor me wh
en the time came..."
"Bail is an old friend of mine; as well as a good man. You would learn a lot fro
m him," Padmé said. "How are you dealing with this?"
"All right, I guess," Leia said with a sigh, glancing at her grandparents that h
ad moved to talk with Owen and Beru. "I wasn't as close to her as Luke was. But
she was still my grandmother. And if anything, it's brought home the point that
Granma and Grandpa Naberrie won't be around for much longer."
"The Jedi used to teach that death was a natural progression of life," Padmé said
at length, not dwelling on her own parents' mortality. "And that when a person p
assed on, their life force would become one with the Force. So I choose to belie
ve that, even though their physical bodies will be gone, their spirits will live
on." Padmé smiled slightly. "That's something, at least."
"You knew Jedi?" Leia asked incredulously and Padmé had to fight not to wince. She
and Anakin had decided that it would be safer not to reveal to their children t
hat their father was a Jedi and so, by extension, were they.
"Yes. When I was Queen of Naboo and later Senator, the Jedi assisted me several
times," she said finally, opting to tell the truth - from a certain point of vie
w. No need to mention it was their father that helped her out the second time. L
eia grinned with awe.
"Stang!"
"Language, Leia!"
====BtVS====
Luke stood outside to homestead looking out into the distance as the Twins slowl
y sank to the horizon. Behind him lay the family graveyard - Cliegg and his pare
nts already rest there and Luke had just finished digging the latest plot for hi
s grandmother. Now he stood, looking over the plains of Tatooine, angrily wiping
away the tears that didn't seem to stop coming. He was so lost in his grief tha
t he didn't hear the footsteps approaching.
"Luke? It's almost time," Anakin said, coming up behind his son. At his silence,
Anakin looked over the plains to the slowly setting twin suns. "I forgot how be
autiful a sight this was."
"Maybe if you stuck around longer, you'd remember it better," Luke snapped. "I'm
surprised you actually showed up. It's not like you actually care about us..."
"That hardest part of coming here," Anakin said calmly, burying the hurt deep do
wn in his gut, "is knowing that I have to leave again. Knowing that every time I
come here, you will be a few months older, a few inches taller. Knowing that I'
ve missed everything - your first steps, your first words." He looked at his son
. "I know I haven't been here for you, son. And you have no idea how sorry I am
for that."
"I don't need your excuses," Luke shouted, his arms folding tightly. "I need you
to be here! You're my father and that's what you're supposed to do."
"I am here now, Luke," Anakin said patiently. "Staying away is the only way I kn
ow of to keep you safe. And that's more important to me than anything."
"Why!" Luke exclaimed. "Why do you need to keep me safe? Safe from what?"
"I can't tell you that, son," Anakin said heavily. Luke's jaw clenched in aggrav
ation.
"Then talk to me again when you can tell me," he growled as he stalked back into
the hovel.
====BtVS====
EARTH
====BtVS====
"Hold!"
Dawn deactivated her lightsaber and mopped her brow with the sleeve of her robe.
Sera Keto deactivated her blades and hooked them back on her belt, all the whil
e looking pointedly at Dawn.
"Are you here, Padawan?" she asked. "Because your moves were exceptionally slopp
y today. More so than usual."
Dawn sighed in annoyance. "I was never good with a sword. Just ask Giles - I was
terrible at fencing. The bow staff, though... he always said I was brilliant wi
th that."
"Actually, I was thinking that perhaps your mind was somewhere else. Tatooine, p
erhaps?" Dawn rolled her eyes, and Sera persisted. "Dawn, I understand that your
mother passed away, but you need-"
"She was NOT my mother!" Dawn exclaimed vehemently, taking Sera aback. "Look, Sh
mi took my sister in, gave her a home and a family when she needed one. For that
, I was always grateful to her and I always respected her. But she was not my mo
ther. I had a mother and she died several years ago," she finished calmly. "I'm
serious, Sera. I'm just no good with this thing."
Sera sighed. "Well, you need to be good, especially if you want to become a Jedi
Knight. I want you to practice for two hours tonight before your meditations, a
lright?"
"Yes, Master," Dawn said and Sera nodded.
"Good. You can start now. I have a meeting with Master Shryne."
"Be careful, or he'll try to set you up with somebody," Dawn said. "He's gotten
a big head since me and Zett got together."
Sera chuckled as she made her way to the door - and nearly ran into Willow. Sera
's smile instantly vanished, replaced by a hard face simmering with barely contr
olled anger.
"Ms. Rosenberg."
Willow bowed her head. "Master Keto."
Sera didn't reply, she merely stepped around the witch and stalked off. Willow l
et loose the breath she had been holding. "I see she still hates my guts," she q
uipped. Dawn shrugged.
"You did kill her Master," the young Jedi pointed out earnestly.
"Yeah, there was that..." Willow trailed off as she looked around the training r
oom. "Still working on saber training, huh? How's that going?"
"In short - it sucks," Dawn grumbled. "I'm terrible with swords - I just want to
hack and slash. I got no style, no rhythm - hell, even GILES admitted that."
"You're at a disadvantage, Dawn," Willow said calmly looking over the various li
ghtsabers on display. "Most Padawans are trained from a very young age in how to
wield a lightsaber. They are taught that the lightsaber is an extension of them
selves - a part of them. They can feel the Force through it, and the Force can d
irect it. It's almost like a living thing," she sighed. "But you are having to u
nlearn all you have learned about how to handle a weapon. Unfortunately, as you'
ve said, you've never been good with a sword. That presents a bit of a paradox f
or you - how can you learn to yield the weapon of a Jedi when you can't successf
ully wield a Jedi weapon?"
"Don't suppose you have an answer for me, oh great and powerful Will?" Dawn repl
ied.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Willow smiled and moved over to the archive compute
r terminal Fred had installed in the wall. Deftly she turned it on and started r
apidly scrolling through the tactical database until she reached the file on Jed
i weapons. A few moments later, an image formed in the air and the witch turned
back to the now-smiling Dawn. "Simply put, you should play to your strengths..."
====BtVS====
The service was short. Anakin and Owen lowered the body of Shmi Skywalker into t
he grave and covered her over with Luke's help; Luke made it a point to stay as
far from his father as he could. They each said a few words, celebrating and mou
rning the life and loss of one of the most important women in all of their lives
.
Luke stood next to his guardians and kept his eyes on the ground. When the tears
started flowing again, he struggled to hold in his emotions. Leia stood between
her aunt and her mother, staring at the gravesite.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be here more, mom," Anakin said softly, kneeling on the gr
ound at her grave. "I'm sorry for a lot of things. But I give you my word that I
will see justice brought back to this galaxy and your family, my family, won't
have to live in the shadows anymore."
Buffy was last. Once more she found herself kneeling at the grave of her mother
- not the one who had given birth to her, but the one who had given life to her.
"Thank you, Mom. Thank you for everything."
Afterwards, everyone gathered backing the homestead as the Skywalkers prepared t
o leave.
"I'm sorry we couldn't stay longer, sweetheart," Anakin told Leia, pulling her i
n for a hug and kissing the top of her head.
"It's alright, Dad. I understand," she said, then quietly added, "Give Luke time
; he will too." Anakin nodded to his youngest child as she stepped back. He saw
Luke giving his mother a stiff hug and as she moved away he moved to hug him. Lu
ke saw him and scowled.
"I don't want anything to do with you," the boy snarled. "Just go run away like
you always do. It's not like you care about us anyway!"
"Luke!" Anakin called out as his son ran out of the hovel and then he sighed in
defeat. Owen looked at him apologetically.
"He'll come around, Ani," he said. Anakin looked back and nodded.
"I hope so."
====BtVS====
When they returned to Earth and the Council, Padmé headed back to their quarters w
hile Buffy and Anakin headed to the training room to spar. It was well after mid
night and the campus was quiet. Most Slayers were either on patrol or out clubbi
ng; a few of the Padawans took sentry duties for the night.
"He'll come around, Ani," Buffy said as they walked. Anakin sighed.
"Everybody keeps saying that."
Buffy's mind flashed back to her last few seconds with Luke. She had told him to
go easier on his father and trust that when Anakin felt he was ready he would t
ell him. He had told her to stop acting like her brother.
"He's a fifteen-year-old, angst-ridden teenager who just lost the closet thing h
e had to a mother. He loves you and Padmé; with Padmé he can still show it. But with
you - well, you're a larger-than-life character. He hears about how great a per
son you are; but he never hears why. He wants to look up to you, but he can't fi
nd a reason to since you always seem to be running away. You just need to give h
im some time and space. Soon or later, he'll come around."
"Yeah, hopefully before the Empire's at his doorstep."
The two reached the training room just as Dawn was exiting. She spied the two Ma
sters and instantly moved her right hand behind her back.
"Hi, guys!" she said, a bit too cheerfully. "How was the service?"
"It was nice," Buffy said slowly, trying to puzzle her out. "You would have been
welcome..."
"I would have been out of place," Dawn replied. "You know my feelings on the sub
ject. I was grateful to her, but I didn't know her well enough to love her like
you."
"I understand," Buffy replied. "Now, what's behind your back?"
"Uh...nothing?" Dawn replied hopefully.
"You DO know I can read your mind, right?"
"You know you're not allowed to take a lightsaber out of the training hall, Dawn
," Anakin said. "You're only permitted to train with one, not carry one. No exce
ptions."
"I know, I know," Dawn said. "I was just taking it back to the lab to work on it
a bit..."
"NO exceptions," Buffy repeated. Dawn sighed.
"Come with me," she said, then turned and walked back in the training room. The
two Masters followed. Dawn stood with her back to them, her hands in front hidin
g the supposed lightsaber from view.
"You know how I have problems with lightsabers?"
"Yeah, you suck," Buffy said bluntly.
"Very astute," Dawn replied dryly. "My problems stem from how I was trained with
swords initially - hack and slash. That and the fact that I just have no grace
with a sword whatsoever. Well, I was practicing today and I had a conversation w
ith Willow."
Anakin's face darkened, but Buffy put a restraining hand on his arm.
"And what did she say?" the Slayer asked.
"That I should play to my strengths."
Dawn spun around and ignited the blade on her lightsaber - both of them, one at
each end of the extended handle. Clinically, Buffy could see that Dawn had crude
ly attached two training sabers together, end on end. But in her mind, she saw a
nother dual-bladed saber, wielded by a Dark Lord of the Sith on Naboo over eight
een years ago.
"Dawn...what the fuck?"
"Giles always said I was top in the defense class when it came to the Bo staff,"
she explained, twirling the dual blades around. "It was better suited to me tha
n a sword. I like the balance, the reach. I was acrobatic when I was younger - b
ut the Jedi training has really accentuated it. And now I don't need to learn a
new style to use it - I can use my own style for now and learn as I grow."
"Are you any good with it?" Anakin asked. Dawn shrugged.
"I was practicing on drones for the past few hours. I was going to try and fine
tune this so I could practice with Sera tomorrow... unless you want to go," she
added to her stepbrother.
Anakin shook his head. "I wouldn't presume. Buffy?"
"I'd presume," She said, pulling out her lightsaber and igniting the silver blad
e. "And Dawn? Don't hold back."
Dawn smirked, brought her right blade up in salute and attacked.
The two moved as if in a dance, a graceful ballet off spinning, multicolored bla
des. Every time Buffy would strike, Dawn would parry and riposte almost instantl
y. Buffy was amazed with the speed and grace her sister was moving at - somethin
g she had showed only hints at during her training, but had never reached. She r
ealized with a start that Dawn was using Juyo, the seventh form of lightsaber co
mbat and very similar to her own form of Vaapad. Both were highly advanced forms
of combat and Buffy was amazed that Dawn could utilize it with such style and g
race.
Buffy lunged, Dawn pushed the blade away and cart wheeled to the left, striking
out with her foot and catching Buffy in the jaw. She immediately followed it up
with a jab to the gut that Buffy sidestepped, followed by swinging cut to her he
ad that she ducked. Momentarily forgetting herself, Buffy swung hard at Dawn's n
ext attack, meaning to show the blade away. Instead the impact finally overloade
d the overtaxed power source, causing it to explode. Dawn cried out in pain as h
er right hand was burned in the small blast.
"Dawn!" Buffy shouted in alarm, switching off her own blade and rushing to her s
ister. Anakin was likewise at the Padawan's side in an instant.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Dawn grimaced in pain, but nodded.
"Nothing a trip to the med lab won't fix," she said through gritted teeth. "I kn
ew the power source was going to be a problem - it wasn't meant to be rigged lik
e that. That's what I was going to work on tonight."
Buffy nodded. "I'm sorry I stopped you, then. But you should have told me - I wo
uld have taken you on tomorrow. Instead, I'm going to have to wait until you get
your hand treated - and build a replacement."
Dawn stared at her sister in amazement. "What? You mean-"
"I mean," Buffy started, "that I was waiting for you to develop your skills befo
re I allowed you to build your first lightsaber. But I made an error, Dawn. I tr
ied to training you like a Padawan and in the process I forgot you were already
trained like a Watcher. I should have evaluated you on different types of weapon
s and allowed you to choose one that worked for you. But what you showed me toni
ght was amazing, Dawn. You're ready."
Dawn smiled broadly, then grimaced in pain. "Then I'll get started on it - just
as soon as I get some bandages for my hands."
"Master Chatak should be on duty at the med lab now. Ask him for some bacta patc
hes. They'll help accelerate the healing," Anakin advised. Dawn nodded. "Then go
and get patched up. Then get some sleep, Padawan."
"Yes, Masters," Dawn said sincerely. Then she hugged both of them. "Thank you, B
uffy. And I'm sorry for your loss. Both of your losses." The two Jedi nodded and
Dawn raced out of the training room.
Buffy couldn't help but sigh. "Well, it's official. My worst nightmare has come
true. Soon she will be armed and dangerous."
Anakin chuckled. "I dare say things are going to get very interesting around her
e."
"Yeah," Buffy agreed and then frowned. "And I have a bad feeling about it."
TBC
Episode 4 Chapter 4
In Exile: Year 4
The Great Temple Robbery
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There was a violent flash of purple and white light and suddenly Dawn appeared i
n the bowls of the Council, where she promptly collapsed. She was a mess - dozen
s of bruises, several fractured bones and a smoldering hole in her side from a l
ightsaber blade. The young Jedi gasped for breath, looking around frantically at
her surroundings. She noted dimly that at least all of the artifacts had arrive
d. Whether or not they were intact would have to be investigated when she was in
no danger of actually dying.
She was alone. She was in the darkened basement of the Council, where nobody kne
w to look for her. And worse, her strength was fading. It wasn't supposed to go
like this, she thought to herself. It was supposed to be in and out, no alarms,
no patrols. Nobody was going to know what I did. Boy, did I fuck up...Dawn took
a shallow breath, attempting to center herself and reached out to the one person
she knew would hear her.
Zett, hear me...
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Two Days Earlier
Dawn stood in the middle of the training room, a blindfold fastened over her eye
s and her lightstaff deactivated in her hands. She was surrounded by several pra
ctice dummies that the slayers normally practiced their stake throwing on and ar
ound them were half a dozen stinger remotes. Though she couldn't see them, Dawn
felt them activate and rise and she activate the lightstaff. Twin blades of azur
e light streamed from the ends, terminating in rounded edges nearly a meter from
the handle and in an instant she was spinning around the room, blocking and tru
ing back stinger bolts while protecting the dummies.
Buffy and Sera stood in the back of the room, watching Dawn move through the pra
ctice. "She's gotten quite good with the staff, Master," Sera was saying. "Befor
e it was mostly instinctual. Now, it's actual skill. And she's learning more eve
ry day."
"Then why do I detect worry in your voice, Sera?" Buffy asked as Dawn spun, batt
ing away one bolt and sending another back at the remote, deactivating it.
"She's much too angry at times," the Jedi said plainly. "And she channels it muc
h too often. You of all people know of the dangers of the Vaapad form. Only you
and Master Windu were able to successfully master it without falling."
"Dawn won't fall."
"I understand how you feel about her, Master-"
"SHE WON'T FALL," Buffy repeated strongly.
"She lost one of her Slayers, Master Skywalker. And not only was Vi her Slayer,
she was her friend. I fear that attachment may be her undoing."
"And I believe it will make her stronger," Buffy countered. "She merely has to c
ome to terms with the loss and move past her anger... that is all. And she can d
o that. She WILL do that."
Sera looked at Dawn, who had defeated the final remote. Five of the six remotes
lay on the ground, smoking ruins of what they once were. The sixth was lodged in
the body of one of the dummies. Sera looked back at the Jedi Master blandly.
'If you say so, Master."
Dawn pulled off the blindfold and looked around sheepishly. "Uh, sorry, Masters.
I got a bit carried away."
Buffy sighed. "Let's take a walk."
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"How have you been holding up, Dawn?"
"Fine. Why?"
The two were walking in the expansive courtyard of the Watcher's Council. It was
a beautiful spring day, warm even by England standards, and many of the occupan
ts of the Council were out enjoying the weather. Buffy and Dawn walked among the
m, side by side. Buffy glanced at her sisters and sighed inwardly.
She had to be as stubborn as me, she thought. "I know the past year has been tou
gh for you, Dawn. First with the intensified training, then with taking full Wat
cher duties. And it's been two weeks since you lost Vi on patrol and you still h
aven't talked to anyone about it."
"You're one to counsel someone on how to deal with grief, Buffy," Dawn shot back
acidly. Buffy winced.
"That may be, Dawn. I haven't had the best experience in dealing with grief. I'm
hoping, though, that I can teach you to avoid my mistakes. You're more than a n
ormal person, Dawn. You're a Jedi. And as a Jedi, you can't keep all of this ang
er bottled up inside."
The two stopped and the young Jedi looked up to find herself in front of the Wal
l of Remembrance. It had been decided that that should be some sort of memorial
to commemorate the sacrifices of all of the Slayers throughout history early on
after Giles and the rest of the Scoobies arrived. How to do that without seeming
too gaudy was another thing. In the end, it had been decided on a long, solid p
iece of white marble, about two meters tall that would curve around the edge of
the lake between the two main buildings. All of the known names of Slayers and W
atchers that had fallen were then carved on it. Occasionally there would be an e
pitath, but mostly it was just the names. And Buffy had brought Dawn to the cent
er point of the slab, where the latest name had been carved in.
Violet "Vi" Dames
Dawn's chest tightened up at the though of her former Slayer. Along with Rona, M
olly and Belle, Vi had been one of four Slayers in her group, and one of the two
who had been with them since Sunnydale. Along with Zett, Dawn's team had been o
ne of the best in the London patrol zone, dealing with the most difficult cases
with ease. At times, they seemed invincible. At times, they felt invincible.
Of course, that feeling isn't always good. That feeling can lead to mistakes.
They had been called upon the deal with a particularly nasty next of vampires th
at had been praying on the downtown London area. They found their base in an old
, burnt out London opera house. Operating like a well oiled machine, they manage
d to infiltrate the building and destroy the sentries and were well on their way
to destroying the main clan when the master arrived. What they hadn't known was
that the master, Tomlisov, was as old as the vampire Krakistos had been when Fa
ith had taken him on.
Dawn knew the story of Krakistos, having (sort of) lived through it. She knew it
had taken two Slayers to kill him and even then it almost wasn't enough. And so
she watched in horror as Vi rushed the vampire with her sword, swinging to deca
pitate it. She watched as the Vampire moved with preternatural speed, ducking un
der the swing and grabbing Vi's arms, braking both of them with a casual twist.
She watched as Vi crumpled to the ground in pain, screaming.
She watched as her Slayer, her friend, stopped screaming as the vampire plunged
the sword through her heart using the sword the vampire had taken from her. Even
as the vampire withdrew the sword slowly, cruelly, the look on Vi's face showed
no resignation and held nothing but pain. Even as she fell, her blank eyes star
ed off into nothing.
Dawn didn't remember much after that. She remember watching Rona and Belle get b
rushed aside roughly through a red haze, remembered vaguely as Zett and Molly wo
rked to dispatch the remaining sentries.
She remembered surrendering to the rage that had boiled up inside of her, lashin
g out with the Force to pulverize every bone in his body, then hacking him to bi
ts with her lightstaff before finally, mercifully, taking his head.
Dawn pushed her feelings back down deep into her gut and glared at her Master. "
I don't need to talk to anybody. I'm fine. Now if you'll excuse me, my OTHER job
calls." Dawn pushed past Buffy and stalked back to the compound, leaving the Sl
ayer to stare forlornly at her back.
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She was sitting at her desk, staring at the same line on the report that she had
been trying to read for the past half hour when the knock came.
"Dawn, can we talk?" Zett's worried voice came from beyond the door. Dawn sighed
 in frustration.
"I'm kind of busy, Z-"
"I won't take too much of your time," the young Jedi said, coming in and closing
the door behind him. "It's just that we haven't had much time to talk since...w
ell, you know..."
"Yeah, well I've been busy," Dawn said flippantly, not looking up from her paper
work. "It's amazing how many forms you have to fill out when you get one of your
Slayers killed."
Zett winced at that. "Dawn, you didn't get Vi killed... I'm worried about you, D
awn. I'm worried that you're falling deeper and deeper into the darkness..."
"Look, sorry to interrupt, but did you need something?" Dawn interrupted rudely.
"Because I've got more important things to do than listen to you bitch and moan
and worry about me and my darkness."
"I'm worried about you! Dammit Dawn, I love you!" Zett shouted. "And seeing you
like this, I just want to help you get through this!"
Dawn looked at Zett coldly and then slowly stood up. Stalking around the desk, s
he moved until she was right in front of him. "I also have more important things
to be doing than dealing with over-emotional men. So why don't you do us both a
favor and go off somewhere to meditate and forget all about me? Because I'm alr
eady forgetting about you."
"But - but I love you," Zett replied softly, his voice cracking with barely rest
rained emotion. Dawn shrugged coldly.
"That's your problem, not mine," she replied cruelly, then moved around him and
strode out of the office. Zett stood there for a few moments and then jerkily mo
ved out of the room to head back to his quarters. He hoped to sleep and then wak
e to find this all to be some horrible nightmare. Or at the very least, he hoped
sleep would help him forget the fact that the first girl he had ever loved had
just ripped his heart out.
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Willow watched as Dawn moved through her katas in the darkened training room. Ev
en from her position at the door, Willow could see how clumsy the moves were. Wi
llow could see Dawn stood on a precipice - the same precipice she herself had st
ood on nearly a decade previous and it was with alarm that she realized how clos
e Dawn was to following her footsteps.
"You gonna stand there all night, or are you gonna come in and 'talk' to me?"
"Actually, I was just walking down the hall, when suddenly I had this really viv
id flashback of my days as Darth Traya," Willow said happily. "You know, the day
s when I murdered innocent people, perpetuated a galaxy-wide war and tried to ki
ll my best friend? Then I came in here and realized I was sensing you."
"Cute."
"But enough of this idle chit chat," Willow said, striding over to the weapons c
ase and picking up a small lightsaber. She switched it on and adjusted its green
blade to the training setting. "Let's spar."
Dawn stared dumbly at the witch. "Are you NUTS?" she asked incredulously. "You h
aven't touched one of those in years."
Willow whipped the bale up in a traditional salute. "Then I'll go easy on you."
Dawn grunted in reply, then took her lightstaff from her belt and activated both
blades and then quickly set the blades to the training setting. She brought her
right blade up in salute and then attacked without preamble.
The two spared for a few minutes in silence, during which time Dawn's frustratio
n grew. Every move she made, Willow seemed able to block with twice the efficien
cy and half the effort. Willows strokes were small, darting moves that were star
ting to try Dawn's patience.
"Are you going to attack me or not?" Dawn snarled, thrusting one blade towards W
illow's stomach. The Witch parried and spun away, striking out with her saber an
d nicking Dawn's cheek.
"Was that good enough for you?" she asked sweetly. She chuckled as Dawn responde
d with a furious volley which she easily deflected. "So, I ran into Zett on my w
ay here. Funny thing, I thought he was a zombie at first, the way he was acting.
" Another thrust, another parry. "Guess you wanted space, hmmm? Maybe that's why
you don't talk to your team anymore and you barely acknowledge your own Master.
I know; Buffy likes to gossip."
Dawn swung for her head and Willow ducked, blocking the return thrust. She rolle
d to the right and stabbed out, nicking Dawn's shin. "So, I got to thinking. The
re could be two things going on with you - either you are so upset over the deat
h of your friend that you're shutting everybody out in some vain attempt to spar
e yourself from future loss, or you're so ashamed at how easy you fell to the su
pposed 'Dark Side' that you're pushing everybody away in shame - and you really
didn't give a rats ass about Vi."
Dawn yelled in rage and full-out attacked Willow, using everything Buffy and Gil
es had taught her. She stabbed, kicked, slashed and jabbed, but somewhere Willow
managed to block, parry or avoid every attack. "But let me ask you a question,
Padawan," Willow continued calmly. "What if I told you there was no Dark Side of
the Force?"
Dawn stopped and shut down her staff. She hunched over, bracing her hands agains
t her knees as she sucked in much-need oxygen. "That's a lie."
"Everything I tell you is a lie," Willow replied. "That doesn't make it any less
true."
"That doesn't make sense!"
Willow sighed. "We live in a world of vampires and witches, where we have travel
ed to another dimension and are now in the process of preparing to fight an evil
, galaxy-dominating regime headed by a Sith Lord of unimaginable power. And to t
op it all off, you were created from an ancient power known as he key that was u
sed to break open the doors to all dimensions and from Buffy, which means your s
ister is also technically your mother. So tell me, oh wise and powerful Jedi, wh
at her exactly makes sense?"
"Point taken," Dawn replied dryly. "Still, do you have a point here? One that ma
kes a little sense, preferably?"
"Fine. To answer your question, let me ask one of my own. What is the Force? In
purely scientific forms, if you can."
Dawn thought for a moment before answering. "In the simplest terms, the Force is
an energy field."
"I see. And is an energy field evil?"
"What?"
"It's a simple question," Willow said. "Is an energy field evil? Or good, for th
at matter? Can it take sides?"
"Well, no...I don't suppose so..."
"Then how, pray tell, can there be a Dark Side of the Force?" Willow put forth.
Dawn scoffed.
"And this is coming from one of the most prolific Sith Lords in recent history."
"I'm not saying the Sith aren't real," Willow replied with an edge to her voice.
"Nor am I saying that they don't use the Force for evil. I'm simply saying that
Force isn't what helps them be dark - it's their intent. Intent!" she exclaimed
. "That's the key. Intent decides if one is good or evil. For example - when Buf
fy, Anakin and I were in the desert on Tatooine, I was a full-fledged Sith appre
ntice. And yet I was still able to heal Shmi by using the Force - an act of comp
assion, of the Light Side. But, when I attacked the Temple the first time and de
stroyed the balcony, Buffy was able to use the Force to hold it up and then used
Force lightening to fuse the stone back together. Force lightening, which has l
ong been thought of as a power of the Dark Side.
"It was our intent that determined whether or not our actins were good or bad. A
nother example - Darth Plagus used his knowledge of the Force to preserve and pr
olong life; Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth felt that his power made him better than e
verybody - just read Obi-Wan's report on how he was on Outbound Flight and you c
an see his intent. It was my intent to save Shmi; it was Buffy's intent to save
her students; and it was your intent to cause as much pain and suffering to that
vampire that you could before you killed it." Willow smirked slightly as Dawn's
eyes narrowed. "Please. Tell me I'm lying. Tell me you didn't dig down deep int
o that dark place in your heart..."
"I don't HAVE a dark place in my heart," Dawn shot back.
"So that rage you used against the vampire - that came from your happy-feel good
place?" Willow responded sarcastically. "Don't lie to me, Dawn. You wanted to h
urt him."
"No."
"YES," Willow retorted. "Listen to me, Dawn and listen well. You are at a crucia
l stage in your development as a Jedi, when the Dark Forces will tempt you the m
ost. But you have to realize that they aren't coming from the Force - they're co
ming from deep inside your own heart. You must accept that those urges are apart
of you - accept it, live with it, but never give in to it." She put a reassurin
g hand on the young girl's shoulder. "I don't want you to turn out like I did, D
awn. I don't want you to become me."
Dawn, struggling to control her emotions, shrugged out from her embrace and stal
ked out of the room without saying a word. Willow sighed. "It was worth a shot,"
she mumbled and then she moved to put away her lightsaber.
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Dawn wandered aimlessly around the halls of the Watcher's Council, mulling over
what Willow had told her. It all seemed so unbelievable - and yet, it seemed per
fectly logical. Buffy and the other Masters had always warned her of the temptat
ions of the Dark Side - could that in actuality be the temptations from the dark
place in her heart, like Willow had suggested? The idea scared her more than a
little bit - she was acutely aware of how much pain and suffering she had gone t
hrough in her short life - the death of her mother; Buffy's sacrifice and Willow
's disappearance to keep her safe; the death of so many potential Slayers, inclu
ding Amanda, in Sunnydale; the fear of losing the ones she loved - a fear that h
as become so prevalent in her mind that she began pushing everyone away; the unc
ertainty of her own existence. These things, these secret fears and angers, she
kept them buried, locked away in the back of her mind and heart. Could these thi
ngs really be the fuel for the Dark Side? Could accepting them and living with t
hem be the ultimate way to defeat it?
So engrossed in her thoughts was Dawn that she ran head first into Fred, who her
self rounded a corner fully distracted. The two cried out in surprise as they bo
th tumbled to the floor.
"Ouch!"
"Oh!" Fred exclaimed, helping Dawn up as she herself staggered to her feet. "Dar
n, Dawn! I'm sorry!"
"It's okay, Fred. Really." Dawn offered the other woman a tentative smile. "I gu
ess both of our heads were in the clouds."
"Yeah," Fred replied. "Actually, I'm glad I ran into you. The latest expedition
to the Jedi Universe. They got some intell that you and the rest of the Jedi nee
d to hear."
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"So, what is it?" Anakin asked.
It was not even nine o'clock the following morning when Dawn found Anakin and as
ked him to convene the Council, promising big new that would require a Council d
ecision. And here they all sat as Fred, Dawn and Olee Starstone stood in front o
f them in the Council chambers presented what Dawn claimed was Earth-shattering
news.
"Well," Fred began, "as you know, we've been sending expeditions into your galax
y ever since we were able to adapt the PPG's to port to specific planets."
"Yes, we know," Master Chatak interrupted. "That's how you were able to obtain a
ll of the medical supplies and equipment, among other pieces of technology."
"Exactly. Also during this time, we've been cultivating an information network t
o keep us apprised of the situation. One of those contacts is a man named Karrde
. He's a smuggler; he's in charge of a modest operation that's building quite a
reputation. We've followed his information a few times and every time it's panne
d out. On the last mission, he informed Wesley of a cache of Jedi artifacts bein
g held in a secure facility - artifacts including the remaining pieces of your a
rchives."
The Masters were astonished at that and began talking amongst themselves. "I tho
ught the archives were destroyed," Master Kilwallen stated, looking at Olee. The
young Knight nodded.
"When the situation became untenable, I sent a signal that should have destroyed
the entire thing. It is possible, however, that the signal was interrupted or b
locked. If that is the case, then Palpatine may have the complete knowledge of t
he Jedi at his fingertips."
"I'm SO not feelin' that," Buffy muttered. Teryl nodded in agreement.
"The knowledge of the Jedi in the hands of a Sith - I hate to admit it, but the
very thought disgusts me," she said.
"Well, that's why we're here," Dawn interrupted. "I have an idea on how to get t
he archives and every other artifact he has, away from Palpatine."
Buffy stared warily at her sister. "Go on."
"Fred has been refining the PPG's so we can use them for bulk transport. We hope
to eventually be able to send large groups of people with them..."
"But we already did that," Teryl pointed out. "We did that when we got here."
Dawn shook her head. "We used a traditional portal to come here. However, those
types of portals aren't the most efficient way to transport people or materials
because they usually require a ritual and at least one magically inclined person
involved in the creation of the portal. The personal portal generators were cre
ated to bypass that. The drawback, up till now, has been that only one or two pe
ople could go through at a time - any more, and the fabric between realities beg
an to become unstable and we risked a 'key' event, where all barriers begin to b
reak down. However, Fred has been able to refine the PPG's enough that we can no
w send large shipments across the dimensional barrier with minimal risk of an ev
ent."
"Unfortunately, right now it only works for non-living matter, though that shoul
d be fine for the mission," Fred interjected. Dawn nodded in agreement.
"The plan is simple. We have several cases of the small portal generators that a
re linked to a central control pad. A small team will port into the storage loca
tion and attach the units to all of the artifacts. Now, our intelligence says ha
t the archive holocrons are packed away in storage crates, so it should be easy
to tag them as well. After we do that, we simply activate the PPG's simultaneous
ly and transport all of the artifacts back here to the Council's storage vault.
Once that's done, we merely have to hide and wait for about ten, fifteen minutes
before the dimensional barrier is stable enough to transport the team back," Da
wn smiled. "Easy-peasy, japaneesie. In and out in under thrity minutes."
"What of security?" Obi-Wan asked. "Surely Palpatine would have these artifacts
heavily guarded."
"That's the best part. The complex is heavily guarded - on the outside. All entr
ances and exits are covered, but there aren't any storm troopers inside the actu
al space."
"And where is this 'space', Padawan?" Roan asked, leaning forward. "Because I ha
ven't been able to not notice the fact that you've been carefully omitting that
little detail from your report."
Dawn took a breath. "It's the old Jedi Temple on Coruscant."
The Council immediately started talking amongst themselves until Buffy's voice r
ang out.
"So let me get this straight. You want to lead a small team of Jedi into the Jed
i Temple, not one mile away from the most powerful Sith Lord in existence, to re
cover the Jedi's artifacts and archives." She paused and leaned forward in her c
hair. "Are you out of your mind?"
"I'm not the one in the family with the history of mental illness, Master," Dawn
shot back. "And I didn't say I'd lead it, I was just laying out the plan..."
"You implied that you were going to lead the team, Dawn," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"Well, I didn't mean to..."
"No, you did," Buffy interjected. "But there are two problems with this plan. Wh
ile I agree that we need to get the archives away from Palpatine, we need more i
nformation. We need to send our infiltrators into Coruscant to get some independ
ent confirmation."
"I agree," Roan said.
"And I second," Teryl added. The Masters all nodded in agreement. Dawn frowned.
"We may not have time to wait, Masters," she said. "The archives were boxed up -
that implies that Palpatine is preparing to move them. If we don't go in now, w
e may never have the chance again."
Buffy narrowed her eyes at her charge. "Let's get this straight, Padawan. You wi
ll NOT undertake any mission for the Jedi Council without our express permission
. And we will not grant you that permission until we are all satisfied that you
are stable."
"Again, I point out I wasn't the one who was committed to a mental institution,
Master."
"You're emotions have become increasingly erratic, Dawn," Obi-Wan pointed out. "
Ever since Vi died, your attitude has been belligerent, even violent at times. Y
our team has fallen into disarray, your training ahs suffered and let's not even
talk about Zett."
"I've had issues," Dawn ground out. "I'm dealing with them."
"Not well enough," Anakin pointed out. "There's still a lot of turmoil in you. W
e can all sense it."
"Consider yourself suspended Dawn, pending a full evaluation by this Council. Un
til that happens," she raised her voice over Dawn's objections, "you are to rema
in in the Council complex, working on your training. Do you understand me, Padaw
an?"
"What about my Council duties?" Dawn ground out. "I'm a senior Watcher. I've got
responsibilities."
"You will carry those out for now. But I will be talking to Sir Nigel about putt
ing you on leave." Buffy looked hard at her sister. "Do you understand?" Dawn no
dded curtly. "Good. Olee, please stay behind for a few minutes. Fred, Dawn, you
are dismissed."
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Dawn stalked into Fred's office and instantly plopped herself down in front of a
computer terminal. Fred came in behind her, desperately trying to put a positiv
e spin on things for Dawn.
"Well, just look on the bright side! You get a few days rest, pull yourself toge
ther and come back in fighting form! Heck, you can even spend time patching thin
gs up with Zett!"
"I doubt he'd have me back after what I said to him," Dawn muttered, typing away
.
"Pfsh," Fred said dismissively. "The man loves you. Sure, he's not in the best s
tate of mind, but I'm sure if you just talk to him, you two can work things out.
"
Dawn hit print on the computer and moved over to the printer. Grabbing the sheet
, she thrust it at Fred. "Yeah? Well, it'll have to wait until I get back."
Fred looked at the paper and paled. "Dawn, no....no, no-no-no..."
"Fred..."
"This is SUCH a bad idea..."
"FRED!" Dawn shouted. Once she had the tech's attention, she continued. "I am a
Senior Watcher on this Council. As such, I have full discretion on any and all m
issions I plan to implement. Which now includes my Temple raid. That order," she
pointed to the paper, "is valid and I expect the materials to be loaded and rea
dy to go within the hour, before Buffy talks to Lord Ambrose-Bellairs and gets m
e canned."
"Why don't you just wait for them to clear you, Dawn? Why not just wait?"
"Because time is a luxury I don't have, Fred. And I need to know," her voice dro
pped till it was barely a whisper. "I need to know if I can still do it. I need
to know if I can control myself, if I'm really stable enough be a Watcher or a J
edi."
Fred sighed in defeat. "Oh, alright. Give me an hour to get things together."
"Thanks, Fred," Dawn said, then turned and walked out. Fred sighed once more.
"I got a bad feeling about this..."
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Dawn made her way back to her room and quickly moved to her computer. She sat in
silence for a few moments, contemplating what to write.
"She doesn't want to be a Watcher, I think." Vi had told Buffy three years ago.
They hadn't known it at the time, but she had heard every word. "She enjoys work
ing with the girls, myself included, I hope. But she doesn't like sitting on the
sidelines, writing reports. She doesn't like watching her Slayers get beat up.
I think she mainly does it to make sure we get treated fairly. And to metaphoric
ally spit in the face of Sir Nigel."
Vi had been right. Dawn hadn't liked to be a Watcher. But she had done it noneth
eless, hoping to get fair treatment for the girls, hoping to keep them safe.
So much for that idea.
Coming to a decision, she quickly wrote the letter, printed it, sealed it in an
envelope and placed it on her nightstand. She then stripped and moved to her clo
set. She pulled out a pair of black leather pants and a black turtleneck and put
them on. Finally she moved to her dresser and gathered her infiltration kit - b
lack gloves, lock pick, set of stakes, throwing knives, and strapped them all on
to her body. Finally she picked up her lightstaff and slipped it into her specia
lly-designed back holster. Taking one final look around, Dawn slipped out of her
room and headed back to Fred's lab.
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It was nighttime on Coruscant when Dawn arrived in the remains of the Jedi Templ
e. As the intelligence had said, the only guards were posted at the exits and en
trances - far away from the central chamber where the Emperor was storing the Je
di artifacts. Dawn immediately noticed how everything was packed and stacked.
"Probably going to move it in the next few days," Dawn muttered to herself, quie
tly putting down the two large cases that carried the tags. "Time to go to work.
"
It only took Dawn thirty minutes to attach the PPG tags to all of the crates and
loose artifacts. Once she did that, she retrieved the control tablet from the c
ase and turned it on. The display screen showed green lights on all of the PPG's
. She quickly took out three of the extra devices and attached two of them to th
e cases, keeping the third on herself. She ran one last diagnostic, made sure to
disconnect her PPG from the networked group and then stepped into the middle of
the room. Without any further hesitation, she hit the activation button on the
tablet.
The room lit up in a blinding flash of purple and white energy and, as one, ever
ything Dawn had tagged seemed to shrink as it was pulled into the cloud of energ
y until there was nothing left. And then the portals snapped shut, leaving the r
oom in total darkness once more. Dawn sighed in relief.
"Ten more minutes and I'm home. No-"
A crimson blade suddenly flashed into existence, piercing the control tablet and
coming to a halt inches from her throat.
"-problem," Dawn squeaked.
"I'm afraid you have a BIG problem, girl," a feminine voice growled. Dawn squint
ed to see the face of her assailant past the glowing red blade. "Those things yo
u just - whatevered - belong to Palpatine, Emperor of the Galactic Empire. You W
ILL return them now," the blade lowered slightly so that Dawn could get a clear
look at her face, "or I will make you suffer for taking them."
Dawn gaped. The woman in front of her... it couldn't be! But that slim build, th
e soft face with flowing red hair and green eyes...
"Willow?"
Those familiar green eyes seemed to flash with anger. "Willow? What do you know
of Willow?"
"She's my friend," Dawn said slowly. "But you're not her..."
"Of course not!" the woman snarled. "I want nothing to do with that deserter, th
at traitor! It's bad enough that she's my mother..."
Dawn was torn between being astounded and horrified. This woman was Willow's dau
ghter? "Yeah," she said at length, "I guess that doesn't make you the most popul
ar person around here, whoever you are."
"I'm liked well enough to become the Emperor's Hand. You may call me Mara Jade."
The blade moved back up towards Dawn's face. "Now, bring it all BACK."
Dawn slowly raised her hands up over her head in what she hoped was interpreted
as a non-threatening gesture, though she was subtly shifting her right hand lowe
r to reach her lightstaff in its holster. "Well, gee Mara. I'd love to bring it
back, but you see that tablet you just destroyed? That controlled the whole tran
sportation process. So I guess your Emperor's up the proverbial shit-creek."
"Then you're in for a world of hurt, little girl. And after I'm done with you, I
'll turn you over to my Master. And if you're lucky, you won't survive long enou
gh to meet the Emperor..."
Now! Dawn thought as she quickly whipped out her lightstaff and ignited one blad
e, bringing it down and out to bat away Mara's crimson blade. Dawn followed that
up with a spin as she activated the other blade, bringing it up and swinging fo
r Mara's head. "Little girl? Don't you know what I am?" she asked the astonished
Hand as she blocked Dawn's swing. Dawn spun again, ducked under Mara's return s
wing, and thrust her leg up, sending her boot into the redhead's jaw.
"I'm a Jedi, bitch!"
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The two women went at it tooth and nail, neither giving nor taking quarter. Mara
fought to kill, knowing it would please both of her Masters to destroy a thing
they both loathed. Dawn fought hard, knowing if she let her guard down for an in
stant, she would die. So Dawn fought harder than she had ever fought, relying on
everything Buffy, Anakin, Obi-wan and all of the rest of the Jedi had taught he
r. Mara swung high and Dawn blocked and then brought her low blade up towards Ma
ra's gut. Mara leapt back and thrust out with the Force, sending Dawn hurting ba
ck across the room and into a stun field that blocked off the doorway to the out
er corridor. She grunted in pain as she was thrown forward a few feet where she
landed in a heap on the floor.
Just have to hold out for a few more minutes, she thought to herself as she stag
gered to her feet. She noticed a cable on the ground running into the wall at th
e blocked-off door and sliced it in two with her lightstaff, instantly cutting t
he power to the stun field. Warily the young Padawan backed out of the main room
as Mara aggressively stalked her.
"So, you're a Jedi?" she said dismissively, attacking once more. The fury behind
the attacks took Dawn by surprise and she blocked desperately as the Hand batte
red at her defenses. "Gotta say, girl. Not what I was expecting."
"Yeah? And what were you expecting?" Dawn gasped, gritting her teeth and blockin
g a high swing. She tried to follow up with a side strike at Mara's waist, but s
he clocked it, spinning around and thrusting her lightsaber behind her - straigh
t into Dawn's abdomen. Dawn gasped in surprise at the nearly overwhelming pain t
hat exploded in her side, but before she could even scream Mara pulled the blade
out and reached out with the Force, slowly crushing her neck as she lifted Dawn
into the air.
"I was expecting some skill. Talent, even," she said as she slowly choked the li
fe out of the injured girl. "Quite frankly, after all of the stories Master Halc
yon told me, I was expecting more than some half-trained girl with no power." Wi
th contempt she Force -tossed the girl back through the doorway into the main ha
ll, where she thudded to the ground and skidded a few feet before finally coming
to a rest. She looked down at the deactivated lightstaff she had dropped and ki
cked it away, then stalked back towards the fallen Jedi.
Dawn groggily looked up as the Emperor's Hand stalked towards her. Just a few mo
re minutes! Dawn practically screamed to herself. Come on, Dawn! You're a Jedi a
nd a Watcher! It's your job to think of ways out of spots like these! THINK! Daw
n's eyes darted around and instantly she spotted the power cable. The cable powe
rs the stun field. If I can force her back into the doorway, I could use Force l
ightening to light that field up and send Mara to bed. The only problem with tha
t plan was calling on the Force lightening - she had always been taught that it
was a Dark Side power. And what if Willow is right? She thought to herself. Is i
t dark if I don't intend to harm her with it?
Mara was now two feet past the door. Now or never, Dawn. Gathering her strength,
Dawn grasped for the three throwing knives strapped to her chest and loosened t
hem. Mara acted just as Dawn had suspected she would - she leapt back in a grace
ful back flip, landing directly in the center of the doorway. With little effort
she batted away the knives and sneered.
"Is that the best you've got?"
"No, not really," Dawn said through gritted teeth as she grasped the cable. Inst
antly she let the Force flow through her, forcing it out through her hand as the
devastating lightening that had taken her sister's arm.
But this lightening wasn't meant to fry flesh.
The raw power flowed through the cable and instantly the stun field lit up - wit
h Mara dead center in it. She screamed in pain as the stun field seemed to overl
oad every cell in her body at once. After a few moments Dawn let go of the cable
, instantly ceasing the lightening. The stun field died and Mara collapsed on th
e ground, unconscious.
How's that for intent, Will? Dawn thought as she painfully climbed to her feet.
Her left hand instantly grabbed for her wounded side and Dawn was grateful that
the lightsaber cauterized the wound. At least I won't bleed to death. Well, inte
rnally may be a different story. Dawn wearily reached out with the Force and cal
led her lightstaff to her, though she almost missed catching it in her exhausted
state. Looking down at the watch on her wrist, she groaned.
Still got five minutes to wait. What's that noise? It only took Dawn a few momen
ts to realize the clomping sound she was hearing was dozens of boots plodding to
wards her. Great. There's no way I can hide form a full company of troops. Guess
I'll have to go home now. Reluctantly she pulled the PPG from her belt. Boy, I
got a bad feeling about this... she thought to herself as she activated it.
The normally serene purple and white energy cloud exploded to life in turbulent
form as blue blots of energy crackled around it . Dawn screamed in pain as the p
ortal seemed to tear her apart at the molecular level ripping her to shreds as i
t sucked her into its violent maw. Then with a loud BANG, the portal snapped shu
t, leaving the hall and its one unconscious occupant in the dark once more.
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There was a violent flash of purple and white light and suddenly Dawn appeared i
n the bowls of the Council, where she promptly collapsed. She was a mess - dozen
s of bruises, several fractured bones and a smoldering hole in her side from a l
ightsaber blade. The young Jedi gasped for breath, looking around frantically at
her surroundings. She noted dimly that at least all of the artifacts had arrive
d. Whether or not they were intact would have to be investigated when she was in
no danger of actually dying.
She was alone. She was in the darkened basement of the Council, where nobody kne
w to look for her. And worse, her strength was fading. It wasn't supposed to go
like this, she thought to herself. It was supposed to be in and out, no alarms,
no patrols. Nobody was going to know what I did. Boy, did I fuck up...Dawn took
a shallow breath, attempting to center herself and reached out to the one person
she knew would hear her.
Zett, hear me...
TBC...
Episode 4 Chapter 4 Part 2
Dawn's Lament
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Zett Jukassa couldn't stop thinking about Dawn.
It was illogical, he knew. It was over between the two of them. That much she ha
d made clear. But he still didn't understand why.
Zett had been given to the Jedi as a newborn by his parents and raised in the st
rict confines of the Jedi Temple. He had never known love; his experiences with
Dawn had been his first taste of a romantic relationship, as well as his first r
eal attachment. Dawn had truly opened his eyes, showing him what it was like to
love and be loved...
And then, inexplicably, she ripped it all away. And for the life of him, he coul
dn't understand it.
"And then one time, at band camp...oh, forget it. He's not even listening to me,
" an irritable voice said, snapping Zett's attention back to the here and now.
"Band camp? Where the hell did you get that from?"
"I hear the Slayers saying it on occasion. It's probably one of the things we mi
ssed while we were 'away'."
The Jedi Knight was seated in Master Skywalkers' personal quarters at her insist
ence, along with Xander and, much to his discomfort, Willow. While Dawn had trie
d to warm him up to the former Sith, Zett could never forget what she had done a
t the temple or how many lives she had taken that night. Still, Willow had made
remarkable strides over the years in trying to atone for the past. She and her t
eacher, Tara, had helped Dawn's team out of more scrapes than he could remember
and for that he had earned his gratitude. Still, it was a bit...odd... to be sit
ting here as she tried to comfort him.
"My apologies, Master. My mind was elsewhere..."
"Yeah, on my sister," Buffy sighed. "Listen, Zett - Dawn's going through some to
ugh times right now. Vi was her friend - I might even say best friend - and her
loss devastated her. She's taking her anger and frustration out on everyone arou
nd her and unfortunately you got caught in the crossfire."
"I know everybody is saying to just give her time," Xander added. "But that's th
e best idea right now. Once she works through this, she'll come around."
"Dawn loves you, Zett," Willow added. "I'm not sure if she even fully realizes i
t. But I can tell in the ay she looks at you, the way she talks about you. Don't
give up on her, Zett."
Zett smiled sadly. "I don't intend to. But I must say that life was easier befor
e we were allowed attachments."
"The really good things are worth fighting for, Zett," Buffy said. "And sometime
s, they're worth suffering for-" Buffy hissed suddenly, feelings of pain and des
pair flooding her senses through the Force. Likewise Willow suddenly doubled ove
r, the pain too intense for her fractured Force control. As for Zett...
Zett, hear me...
"Dawn...." he whispered. Then like a shot, he was on his feet and out the door,
with Buffy and Willow right behind him. Xander, alarmed by the sudden change of
mood, took off soon after.
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With Dawn's pain still fresh in his mind, Zett tore through the halls of the Wat
cher's Council. Dimly he noticed other Jedi moving through the halls, no doubt c
alled by the same disturbance in the Force he was. Though he doubted if they kne
w what was causing it.
Zett came up to the second floor balcony and without stopping leapt over the rai
ling, using the Force to carry him down to the first floor. Buffy and Willow fol
lowed, leaving a panting Xander behind. Groaning in frustration, he leapt up ont
o the banister and slid the whole way down, landing less than gracefully at the
bottom.
"Damn super powers..." Xander grumbled, hauling himself to his feet. He saw the
door the lower level stairway was open and made for it.
"Xander!" The carpenter turned and saw Anakin and Padmé heading for him. "What's g
oing on?"
"Something happened to Dawn. Everybody's heading down..."
"Lead the way," Anakin interrupted and the three headed for the stairwell.
Zett burst through the stairwell door and looked down. While the original manor
the Council had set up shop in had an underground level that was originally used
for servant quarters and laundry rooms, in more recent years there had been sev
eral underground additions to the manor, including an armory, a simulated traini
ng course and several large storage vaults for dangerous or valuable artifacts.
Closing his eyes, Zett tried to focus on Dawn through the Force. It took him onl
y moments to find her in the lowest vault, five floors below. Without hesitation
he leapt over the railing, letting himself fall between the stairs and using th
e Force to control his decent. He landed gracefully at the bottom and dimly note
d that Buffy and Willow landed right behind him. Without a thought, he reached o
ut to the heavy locked vault door through the Force and ripped it off of its hin
ges, sending it crashing into the all besides them. The three ran into the room
- and were stopped short by what they saw.
Crates. Dozens and dozens of crates, along with artwork, statues....
"Holy Hannah," Willow murmured. Buffy groaned.
"She went. She disobeyed our orders and went. Of all of the times to be a rebell
ious teen..."
Zett wasn't focused on their conversation; instead he was glancing around franti
cally for his fallen lover. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, he spi
ed a pair of feet lying on the ground.
"DAWN!" he yelled running over to her fallen body and sliding to a halt besides
her. "Dawn! Dawn, come on! Wake up!" he screamed, shaking her .The fallen girl g
roaned and weakly opened her eyes.
"Hi," she said hoarsely. "Knew you'd hear me. Sorry..."
"Don't talk, Dawn. Just stay awake. MASTER!" Zett called out behind him, "She's
over here! She needs a medical team NOW!"
Buffy came around to where the two Jedi lay and covered her mouth in shock. "Oh,
God," she breathed, looking at her badly beaten sister. She turned at once to W
illow. "Can you..."
"I'm on it," the witch said, falling to her knees next to Dawn and placing her h
ands on her. Instinctively she let the Force, along with her own magic, flow thr
ough her and into Dawn, trying her best to heal the girl's injuries. After a few
moments, she frowned.
"I can stabilize her," she announced as Xander, Anakin and Padmé entered. Anakin's
eyes widened in alarm when he saw Willow kneeling over an injured Dawn.
"What are you doing?" he demanded harshly.
"She's trying to save our sister!" Buffy spat back. "So let her work!"
"I can stabilize her," Willow said again patiently, "but I can't heal her like I
did Shmi. There are massive internal injuries, and not all of them were from th
e fight she was in."
"Portal...wasn't stable...." Dawn groaned in pain. "Couldn't wait....had to leav
e early... fells like...I'm leaving...again...."
"You're not going anywhere, Dawn!" Zett said forcefully. "Stay with us!"
"Sorry...I can't stay...love you, Zee..." Dawn murmured, her voice trailing off
as the darkness took her once more.
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One Week Later
Willow sat in her darkened room, staring off into nothing. Beside her was a cold
cup of tea that she had hardly touched; on the table in front of her, several v
olumes of magical texts that Tara had dropped off several days ago. It had been
a week since they had found Dawn, bloodied and broken in the Council's vault. Wi
llow couldn't help but remember the helplessness and fear she had felt as she de
sperately tried to save her young friend.
"Penny for your thoughts, sweetie?"
Willow sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I thought my locking charms were st
ronger."
"I've taught you everything you know about magic, sweetie," Tara said, closing t
he door behind her and stepping into the darkened room. "But I haven't taught yo
u everything I know."
"Huh," Willow sighed. "I just can't help but think...that I could have done more
..."
"By doing what? Tapping into your Dark Side?" Tara asked gently. Willow shook he
r head emphatically.
"No! Never that. I know now that NOTHING good could ever come out of the Dark Si
de. It's just..."
"That you feel like you didn't do enough." Willow nodded. "Sweetie, you did ever
ything you could have done. You did more than you were able to do with Shmi, fro
m what you tell me. Find happiness in that. Willow," Tara moved to kneel in fron
t of the older witch, "you have come so far from the broken woman you were when
you came back. Your magical knowledge has grown by leaps and bounds. In fact, I'
m afraid there's very little left I can teach you."
"But I believe there is some thing I can teach you."
Willow looked up in alarm at the source of the other voice - and finally noticed
the tall figure of Anakin Skywalker lurking in the shadows by the door. Tara sm
iled.
"I'll leave you two alone," she said serenely, wagging a finger playfully at Ana
kin. "You be nice."
Anakin nodded and Tara slipped out of the room, leaving the two alone in awkward
silence. After a few moments, Anakin cleared his throat.
"Well, this is a bit awkward for me." Willow couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yeah. Me, too." Another pause. "So, what brings you to the dark side of the moo
n?" Willow cringed. "Bad choice of words, there."
"It's alright," Anakin said. "This is difficult for me, Willow. You hurt me. You
forced me to kill my colleagues, my friends, my family..." Anakin sighed. "But
at the same time, you saved my mother. And you saved my sister..."
"I should have been able to do more for her," Willow argued.
"If you hadn't stabilized her," Anakin pointed out, "Dawn would have died."
She knew he was right. Thanks largely to her efforts; Dawn's vitals had been sta
bilized shortly after the girl had passed out for the final time. It was then up
to Zett and Buffy to bring her up to the Councils' medical ward, where she was
immediately immersed in their recently acquired bacta tank. The miracle liquid h
ad done its work well and after only four days Dawn had been well enough to be t
aken out of the tank and placed on a medical bed. Dr. Soren, the recently found
Jedi that had gathered the medical equipment and come across the barrier with it
, had pronounced that Dawn should awaken within a few days and be well enough to
leave within another week.
"I know," Willow sighed. "I just wish I could have spared her the pain."
"We learn from our pain, Willow. Of all of the people here, we know that better
than most."
"I don't envy her when she wakes up," Willow chuckled mirthlessly. "Buffy is pis
sed."
"And worried. Never a good combination on her," Anakin added. "Look, Willow - th
e reason I came today is because Buffy cornered me the other day and told me, in
no uncertain terms, that it was time to put aside my anger at you and learn to
work with you. And perhaps she is right. I'm not saying I like you, or that I co
mpletely trust you," he added, drawing a crestfallen look from the witch, "but I
am learning to respect you. And I am grateful to you for helping my family." Th
e Jedi Master sighed. "And, quite frankly, I need your help."
"My help?"
"I am having...difficulty... teaching my students about the Dark Side. They need
to be better prepared, Willow. They need to learn of the Dark Side so they can
overcome it. I would like your help in teaching them."
Willow was floored. "I-I would be happy to help!"
"Good," Anakin said. "There is also something else..." he took a moment to compo
se himself and then looked Willow dead in the eye. "I would like you to become m
y apprentice."
Willow felt as if her jaw had hit the floor. "Your - what?"
"My apprentice," Anakin repeated. "We both know that, no matter how you try to d
eny it, you are attuned to the Force. One of the biggest mistakes the old Counci
l made was not training you when they had the chance and I would like to make up
for that."
"But my training with Tara..."
"It was Tara's idea, actually," Anakin interrupted. "She told me that she's just
about taught you everything she could and that you could only benefit from true
 Jedi training. It won't be easy - you hurt Padmé and I dearly and it will take mu
ch to make up for that. But perhaps by doing this, we can repair what friendship
we had - and you and Padmé can get closer once more."
"I've tried very hard to pull myself from the Force, Anakin," Willow said at len
gth. "But perhaps you're right. Things are happening and I sense that the war we
've been preparing for is looming." She looked up at him and smiled. "Dark and d
ifficult times lie ahead. And it's time to choose between what right and what's
easy."
"You're quoting Harry Potter now?"
Willow smirked. "Who do you think suggested to Dawn that she give the books to R
oan?"
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The first thing Dawn was aware of was pain.
It wasn't too terrible, though. And it certainly wasn't as bad as it was before
she had passed out in the vault. It was a dull pain that radiated throughout her
entire body, centering mostly in her lower abdomen.
I got stabbed, she remembered, by that woman - Mara Jade, I think her name was?
She stabbed me, on Coruscant-
Realization sunk in. Oh, boy. Buffy is going to be pissed...
Dawn groaned softly and forced her eyes opened. She noticed immediately she was
in the medical ward and from the sunlight pouring through the windows, she judge
d it was about noontime. Dawn moved to sit up and her arm brushed against someth
ing. She looked over to see Zett's head lying peacefully on the side of the bed.
The poor boy had been sitting by her side and must have fallen asleep, Dawn rea
soned as she began to gently stroke his hair. After a few moments, Zett began to
wake.
"Whuzza?" he mumbled, raising his head. He smiled when he saw Dawn smiling back
at him. "Hey."
"Hey yourself," Dawn rasped back and then started coughing. Zett grabbed a pitch
er of water and a glass that he had set aside for her and poured her a glass. Da
wn took it gratefully and drank.
"Easy, drink it slowly," Zett chided as Dawn coughed again. "I didn't help save
you from mortal wounds just so you could choke to death on water."
"Sorry 'bout that," Dawn said, struggling to sit up. Zett obliged her and helped
. "Thanks," she said, trying to make herself comfortable. She winced at the pain
in her side. "How long was I out?"
"A week," Zett replied. "Me and Buffy have been in here twenty-four seven. She j
ust left a few hours ago, actually. As for what's been going on - you made Stars
tone's day when you brought back those artifacts. She's been working non-stop, c
ataloguing everything and integrating what she downloaded from the archives into
what you recovered. It looks like Palpatine managed to save the entire archives
- how much he's looked at is unknown, but at least now he won't have them to lo
ok at anymore."
"That's one in my favor."
"But you're still in serious trouble, Dawn," Zett said seriously. "What were you
thinking, disobeying the Council? I've heard they're talking about excommunicat
ing you!"
"Don't worry about that, I got everything covered," Dawn said, wincing a little
as she squirmed on the bed. "Listen, Zett...about what I said to you that night.
.."
"Forget it," Zett said quickly. "You were hurting, I know that."
"I was hurting," Dawn admitted. "Vi was my best friend here. When she died, it w
as like...it just felt like everybody I cared about was leaving me. First my mom
, then Buffy and Willow, Amanda... I couldn't deal if anybody else left me."
"I'm not leaving you, Dawn," Zett said earnestly, leaning in for a kiss. "I'm no
t going anywhere. Trust me."
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Buff stood in the Council chambers, looking blankly at the beautiful vista outsi
de the window. She closed her eyes and reached out through the Force to her sist
er and sighed gratefully as she sensed she was finally awake - then blushed when
she realized what she was doing with a certain young Jedi Knight. Pulling back,
she sensed another presence entering the room.
"Dawn's awake," Buffy announced, turning towards Obi-Wan. "And in good spirits,
apparently."
"Yes, well Zett did insist on being there when she awoke," Obi-Wan chuckled. "Th
ough I do hope they don't get too carried away - Dawn does need to recover, afte
r all."
Buffy's face scrunched up. "Thanks for that wonderful mental picture, Ben. The L
AST thing I want to think about is my sister's sex life."
The two stood in companionable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying one anot
her's company, before Obi-Wan spoke again.
"Why are you so uneasy, Buffy?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"I could feel it down the hall," Obi-Wan confirmed. Buffy sighed.
"I want to be so angry with her. Hell, I AM angry with her!" Buffy exclaimed. "B
ut, seeing her laying there, so close to death..."
"It was hard for you," Obi-Wan reasoned. "She's not just your sister; she's the
closest thing you have to a daughter."
"And I nearly saw another child of mine die." Tears started streaming down her f
ace and Obi-Wan pulled her close to himself for a hug. Buffy closed her eyes for
a brief moment as the comfort washed in waved over her.
"But she didn't die," he assured her. "She alive, safe and ready for tribunal at
a moments notice," he joked, getting a laugh from the Slayer. "Don't worry, Buf
fy. She's a tough as you and twice as resilient. She's going to be fine."
"Yeah, I know," Buffy pulled back slightly and looked up at Ben's face. "Thanks
for being here for me." Obi-Wan smiled softly.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you found her." His hand reached up to to
uch her face, to brush away her tears.
"It's okay..." Buffy said quietly, bringing her lips closer to his. "You're here
now, that's all that matters..."
They kissed.
It was a soft, sweet kiss, full of uncertainty and awkwardness on both parts. So
on though, the kiss deepened as years of repressed attraction coming to the fore
front. Absently, Buffy couldn't help but think how differently Obi-Wan kissed fr
om Jacen...
Jacen.
Abruptly Buffy pulled away. "I-I have to go," she said lamely, then took off out
of the room, leaving a flabbergasted Obi-Wan behind.
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"So, what do we do now, Master?" Willow asked Anakin as she turned on the lights
. "Do we begin training now or should we wait until you tell Padmé?"
"Padmé already knows," Anakin said. "She not too happy about it, but she understan
ds my reasons. As for training, I have this for you." He handed a small data tab
let to Willow, who took it with interest.
"My first day's training as a Jedi and you give me a reading assignment?" she as
ked. "My first day with Dooku, he gave me a sword."
"Yeah and look where that got you," Anakin shot back irritably. "Besides, I thin
k you'll like what's on there."
Willow glanced at the pad curiously as Anakin moved into the kitchenette. "Jedi
healing techniques," she read. "Some of this stuff is ancient."
"It's still viable," Anakin called out. "These arts were lost to the archives th
ousands of years ago, as most of them were replaced with bacta. Still, as it was
demonstrated when Dawn returned, there is still a place for the arts."
"Yes, I believe you're right..." Willow trailed off, reading through the informa
tion until suddenly the door slammed open. Willow looked up in irritation. "Okay
, Tara's GOT to teach me some more advanced locking charms..."
"Willow!" Buffy exclaimed, paying no attention to Anakin. "You won't believe wha
t I just did! I kissed Obi-Wan!"
Willow blinked and sat back in her seat, an unsurprised look on her face.
"About damn time," Anakin said, sipping on the drink he had fixed for himself. B
uffy looked over at her brother in surprise.
"What the Sith are you doing here?" she asked, then blanched. "Oh, boy. Bad choi
ce of words..."
"Don't worry, Buffy," Willow said dryly. "We put off galactic domination until n
ext Tuesday."
"I'm taking Willow on as my apprentice, so she can learn how to use the Force in
a positive way," Anakin explained. "As for you making out with my former Master
- as Spike would say, good on you, mate!" hr finished with an impish grin and a
thumbs up.
"This doesn't surprise you?"
"No, but it disturbs me. I mean, Obi-Wan's been like a father to me over the yea
rs and now my sister's macking on him..."
"Where did you learn the term 'macking'?" Willow asked, looking over to Anakin,
who shrugged in return.
"I watch 'Passions' with Spike. I'm bound to pick up a few things."
"While this is fascinating - and highly disturbing - can we get back to the prob
lem at hand?" Buffy said exasperatedly.
"What exactly is the problem, Buffy?" Willow asked. "You and Obi-Wan have always
gotten along. I thought more than once that you'd make a great couple."
"But what about Jacen?" Buffy asked in a small voice. "I feel like if I do this
with Obi-Wan, I'm forgetting him."
Anakin's face softened at that. "Buffy, you'll never forget him, as long as you
keep him in here," he said, pointing towards her heart. Willow nodded in agreeme
nt.
"Jacen would want you to be happy, Buffy. He'd want you to move on."
Buffy sighed. "Maybe... I just-" she was cut off by her comlink beeping. Anakin'
s beeped at the same time. Buffy raised her eyebrows at her brother, who pulled
out his comlink and activated it.
"This is Skywalker."
"Anakin, this is Kilwallen," the Jedi Master's voice spoke over the comlink. "Ha
ve you seen your sister?"
"Buffy's here with me, Ydra," Anakin replied. "What's going on?"
"Dawn has requested that we convene immediately," she replied. "I believe she wa
nts to get our judgment out of the way."
Buffy frowned, but held her tongue. Anakin nodded absently. "Very well, we'll be
there at once."
"There's more." There was a pause on the other end of the line before the Jedi s
poke again. "Dawn also requested something else. Your wife and Mr. Giles will al
so be attending and Dawn has requested...that Ms. Rosenberg attend."
"I'm here with her as well. We'll be there at once."
"Will Ms. Rosenberg be vertical?" Ydra asked dryly.
"I'll be any way you want, Ydra," Willow called out, causing Buffy to quickly st
ifle her laughter. There was a grumbling on the other end of the line before it
went dead. "Yeah, this will be fun," Willow observed, pulling herself to her fee
t. "Shall we?"
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Buffy, Anakin and Willow walked into the Council chambers to find all of the oth
er Masters, plus Padmé and Giles, already seated. Dawn was standing in the center
of the room, with Zett at her side supporting her.
"I'll stand in the back," Willow said quietly to Buffy, who nodded and headed fo
r her seat next to Obi-Wan.
She sat down and leaned over to Ben. "We'll talk later," she said quietly. He no
dded and then looked to Roan who took his cue.
"We are here to address the charges being brought against Dawn Summers, Padawan
to Master Buffy Summer-Skywalker. Due to the relationship between Master Skywalk
er and Apprentice Summers, I must ask Buffy to abstain from voting."
"I so abstain," Buffy replied, settling back in her chair. Roan nodded and turne
d to Zett.
"Knight Jukassa, you may leave."
Zett hesitated for a moment looking to Dawn, who nodded. "I'll be right outside,
" he whispered, then turned to the Council members and bowed in respect. Without
further words, he turned and walked out.
"Before we begin Dawn, I know you just woke up. If you would like to sit..."
"I'll be fine standing, Master," Dawn said earnestly.
"Very well," Master Sibwarra said. "Now Padawan, would you care to tell us why y
ou disobeyed a direct order from this Council?"
"Very simply - I never disobeyed your orders."
There was a minor furor with the Council members for a moment before Master Chat
ak leaned forward.
"Would you care to clarify your statement, Padawan?"
"I was told not to undertake any mission for the Jedi Council without your expre
ss permission."
"And you were suspended from active duty," Obi-Wan pointed out. Dawn nodded.
"However, I was not suspended from my duties as a Watcher. And as I stated, I di
d not disobey your orders, because my mission to Coruscant was not a mission for
the Jedi Council." She paused for a moment, waiting for it to sink in. She knew
it did when Anakin started to laugh.
Buffy turned to her brother with an incredulous stare. "You find something funny
about this?"
"Yes, actually," Anakin replied, getting himself under control. "Actually, I'm b
eginning to understand how Master Yoda and Master Windu used to feel about me. D
on't you see?" he asked, looking at each Master in turn, before settling on his
wife and Giles. "She didn't undertake this mission for the Jedi Council. She und
ertook it for the Watcher's Council."
"I don't recall any plans filed by you, Dawn," Giles said before he then realize
d something. "Of course, you wouldn't have to file..."
"Why not?" Buffy asked, looking to her former mentor.
"Dawn passed her qualifications for the Watcher's Council," Giles explained. "Du
e to her past experience in Sunnydale, and her relationships with the Sunnydale
survivors, she was classified as a Senior Watcher."
"Which means that I have full discretion on what missions I am to undertake for
the Watcher's Council," Dawn finished. "I write up the plans, I pick my team, I
get my equipment and I go. No need to go through the hierarchy."
"And what reasons could you have possibly had to classify this mission as a Watc
her Council mission, Dawn?" Padmé asked.
"The Jedi, sooner or later, are going back to reclaim their galaxy," Dawn explai
ned patiently. "To do that, they will need the Slayers and the Watcher's Council
's help. The archives I recovered alone will allow the younglings to learn so mu
ch more, which will increase their effectiveness and increase the overall effect
iveness of the Jedi/Slayer teams. Plus, I was able to remove valuable historical
references from the hands of an evil tyrant and gain some valuable intelligence
in return." She turned to Giles. "I know in doing this that I abused my authori
ty as a Watcher. Which is why I wrote this before I left." She pulled out a seal
ed envelope and handed it to Giles. "This is my letter of resignation from the W
atcher's Council. When you give it to Sir Nigel, you might want Doc Soren standi
ng by, in case he has a heart attack out of happiness."
Giles was at a loss for words as he opened the envelope and read the letter. Fin
ally, he found his voice. "Dawn-"
"Don't, Giles," Dawn cut him off forcefully. "I made my choice and I'm going to
face the consequences of my actions."
Giles nodded in defeat. "Very well, Dawn. I'll bring it to Sir Nigel."
"And I'll talk to him about organizing a new Watcher for your team," Padmé added.
"Before we go any further, there's something I have to tell you. Especially you,
Willow," she said, looking to the witch briefly before turning back to the Mast
ers. "My mission was almost a complete success. There were no guards in the stor
age area when I arrived - the Temple was completely deserted. I was able to affi
x the PPG's to he artifacts and send them through with no problem. It was only a
fter I did that that I ran into a problem - a girl, about my age, who called her
self the Emperor's Hand. She said her name was Mara Jade." She turned to look at
Willow. "And she said she was your daughter."
There was a shocked silence in the room and Padmé moved her eyes off of Dawn and o
nto Willow's shocked face. "My...daughter?"
"That's not possible," Padmé pointed out. "If she was as old as Dawn, then Willow
would have to have been pregnant at the same time I was."
"That evil, manipulative son of a whore!" Willow exclaimed. "She's a clone!"
"No, not a clone," Dawn said. "She looked like you, but not exactly like you. My
guess is Palpatine used your DNA along with someone else's he had a sample of -
who, I don't know - and grew her. Perhaps in a cloning tube or perhaps in a don
or mother. But I want you to know that she's out there and that she's been raise
d to consider you a traitor, a deserter and basically she hates you."
A deep sadness formed in Willows eyes and they lifted to meet Padmé's. Padmé flinche
d slightly when Willow said, "Well, at least your children know and love you."
"She also indicated she had more than one Master," Dawn continued. "I gathered t
hat all of the orders came from Palpatine, but she was being trained by someone
named Halcyon."
"That's impossible!" Anakin exclaimed. "I killed him at the temple!"
"It's possible that Palpatine sent another team through after we left to find su
rvivors for his experiments," Willow reasoned shakily. "If that's what happened,
then it's a good chance he successfully turned Nejaa."
"He wouldn't turn," Buffy said adamantly. Willow lowered her head in shame.
"I started the job, Buffy. It wouldn't take much more to finish it," Willow said
, glancing at Dawn. The girl was dangerously pale and it was obvious she was exp
ending a great deal of energy to remain standing. "Master, if I may - I think we
should wrap this up so Dawn can head back to the medical ward."
"Agreed," Roan said, looking around to the other Masters. "Well, as Anakin state
d, Dawn didn't actually disobey us - from a certain point of view. And since she
has resigned from the Watcher's Council, we don't have to worry about her doing
an end runaround against us again."
"Dawn," Teryl started, "I sense most, if not all, of the pain and confusion you
were feeling at our last meeting together has fled. Do you think your mission he
lped with that?"
"Actually, Willow helped me the most with that," Dawn said. "The mission only he
lped me see that I could still do the job without giving into my anger."
Teryl sat back in her chair. "I'll be frank with you, Padawan - I never like the
idea of training you. I felt that this was an experiment doomed to failure from
day one. This incident, however, has caused me to rethink that." She paused for
a moment before continuing. "You still have a lot to learn, Padawan. But you ha
ve learned more in these few short years that I ever dared to hope you would. Wh
at's more - you have faced the Dark Side and overcame it." She turned to the oth
er Masters. "It's my feeling that we should continue with our original idea - su
spension and counseling, coupled with time off to heal now."
"What's more," Master Chatak added. "Let it be stated clearly that anyone holdin
g the rank of Padawan shall not cross the barrier without express permission and
an escort from a Jedi, no lower than Master status." The Zabbrak turned to Dawn
. "Is that understood?"
"Yes, Master," Dawn replied, sweat starting to bead on her brow. Chatak noticed
this and frowned.
"There will be no further punishment. For now, Please call Zett back in here and
have him escort you back to the medical ward."
"Thank you, Masters," Dawn said and leaned forward to bow - and almost toppled f
orward as a result. Before Buffy could even get up to help, both Willow and Zett
were there to steady her.
"Okay, back to bed for you, love," Zett said softly, leading Dawn, with Willow,
out of the Council chambers. Buffy sat back and sighed.
"Those two are getting married someday," she mused.
"Pleasant thought, isn't it?" Anakin mused. "They get married, they'll have kids
 - who will be taller than you by the time they reach age three..."
"Funny," Buffy said sourly as the other Masters all rose.
"I need to go see Sir Nigel," Giles announced, turning to Padmé. "Care to join me?
"
Padmé stared at where her estranged sister had been standing moments before and th
en shook off her melancholy feelings and stood. "Right behind you, Mr. Giles."
One by one everybody moved out of the room, leaving only Buffy and Obi-Wan behin
d.
"Buffy, about what happened earlier-" he started, but was cut off as Buffy's com
link chirped. Buffy sighed (in relief or annoyance, she wasn't sure), and activa
ted the comlink.
"Buffy."
"Buffy, this is Fred," the Texans voice said anxiously over the com. "I just got
an urgent message from Tatooine - Owen and Beru's farm is under attack by Imper
ial Storm troopers!"
Buffy looked up at Obi-Wan in shock and then felt her resolve kick in.
"It's beginning," she stated, and as one the two Jedi ran out of the room.
Episode 4 Chapter 5
The Skywalker Legacy
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Owen and Beru Lars stood stock still in their living room as Imperial Storm Troo
pers ransacked their once-pristine home. Owen could do nothing but bite his tong
ue and hope the emergency transponder Buffy had given him worked. And the most i
ronic thing about this whole situation was the fact that they weren't after Luke
, like they had feared; but after the two droids they had bought yesterday.
Both Owen and Luke had recognized the droids at once when the Jawas brought them
out. Buffy had told him of how she had given Artoo-Deetoo and See-Threepio to B
ail Antillies and Luke had gotten to know the droids lately when they had paid v
isits to Leia on Alderaan during her recent apprenticeship with the Senator. So
when they had shown up in the presence of the scavengers, Owen knew he had to bu
y them back. His feelings of trepidation had only increased when Luke had stumbl
ed onto a partial message from his sister, beseeching the help of the Jedi. Luke
had immediately thought of old Quinn, the old hermit who lived out in the Jundl
and Wastes who had regaled Luke with stories of the Jedi of old and he had set o
ut, with the droids, to see him earlier this morning. Thankfully, it was after h
e left that the Storm Troopers showed up, commanded by an arrogant, cocky Lieute
nant who was taking an inordinate amount of joy in bullying the aging couple as
the troopers tore their home apart.
"If you told us what you were looking for, we might be able to help you find it.
WITHOUT tearing apart my home," Owen growled. Without hesitating, the Lieutenan
t backhanded Owen.
"You will speak only when spoken to, peasant," the Lieutenant drawled. "We know
you purchased two droids from some Jawas late yesterday afternoon. Where are the
y?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure they're not under the couch," Owen quipped, earning anoth
er backhand. "You're right. I did buy two droids. And I wanted them in tip-top s
hape, so I sent them with a farm hand into Anchorhead to get them checked out an
d have their memories wiped."
The Lieutenant narrowed his eyes. "That's unfortunate... for you," he said. "Tho
se droids are Imperial property and contain classified information needed by my
superiors. Since you willfully bought obviously stolen property..."
"Hey, I bought them from the Jawas legitimately!" Owen protested, but the Lieute
nant carried on without stopping, only raising his voice a little.
"And since you willfully destroyed Imperial military files by having their minds
wiped, you are obviously guilty of treason and sedition; the penalty of which i
s death." He snapped his fingers and three Storm Troopers came forward and raise
d their blasters at the couple. Beru held her head high and Owen held his ground
defiantly.
"You don't scare me, kid. I've faced worse things than you and your little croni
es cleaning off the vaporators."
"The problem with you backplanet simpletons is that you just don't have the prop
er respect for your government," the Lieutenant said cockily. "Rest assured, aft
er we've made an example of you, the rest of these mindless oafs will properly f
ear us. Eliminate them," he ordered the Storm Troopers, who aimed at the Lars'-
...And suddenly dropped as their heads were severed by a blade of pure silver en
ergy. The Lieutenant looked on in shock was the rest of his troopers fell to a g
lowing blue blade. The Lieutenant backed up, desperately trying to draw his hols
tered blaster as a blonde in what he believed to be Jedi robes came towards him,
her lightsaber held at the ready.
"Haven't you heard, son?" she asked as he desperately tugged on his weapon. "Peo
ple shouldn't be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of th
eir people."
The last thing he saw was the silver blade flashing at his neck as he finally dr
ew his blaster...
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Luke was in full panic mode, as his Aunt Buffy would say, as he made his way bac
k to the farm.
He had made it to the outskirts of the Jundland Wastes when Sandpeople started t
aking potshots at his landspeeder. Taking refuge in some cliffs, Luke had tried
to find where the Sandpeople were so he could go around them - and ended up bein
g jumped by one. The next thing he remembered was waking up with old Quinn leani
ng down over him, his long grey hair tied behind his head and his short beard ne
atly trimmed as always. Luke didn't know what happened to scare off the Sandpeop
le, but he wasn't really complaining either. When he was finally able to tell Qu
inn about why he had come to find him, the old hermit had suggested going back t
o the safer confines of his dwelling.
That's when they had spotted the smoke.
Making their way to the source, they had discovered the wrecked remains of a Jaw
a sand crawler. Further investigation had determined that it was the same Jawas
that had sold the two droids to Luke in the first place and, when Quinn had poin
ted out the attack looked to have been carried out by Imperial forces, all of th
e old warnings that had been instilled in him by his parents over the years had
kicked in and he had immediately set off for home.
And now he arrived there to see smoke billowing out of the courtyard. Moving qui
etly, he pulled out the old long necked blaster rifle from the land speeder and
softly made his way down he stairs. He paused before the final turn that would e
xpose him to the open and took a moment to compose himself. Then with a loud yel
l, Luke charged around the corner, the long barrel of the blaster rifle thrust f
orward like an old bayonetier.
In an instant, a silver blade of energy sliced the barrel clean in half and the
figure swiftly pirouetted and brought the blade up under Luke's neck, stopping h
im in his tracks.
"Luke, I'll ask you this only once." Buffy said calmly, switching off her lights
aber. "What in the fracking hell are you doing! Running in here like that, antiq
ue guns a' blazing?"
Luke stared wide-eyed at his Aunt, seeing her in a new light. Then his eyes move
d to the burning pile of bodies in the courtyard of his home. "Son of a Sow!" he
exclaimed. "Are those Storm Troopers? And why are you two carrying lightsabers?
" he added noticing for the first time the lightsaber hanging off of Obi-Wan's b
elt.
"Yes, those were Storm Troopers," Buffy said. "And if they had been alive, you'd
have been dead after a stunt like that!"
"What's going on? Where're Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru?" Luke demanded. Obi-Wan ste
pped forward and put a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder.
"Your Aunt and Uncle are fine, Luke. We sent them to stay with your parents for
a time. As for why we're carrying lightsabers..." he shrugged. "I'd thing that w
as self evident."
Luke shook his head in disbelief. "Uh-uh. No way. You two aren't...you can't be.
.."
"Jedi," Buffy confirmed. "Just like your father. And now you know why we could n
ever stay long - and why your father always had to leave."
"And now we must leave as well," Obi-Wan said, nodding to the burning pile of bo
dies. "When they don't check in, the Empire will send reinforcements."
"Wait, I can't leave!" Luke exclaimed. "I can't go back with you, not now! Somet
hing's happened to Leia!"
"We know, Owen told us," Buffy said. "When we said go, we meant go to Quinn. We
should be able to access the information in Artoo."
"My speeder won't hold all of us," Luke said. Buffy thought for a moment.
"Does Owen still have his old swoop bike?" she asked. "Ben and I can use that."
"It's in the garage," Luke replied.
"All right. Lead the way."
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In no time at all, Buffy and Obi-Wan were following Luke's speeder over the dese
rt sands on Owen's old swoop bike. Soon they came upon the burning wreckage of a
Jawa sand crawler and the three figures standing beside a burning pile of bodie
s.
"Master Qui-Gon," Buffy said formally, smiling as she bowed in respect. Obi-Wan
bowed in kind before the amused former Jedi knight as Luke stared on in amazemen
t. Qui-Gon chuckled good-naturedly.
"I do remind you that you both outrank me, Masters," he said, bowing in return.
He then turned to Luke. "You look surprised, Luke. You didn't think I made up al
l of those stories I've told you over the years, did you?"
"You....my Aunt Buffy...my father - is there anybody else who's a Jedi that I sh
ould know about?" Luke demanded, getting angry. "And why wasn't I told about thi
s! I had a right to know!"
"We're going to have to watch that temper of yours," Qui-Gon said. "As for your
answers, you shall have them. But let us move to more comfortable surroundings.
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A half hour later the small group found themselves in Qui-Gon's small hut on the
edge of the Wastes. As they got situated, Qui-Gon turned to Luke.
"You've known me for many years, Luke, as the crazy old hermit named Quinn. But
as you have surmised, I am much more than that. I was a Jedi Knight, the same as
your father. As was your Aunt Buffy; as was Ben."
"For over a thousand generations, the Jedi were the guardians of peace and justi
ce in the Old Republic," Obi-Wan added. "Before the dark times. Before the Empir
e. Now, we are all but extinct."
"And that is why we couldn't tell you, Luke. At least, part of the reason," Buff
y continued. "The Jedi have been hunted to the brink of extinction by Darth Vade
r and the Emperor's Hands. We couldn't let ANYBODY know who and what we really a
re."
Artoo let out an excited beep. "Mistress Buffy, Artoo wanted to remind you that
he does have an urgent communiqué from Senator Naberrie for the Jedi..."
"Yes, Threepio. Thank you," Buffy told the golden droid and then turned to Artoo
. "Artoo, play the message. Confirmation code Gamma-Epsilon-four-two."
Artoo beeped and whistled frantically and then the photoreceptor flared to life,
projecting the familiar image of Leia, former Princess of Naboo and current app
rentice Senator of Alderaan onto the floor of Qui-Gon's hut.
"Honored Jedi," she began, "years ago you served the Old Republic in the Clone W
ars. Now Senator Organa, once one of your staunchest supporters, begs you to aid
us again in our most desperate hour. I regret that I am unable to present my me
ntor's request to you in person but my ship has come under attack by Imperial fo
rces and my mission to meet personally with you has failed. Hence I have been fo
rced to resort to this secondary method of communication.
"Information vital to the survival of the Alliance has been secured in the mind
of this Artoo droid. Senator Organa will know how to retrieve it. I plead with y
ou to see this unit safely delivered to Alderaan."
She paused, and when she continued, her words were hurried and less laced with f
ormality. "Bail has assured me that you Quinn, and only you, know how to contact
the remaining Jedi. He has even gone so far as to tell me that you were a Jedi
once yourself. I do not know if this is true or not, but if it is I beg of you t
o help me. Help me Qui-Gon Jinn. You are my only hope."
The image faded out as the rest looked on in shock and sorrow.
"Ai ya, hwai luh," Buffy muttered to herself. Obi-Wan nodded in agreement and th
en looked over at Luke.
"You must learn the ways of the Force if you are to travel to Alderaan with us."
"What? Alderaan?" Luke asked, stunned. "What about Leia? We have to find her, re
scue her!"
"And we will, Luke," Buffy said, laying a placating hand on his shoulder. "But w
e have to move carefully now. Soon, the Emperor and his disciples will be able t
o sense our presence in the Force, making it dangerous for us to move about. If
we want any hope of getting her back, as well as getting out alive, we need to s
tart training you."
"And to that end, I think it's about time you've received this," Qui-Gon said, p
ulling a long, slender silver tube out of an old chest. "Your father wanted you
to have it, when the time finally came. I dare say it has."
Luke took the cylinder from Qui-Gon and studied it carefully. It consisted prima
rily of a short, thick handgrip with a couple of small switches set into the gri
p. Above this small post was a circular metal disk barely larger in diameter tha
n his spread palm. A number of unfamiliar, jewel-like components were built into
both handle and disk, including what looked like the smallest power cell Luke h
ad ever seen. The reverse side of the disk was polished to a mirror-like brightn
ess. But it was the power cell that puzzled Luke the most. Whatever the thing wa
s, it required a great deal of energy, according to the rating form of the cell.
He looked up from the strange device, and his eyes fell on an almost identical
device hanging off of Buffy's belt and realization dawned.
"His lightsaber?"
"Right in one," Buffy confirmed. Luke held the device out and hit the activation
switch, igniting the blue blade. "That is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as c
lumsy or random as a blaster. It's a more civilized weapon, from a more civilize
d time."
Luke deactivated the blade and set it down next to Threepio. After a moment he l
ooked back to the Jedi.
"Why has my parents been in hiding for so long? The truth, Aunt Buffy."
"The truth was that your father was a Jedi and a damn good one at that," Buffy s
aid at length. "Still is, for that matter. But here, now, being a Jedi is a crim
e. The Emperor wants us all dead. At the end of the Clone Wars, the Emperor put
into motion his plan to eradicate our order. He sent his two greatest apprentice
s - Darth Traya and Darth Vader - to the Jedi Temple to kill the Jedi, while he
sent a message to his troops to kill all of the Jedi that were in the field figh
ting for the Republic. Anakin and your mother managed to escape, but there was a
complication - the Emperor wanted him. He knew the only way to keep his family
safe was to leave this place and come back to Earth with me."
"But why would the Emperor want him?"
"Anakin is an exceptionally powerful Jedi, Luke," Qui-Gon explained. "And if the
re is one thing the Emperor craves, it's power. The longer he stays in this real
m, the more likely it is that he will be sensed through the Force. You remember
what I told you about the Force, don't you Luke?"
"Yeah, it's an energy field that bind all life together."
"Very good," Qui-Gon said. "The Jedi and the Sith can both use the Force to aid
them, as well as sense other Jedi or Sith through it."
"Though it's been proven that it's harder to find a Sith," Buffy added sourly.
"That's true," Qui-Gon conceded. "That is the reason why your parents left this
realm, Luke. Palpatine knew your mother and her presence in the Force is strong
for a non-Jedi. And your father stands out like a beacon."
"Then why didn't he take Leia and I?"
Buffy sighed heavily. "Luke, many years ago, I was told by someone I had never e
ven met that I had this great destiny. The same thing happened to your father an
d now the same thing is happening to you. Now I didn't want it. I resented him f
or telling me about it. But in the end, I was forced to embrace my destiny. As d
id your father and, as will I expect, you."
"I don't understand."
"We're both children of destiny, Luke. And now it's time for you to embrace your
s."
"By becoming a Jedi," Luke reasoned.
"In a way, yes," Obi-Wan said. "You will be the first of a new generation of Jed
i, Luke. Free of the constraints that bound the Jedi so rigidly that they were o
blivious to their own destruction until it was upon them."
"It's fallen to you to rebuild the Jedi Order, Luke," Qui-Gon said. "But to do t
hat, first you must become a Jedi. So the question is: will you embrace your des
tiny?"
Luke was silent for a few minutes before finally speaking.
"My parents are in exile and my Aunt and Uncle were just forced to join them. An
d right now my sister is in the hands of the Empire. So my choice seems clear."
He looked to Buffy. "I'm in."
Episode 4 Chapter 6
Ghosts in the Desert
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Disclaimer: See chapter one
Authors Note: Parts of this chapter were taken from the novelization of Star War
s Episode 4: A New Hope by George Lucas.
Special thanks to my Betas, Fallenstar2 and Winterd.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-----
-Death Star-
Leia Naberrie sat in her cell and contemplated what had brought her here. She ha
d been so careful, she thought. She had taken every precaution to mask any and a
ll communications coming into or going out of the Tantive IV-
Or so she thought.
She knew. The moment her vessel was captured by the Star Destroyer, she knew tha
t her life was over. She only hoped that they would kill her quickly and be done
with it. Her only real regret, other than not living to see the end of the Empi
re, was that she wouldn't be able to see her family one last time.
The door opened to her cell, bringing her out of her reverie. She looked up and
saw the familiar face of the Emperor's second in command, Darth Vader. Tall and
muscular, cloaked in black armor and a long black cape, his white hair cut short
and his beard neatly trimmed, the Dark Lord of the Sith looked almost civil as
he came into her cell. The - creature - who followed was another matter entirely
. Cloaked in the same black armor as Vader, the creature was also adorned with s
everal strange mechanical devices, topped off quite literally by a black mask. T
he sight of the expressionless mask, combined with the mechanical breathing of t
he respirator contained within, was said to cause many nightmares across the gal
axy to whoever was unfortunate enough to survive an encounter with him. Not much
was known about it - no one even knew if it was human. The only thing truly kno
wn was that it was a male, two meters tall, did the bidding of the Emperor and w
as called Halcyon.
"My dear Princess Leia," Vader started out, using her former title mockingly, "i
t has been some time since we last met. A session of the Senate, if I recall?"
"You recall correctly, Vader," Leia replied coolly. "You should familiarize your
self with the Senate - they will be most displeased to learn that you attacked
a consular's ship while it was on a diplomatic mission."
"Yes, they would be upset, wouldn't they?" Vader asked mockingly. "That is, they
would be upset if they were relevant anymore. I come with news, Princess - the
Emperor has decided to disband the Senate permanently."
Leia gasped in shock. "That's madness!"
"No, it's efficient," Vader replied.
"And how does your Lord plan on controlling the thousands of star systems withou
t the Senate, hmm?" Leia asked sarcastically. "It's not possible."
"Of course it's possible, your highness," the low, menacing tones of Halcyon's v
oice interjected. "And you're sitting in what will make it possible."
"Of course, we will need to make a demonstration. And to do that, we will need t
he location of your Rebel base."
Leia paled, but her resolve held firm. "I will never tell you that."
Vader smiled benignly. "Of course not," he said, turning to look at Halcyon. "My
compatriot her would like nothing more than to let an interrogation droid have
a go at you." He turned back to her and his smile tuned menacing. "But I, on the
other hand, like the personal touch." Swiftly he moved forward and gently place
d a hand on the side of Leia's head. "Let's have a peek inside, shall we?" Sudde
nly energy crackled between Vader's fingertips and Leia's head, causing her to s
cream in pain as the Sith Lord invaded her mind.
====BtVS====
-Tatooine-
"Quinn, can I ask you something?" Luke asked to the elder Jedi that sat next to
him in the landspeeder. The two, along with Threepio and Artoo and followed by B
en and Buffy on the swoop bike, were speeding over the flat dessert plains towar
ds the hub city of Mos Eisley. Once there, Quinn had assured them all that it wo
uld be of little trouble to find transport to Alderaan.
The Jedi turned to Luke and smiled. "Of course, Luke. Ask away."
"Over the years, I've always had a sort of sense of Leia in the back of my mind.
I always thought it was some sort of twin thing..."
"There have been documented cases of twins being able to sense each other. Howev
er, if you believe this talent is augmented by the Force, then I would agree wit
h you. Why?"
"Something bad is happening to her," Luke said, his voice filled with concern an
d dread. "We need to find her, and fast."
Qui-Gon nodded. "We will, Luke. Stop here."
Luke brought the old speeder to a halt at the edge of the bluff and the two got
out. Buffy and Obi-Wan came to a stop next to the two and took a look at the vie
w below them.
"Mos Eisley Spaceport," Qui-Gon announced. "You will never find a more wretched
hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."
Luke's speeder, flowed by the swoop bike, sped into Mos Eisley. One of the centr
al hubs on the backwater planet, Mos Eisley was teaming with pirates, smugglers,
lowlifes - just the sort of people the Skywalkers needed to get them to Alderaa
n. They sped rapidly through the outskirts of the city, going deeper and deeper
into the city until they ran into a security checkpoint.
"Now what?" Luke whispered to Qui-Gon, who smiled.
"Just leave it to me," he replied, looking up at the Storm Troopers. "Is there a
problem?"
"How long have you had these droids?" the trooper asked.
"Three or four seasons," Luke replied.
"They are for sale if you want them," Qui-Gon added.
The trooper stared back for a moment. "Let me see your identification."
Qui-Gon waved his hand slightly at the trooper. "You don't need to see his ident
ification," he said easily.
"We don't need to see his identification."
"These aren't the droids you're looking for."
"These aren't the droids we're looking for."
"He can go about his business."
"You can go about your business."
"Move along," Qui-Gon finished, sitting back in his seat. The Trooper waved them
through.
"Move along," he parroted. "Move along."
Buffy pulled up to the trooper and subtly waved her hand as well.
"We're with them," she said, influencing the trooper subtly with the Force. The
Trooper nodded and waved them through.
"They're with them," he said. Buffy and Obi-Wan nodded in gratitude and drove th
rough. They drove deeper into the town until they finally came to a stop in fron
t of a small, run-down cantina.
"This looks promising," Buffy said sarcastically, stepping off of the bike and l
ooking towards Qui-Gon and Luke.
"Most of the best freighter pilots can be found here," the Jedi offered. Luke wa
s still shaking his head in disbelief.
"I still don't understand how we got past those guards! I thought we were dead f
or sure!"
"The Force can influence the weak-minded, Luke. Never forget that," Qui-Gon resp
onded. "Now, let's get moving."
"I'll stay out here with the droids," Buffy said. "We'll lay low until you get a
ship."
"A very good idea, Mistress Buffy," Threepio said. Even Artoo whistled in agreem
ent.
"All right, we'll be out shortly," Obi-Wan said, turning back to the others. "Le
t's go."
====BtVS====
The cantina was a hive of activity. A thousand different races the likes of whic
h Luke had never seen filled the cavernous interior - Ithorians, Devorians, Sull
ustans, Barabels... races Luke had never seen, races he had never even heard abo
ut...it was the most amazing thing he had seen, outside the spaceport on Naboo h
e had been to a few times when he had visited his sister.
"You best watch your step in here, Luke," Obi-Wan warned. Luke nodded and headed
towards the bar as the two Jedi started making the rounds. He plopped himself d
own on the first available bar stool and tugged on the barman's shirt to get his
attention and then ordered a drink. He looked around the cantina - Quinn and Be
n (no, it's Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan he reminded himself), were busy talking to-
A Wookie?
He had never seen one before, but he had heard of them. Over two meters tall, co
vered in fur and built with enough muscle to rend a normal human limb from limb
with nary an effort, Luke had to wonder what the two Jedi thought it could do to
help them...
Abruptly Luke found himself being shoved roughly from behind. He turned to face
a rodent-like alien.
"Negola dewaghi wooldugger?" the rodent-man bubbled challengingly.
Luke had no idea what the creature was saying, but he knew it wasn't good. Not k
nowing what else to do, Luke tried turning back to his own drink while studiousl
y ignoring the creature. As he did so, a thing-a cross between a capybara and a
small baboon-bounced over to stand (or squat) next to the quivering many-eye. A
short, grubby-looking human also approached and put a companionable arm around t
he snuffling mass.
"He doesn't like you," the stubby human informed Luke in a surprisingly deep voi
ce.
"I'm sorry about that," Luke admitted wholeheartedly
"I don't like you, either," the smiling little man went on with brotherly negati
vity. "You just better watch yourself. We're all wanted." He indicated his drunk
en companion. "I have the death sentence on me in twelve different systems."
"I'll be careful, then," Luke muttered.
The little man was smiling broadly. "You'll be dead."
"This little one isn't worth the trouble," a calm voice said. Luke looked up, st
artled. He hadn't heard Kenobi come up alongside him. "Come, let me buy you a dr
ink."
By way of reply the bulky monster roared hideously and swung out a massive limb.
It caught an unprepared Luke across the temple and sent him spinning across the
room, crashing through tables and shattering a large jug filled with a foul-sme
lling liquid.
The crowd edged back farther, a few grunts and warning snorts coming from some o
f them as the drunken monstrosity pulled a wicked-looking pistol from its servic
e pouch. He started to wave it in Kenobi's direction. That spurred the heretofor
e neutral bartender to life. He came charging clumsily around the end of the bar
, waving his hands frantically but still taking care to stay out of range.
"No blasters, no blasters! Not in my place!"
Ben didn't give him a chance to use it. In an instant he had unfastened his ligh
tsaber from his belt and activated the blue beam and in two quick strokes the tw
o aliens were on the floor, moaning in pain as their severed limbs lay next to t
hem. He looked around to see if anybody else wanted to start some trouble and, f
inding none, he deactivated the blade. Qui-Gon moved over to help Luke up.
"Are you all right?" he asked the younger man, who nodded in reply.
"Yeah, just a bit shaken up."
Obi-Wan walked over to them with the large Wookie in tow. "This is Chewbacca," h
e announced. "He's first officer of a ship that might suite us."
The four walked around the bar to the far end of the establishment where a young
, scruffy looking man with shaggy brown hair and eyes that looked far older than
they should. Chewbacca slid into the booth next to the man, leaving the three m
en to slide in on the opposite side. Obi-Wan sat down, a bit on edge - the man r
eminded him of someone...
"Han Solo," the man said, gesturing to himself. "Captain of the Millennium Falco
n."
Obi-Wan's hart seemed to stop. The Millennium Falcon? Surely it couldn't be the
same ship that had carried him, Buffy and Anakin off of Corellia all those years
ago. And the name Solo...
It couldn't be, he assured himself. All of them were killed in the blast...
Meanwhile Han had kept speaking. "Chewie tells me you're looking for passage to
the Alderaan system?"
"That's right, if it's a fast ship," Qui-Gon replied smoothly. Han seemed to bri
stle.
"A fast ship?" he repeated. "You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"
Qui-Gon feigned ignorance. "Should we have?"
"It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs!" Solo told
him indignantly. "I've outrun Imperial starships - not the local bulk cruisers,
mind you. I'm talking about the really big Corellian ships. I think she's fast e
nough for you, old man." His outrage subsided rapidly. "What's your cargo?"
"Only passengers. Myself, the boy, two other companions and two droids-no questi
ons asked."
"No questions," Solo regarded his mug, finally looked up. "Is it local trouble?"
"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements," Kenobi offered e
asily.
"Well that's the trick. And it'll cost you a little extra." He did some mental f
iguring. "Ten thousand. All in advance."
Luke gaped at the pilot. "Ten thousand! We could almost buy our own ship for tha
t."
Solo shrugged. "Yeah, but who's going to fly it? You?"
"You bet I could," Luke shot back, rising. "I'm not such a bad pilot myself. I d
on't-"
Qui-Gon placed a firm hand on Luke's arm and pulled him back into his seat. "We
haven't that much with us," he explained. "But we could pay you two thousand now
, plus another fifteen when we reach Alderaan."
"Seventeen thousand..." Solo leaned forward, considering the offer. Finally he a
nswered. "All right, I'll chance it. You've got yourselves a ship. As for avoidi
ng Imperial entanglements, you'd better twist out of here or even the Millennium
Falcon won't be any help to you." He nodded toward the cantina entrance and add
ed quickly, "Docking bay ninety-four, first thing in the morning."
Four Storm Troopers circled the bar slowly, searching for the troublemakers that
had wounded the two thugs. Instead they only found a lone human and a Wookie si
tting in a booth at the far end of the bar and the moved on. Once they were out
of earshot Han turned to his friend.
"Seventeen thousand!" he exclaimed. "They must really be desperate! This could r
eally save my neck. Get back to the Falcon, make sure she's ready to go." The Wo
okie growled in acknowledgment and rose, heading out of the bar towards their sh
ip. Han made to follow him, but stopped short as the short snub of a hold lout b
laster was pressed into his chest.
"Going somewhere, Solo?" Greedo asked, forcing Han back into his seat. The Rodia
n took the seat directly across from him, keeping his blaster leveled at Han. Fo
r his part, Han nonchalantly leaned back in his seat, propping his left leg up o
n top of the table while extending his right leg slightly underneath.
"As a matter of fact," Solo replied slowly, "I was just on my way to see your bo
ss. You can tell Jabba I've got the money I owe him."
"That's what you said yesterday-and last week-and the week prior to that. It's t
oo late, Solo. I'm not going back to Jabba with another one of your stories."
"But I've really got the money this time!" Solo protested.
"Fine. I'll take it now, please."
Slowly, Han unfastened the retraining strap that held his trusty DL-44 blaster a
nd began to silently pull it out.
"I haven't got it here with me. Tell Jabba-"
"It's too late, I think. Jabba would rather have your ship."
"Over my dead body," Solo said insatiably.
Greedo sneered. "Then perhaps he'll take your sister. I bet she'd fetch a nice p
rice..."
Han's eyes narrowed in barely contained fury. "Over HIS dead body."
Greedo laughed harshly even as Han finished pulling the blaster, leveling it at
the bounty hunter under the table. "I think he would prefer the sooner. I've bee
n looking forward to this for a long time, Solo."
Han smirked. "Yeah, I bet you have."
A sudden flash of light and a loud blast stopped all activity in the bar and the
fried remains of Greedo thumped down onto the table. Han looked at the corpse i
n surprise and then down at his own blaster, which he hadn't discharged. Then he
looked back up to see the muzzle of another DL-44 shining out of the shadows.
"I had that under control, you know," he said to the blaster. The muzzle lowered
as its owner stepped out of the shadows. The dim lighting reflected off of the
dull grey and red colored armor that covered the lithe female body beneath. Her
face was hidden beneath the familiar looking T-visored helmet of the Mandalorian
warriors. The Mandalorian slipped her blaster back into her leg holster and mov
ed over to the table. Calmly she reached up and pulled off the helmet, shaking h
er long brown hair loose. She smirked down at the scruffy captain as she picked
up his unfinished drink and downed it in one gulp.
"Right, I'm sure."
"I did have him!" Han protested, putting his own weapon away and standing up to
face his sister. Joyce just shrugged.
"Yeah, well...I guess now we'll never know who would have shot first." Her blue
eyes twinkled as she slid her helmet back on. "Now can we go?"
Han gestured with his had for her to go first, then dug into his pocket and pull
ed out a small credichip, which he flipped to the bartender. "Sorry about the me
ss. My sister's a bit impulsive," he said as he followed his sister out of the b
uilding.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Joyce Solo was not your typical Mandalorian.
Like most of her adopted people, she had made her living for a time from place t
o place on all sorts of odd jobs. One of those jobs was collecting a debt from a
small time Corellian smuggler - who just happened to be her brother. After she
had fulfilled that contract (and dolled out a substantial amount of the credits
she had accumulated to pay the debt), she had decided that her place was with Ha
n and his new Wookie co-pilot. Most of her clansmen didn't like the fact that sh
e took orders from a second-rate smuggler like Han, but they didn't know him as
well as she did. After all, he was family. And the one thing a Mandalorian prize
d above everything else was family.
"So, what have we got?" Joyce asked as they headed towards the hanger. "Somethin
g nice and profitable, I hope..."
"We got a nice, easy charter."
Joyce groaned in annoyance. "Han, I said profitable. Not a waste of time! We hav
e to pay back Jabba..."
"I think seventeen thousand will cover us just fine, don't you?"
"Seventeen thousand?" Joyce repeated, considering. Then she scowled. "Okay, what
's the catch?"
"Who says there's a catch?"
"Because honest people don't need a ferry for that kind of money! Han, out with
it!"
Han winced. "There may have been something said about Imperial trouble..."
"Tah mah duh hwoon dahn!" Joyce exclaimed in her native, albeit ancient, tongue.
"After what happened last time? You really want to go up against Imps?"
"What, this far out?" Han said incredulously. "They probably ripped off some Imp
Barron. At worst we deal with an old Star Destroyer that's been needing an over
haul for years. Just trust me on this, Joyce." He flashed her his trademark cock
y grin. "Everything's under control."
Joyce sighed and rolled her eyes. "We're going to die," she muttered.
The two calmly walked into the hanger, only to be stopped by an irate Chewie at
the door.
"What, Chewie?" Han asked as the tall Wookie growled frantically. "Jabba's in th
ere? How many guys? Alright, al right! Chewie, I'm going in to talk to him. You
and Joyce watch my back, but don't start anything. I can talk him down."
Joyce harrumphed in annoyance, but relented. "And I wanted some action. All righ
t, fine. Now go be the negotiator and get us of here."
====BtVS====
The docking-bay entrance to the small saucer-shaped spacecraft was completely ri
nged by half a dozen men and aliens, of which the former were by half the most g
rotesque. A great mobile tub of muscle and suet topped by a shaggy scarred skull
surveyed the semicircle of armed assassins with satisfaction. Moving forward fr
om the center of the crescent, he shouted toward the ship.
"Come on out. Solo! We've got you surrounded."
"If so, you're facing the wrong way," came a calm voice.
Jabba the Hutt jumped-in itself a remarkable sight. His lackeys likewise whirled
-to see Han Solo, with Chewbacca and Joyce standing behind them. "I've been wait
ing for you."
"I expected you would be," the Hutt admitted.
"I'm not the type to run," Solo said.
"Run? Run from what!" Jabba countered. "Han, my boy, there are times when you di
sappoint me. I merely wish to know why you haven't paid me... as you should have
long ago. And why did you have to fry poor Greedo like that? After all you and
I have been through together."
Solo grinned tightly. "Hey, next time you want to talk to me, you come see me yo
urself." Han pointed to the other bounty hunters. "Don't send these twerps." He
looked back to Jabba even as Chewie and Joyce moved in behind him. Joyce found t
he familiar helmet of Boba Fett and nodded at him, subtly switching to a private
com channel.
"Mand'alor."
"Sprite."
"You know I hate that nickname."
"That's why I keep using it," Fett replied, a hint of a smile in his voice.
"Why are you still working for the osik?" Joyce asked. Fett chuckled.
"He pays well. That's all that matters in the end."
"And if he puts a contract out on Han?" Joyce countered calmly. "You know I'll s
top you."
"Don't forget, Sprite - I taught you everything you know. But I didn't teach you
everything I know."
"And don't you forget," Joyce replied, "that you have no idea what I'm truly cap
able of. Believe that."
"I'll take that under consideration."
Joyce cut off the comlink as Jabba shook his head and his jowls shook-lazy, fles
hy echoes of his mock sorrow. "Han, Han-if only you hadn't had to dump that ship
ment of spice! You understand... I just can't make an exception. Where would I b
e if every pilot who smuggled for me dumped his shipment at the first sign of an
Imperial warship? And then simply showed empty pockets when I demanded recompen
se? It's not good business. I can be generous and forgiving-but not to the point
of bankruptcy."
"You know, even I get boarded sometimes, Jabba. Did you think I dumped that spic
e because I got tired of its smell? I wanted to deliver it as much as you wanted
to receive it. I had no choice." Again the sardonic smile. "But I've got a nice
, easy charter now and I can pay you back, plus a little extra. I just need some
more time."
The gross form seemed to consider, then nodded to the wary Corellian. "Han, my b
oy, I'm only doing this because you're the best and I'll need you again sometime
. So, out of the greatness of my soul and a forgiving heart-and for an extra, sa
y, twenty percent-"
"Fifteen, Jabba. Don't push it."
"Fifteen it is." The voice nearly cracked with restraint. "But this is the last
time. If you disappoint me again, if you trample my generosity in your mocking l
aughter, I'll put a price on your head so large you won't be able to go near a c
ivilized system for the rest of your life, because on every one your name and fa
ce will be known to men who'll gladly cut your guts out for one-tenth of what I'
ll promise them."
"Jabba," Han stated, walking backwards towards his ship, "you're a wonderful hum
an being." Han spun about and headed back to his ship, calling for his entourage
to follow. At the back of the pack Boba Fett glanced once more at Solo and then
turned and walked out of the bay.
Episode 4 Chapter 7
Thanks as always to my Beta's Fallenstar2 And Winterd. See the disclaimer in Cha
pter 1
Chapter 7
Mothers and Daughters
====BtVS====
Death Star
"Have you gotten anything from the Senator, Lord Vader?"
Darth Vader stood at ease, his arms behind his back, his silver hair tied neatly
behind his head. "Her resistance to the mind probes was formidable. It will be
some time before we can extract any useful information from her."
Admiral Mottiwalked over to Tarkin and saluted sharply.
"Sir, all systems are operational. What course should we set?"
"Perhaps we should use an alternative form of persuasion on the good Senator?" H
alcyon said from behind Vader. "A demonstration of this station's power would be
a good start - maybe a visit to her Homeworld?"
"No, the Emperor would never stand to let anything happen to his own Homeworld,"
Vader interrupted. "But perhaps if her Senatorial seat were put on the block?"
Tarkin smiled evilly and nodded. "Very good." He turned to Motti. "You may set y
our course for Alderaan."
====BtVS====
"So, you get a ship?"
Buffy and the droids met up with Obi-Wan and the rest, and the group headed for
the space dock. Obi-Wan shot a worried glance at Buffy before replying.
"Yes - and apparently it's the Millennium Falcon."
Buffy's steps faltered at that, but she quickly recovered. "No. No way that old
bucket is still flying after twenty years."
"There's more," Obi-Wan said as they entered the docks and headed down the corri
dor towards 94. "Buffy, back on Corellia, when Traya ordered the attack on your
family - are you sure everyone was killed?"
Buffy's eyes narrowed under her hood. "Just what kind of question is that, Ben?"
she growled. "I quite clearly remember my husbands broken and lifeless body pin
ned under the rubble of our home."
"And your children?"
"They were home at the time, Ben. They were killed when the building collapsed."
"You're sure?" Ben persisted. Buffy sighed in exasperation.
"Well, I couldn't sense either of them, so I'd say yes..."
"What a piece of junk!"
Buffy was brought up short by the sight in front of her. Despite the improbabili
ty of it, there in front of her sat the Millennium Falcon, looking dirtier and m
ore worn down that she could ever have imagined it would become. But her eyes we
ren't focused on her old ship; it was instead focused on the pilot, who had just
turned towards them. Brown, messy hair, face smeared with grease, the Corellian
blood stripe on his pants...
He was a dead ringer for Jacen.
Obi-Wan's next words froze her blood. "That would be the pilot, Han Solo."
"She can make point five past light speed," Han was saying. "She may not look li
ke much, but she's got it where it counts. I've made a lot of special modificati
ons to her myself. Now if you don't mind, we're in a bit if a rush. So if you'll
all just hop on board, we'll get under way."
Buffy kept her head down as she moved past Han, too shell-shocked to say anythin
g. She was followed by the rest of the group and she instinctively led them to t
he crash couches in the main hold. As she was strapping herself in, she heard bl
aster fire from outside the ship, then a curse from the back of the ship in a to
ngue she didn't recognize. A figure ran past her and her previously frozen blood
evaporated. The girl who ran past them with a two blasters drawn wearing what a
ppeared to be Mandalorian armor sans the helmet had a very familiar face. A face
that looked so similar to Dawn's... a face she had remarked on more than one oc
casion looked similar to what Buffy thought Joyce would have looked like.
Han was alive. And so was Joyce.
And she had abandoned them.
Oh god, what have I done?
====BtVS====
Han had just replaced the starboard fuel cap when the first Storm Trooper barged
in the bay, screaming "Stop that ship!" and firing wildly at the Corellian. Eve
r a man of instincts, Han drew his trusty blaster and plugged away at the armore
d troops, dropping them as fast as he could manage while still dodging their bol
ts. But more kept coming and he couldn't make it back to the ramp.
Then suddenly the gods sent him a gift. Or at the very least, a Mandalorian with
two big guns and a chip on her shoulder the size of the Falcon.
"A nice, easy charter! Everything's under control! Any of this ringing a bell, H
an?" Joyce shouted, giving her brother cover fire as he dashed back to the ramp.
"I ought to shoot you on general principles!"
"Yeah, yeah - shoot me later!" Han cried as he ran up the ramp. "For now, let's
get out of here! Chewie, fire her up!" Joyce backed into the ship, still firing
even as the ramp lifted into the closed position. She felt the familiar hum of t
he repulsors firing and the main engine flaring to life as Chewie took the Falco
n out of the dock and into the air. She moved through the ship and into the main
hold, grabbing her helmet and slipping it back on.
"Just stay put folks," she said to the passengers, "we do this all of the time."
She hurried past them, but stopped at the entrance to the cockpit tunnel and lo
oked back over their 'guests'. Two droids, a boy in farmer's clothes and thee pe
ople in robes, one of which had their hood up. It was the third one that interes
ted Joyce - she felt somewhat familiar...
A shudder ran through the ship, and the farm boy's eyes popped up towards her. J
oyce let out several choice Mandalorian curses and raced into the cockpit, aware
that the farm boy was following her. The door slid open and she slid into the c
hair behind Han, punching away at the navicomputer. She dimly noticed the farm b
oy coming in behind her.
"What's going on?" he asked as the ship was rocked again.
"Star Destroyers, two of them. Coming up fast. You guys must be hotter than I th
ought," Han laughed shortly. "This is where the fun begins..."
"I thought you said this crate was fast. Can't you outrun them?" Luke retorted s
arcastically.
"Watch your mouth boy, or you'll find yourself floating home," Han replied angri
ly. "Well be going fast enough one we make the jump to light speed."
"How long until you can make the jump to light speed?" Luke asked.
"It'll take a few moments for the naivicomputer to calculate the jump." Joyce re
plied calmly.
"Are you kidding? At the rate they're gaining?"
"Flying through space ain't like dustin' crops, boy!" Han shot back. "Without pr
ecise calculations we could fly to close to a star or fly through a black hole a
nd that'd end your trip real fast." The ship rocked again, more violently then b
efore. "Go strap yourself in, I'm making the jump!"
"Coordinates set," Joyce said.
"Punch it!"
Chewie pulled back on the hyperdrive initiator, and suddenly the stars streaked
into lines as space seemed to spin around the ship. Within moments, they were in
hyperspace.
====BtVS====
She was alive. Her little girl was alive.
How could she have not seen it? How couldn't she have sensed it? How could she l
et her, let them, spend twenty years thinking she was - what? Did they think she
died? Did they think she abandoned them? She looked up as Luke ran back in and
threw himself into the crash couch and strapped himself in, then felt the famili
ar hum of the hyperdrive as it engaged.
"Well, I guess we made it," Luke commented. Suddenly Buffy undid her harness and
bolted from her seat, heading aft towards the engines. "What's wrong with her?"
"Old memories, Luke," Obi-Wan said sadly. "Old and unhappy."
====BtVS====
Buffy knelt in the engine compartment, lost in her memories. How many hours had
she and Jacen spent in here, tweaking the engines to above perfection? Joyce had
been conceived in this very compartment...
Joyce.
Her little girl, still alive. And a Mandalorian, to boot. She wondered how that
happened, what had driven her to that warrior culture.
She's your daughter, you fool, she thought to herself. She's part Slayer. It's o
nly natural that she would be drawn to their culture.
She deftly reached underneath the humming hyperdrive and removed a loose floor p
late. Setting it aside, she reached into the hole in the floor and withdrew a sm
all holo she had placed there years ago as a sort of time capsule. She set it as
ide and then reached into her robes and withdrew her spare dimensional beacon an
d placed it into the now empty hole and replaced the floor plate. Reverently she
picked up the holo and switched it on. It flared to life and projected the blue
image of herself, Jacen and the children in front of their apartment back in In
ternment Camp 13.
"Hey, this is a restricted area!"
Buffy closed her eyes and fought to compose herself. The voice was so familiar,
even through the distortion of the helmet's amplifiers.
"I didn't realize smuggler's ships had restricted areas," Buffy said, not turnin
g to face her daughter. Not yet...
"Well, you learn something new everyday," Joyce replied and then noticed the hol
ographic image floating above her palm. "What's that?"
"Something I left behind on this ship years ago," Buffy explained. "A family por
trait."
"Don't remember ever seeing you on this ship before," Joyce remarked, looking cl
oser at the image. She recognized a younger-looking Han; the older guy kind of l
ooked like what Han looked like now. And the woman...
"Who are you?" she demanded sharply. Buffy sighed and switched off the holo and
then stood and turned around, pulling her hood down at the same time. And for th
e first time in twenty years, Joyce looked upon the face of her mother.
"Hello, sweetie," Buffy said, tears in her eyes.
====BtVS====
This is what it feels like to be Joyce Solo at this moment.
Fear. Confusion, Elation.
Hatred.
Her mother was here. Here, on the Falcon. She was alive. Slowly, Joyce removed h
er helmet and set it on the ground. She looked upon her mother then, her blue ey
es hard.
"There were days," she started, looking over her mother, "there were days when a
ll I wanted was for you to come home; to hold me, to tell me everything would be
okay." The hatred in her flared and Buffy had to fight hard not to wince away f
rom her. "Then I grew up and all I wished was that you died, broken and alone."
Joyce shook her head. "Even now, you continue to disappoint me."
"I...I thought you were dead," Buffy whispered. "I couldn't feel you, I thought
you were dead!"
Joyce drew her blaster and pointed it at Buffy's head. "And I wish you were dead
!"
====BtVS====
Han came out of the cockpit, followed closely by Chewie. The two made their way
into the main hold, where the three men sat talking in hushed tones. The fact th
at one of the passengers wasn't there set him on edge.
"Where's the other one of you?" he asked tersely. Luke shrugged.
"She headed aft," he said. "She didn't look well."
"She shouldn't have left the hold," Han shot back. "Did Joyce head that way?"
"Yes, she did," Obi-Wan said. "I'm sure they will be back shortly - they have mu
ch to talk about."
"Why would Joyce need to talk to a crazy old hermit?" Han asked annoyed. Obi-Wan
sighed.
"Because the 'crazy old hermit' is Buffy Skywalker - her mother."
Han was frozen. Skywalker - he remembered her! She was going to marry her dad, m
ake them a family again.
She gave him Joyce.
And then she split.
Without a word, Han took off towards the engine compartment, Chewie and the pass
engers hot on his heels. He came to the door of the engine compartment to find h
is sister with her blaster drawn, holding it on a very familiar face.
"Well, well. The prodigal mother returns," Han said.
"Hello, Han," Buffy said, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. "You don't kno
w how happy I am to see you..."
"You seemed happy the day you left us, so forgive me for not taking much comfort
in that," Han said sarcastically. Buffy opened her mouth to reply, but was cut
off by a joyful roar and a pair of thick, furry arms that wrapped themselves aro
und her and lifted her off of the ground.
"Chewbacca!" Buffy said, overjoyed. "I thought that was you! It's so good to see
you again!"
"What?" Han and Joyce said at the same time. Han looked to his old friend. "You
know her?" Chewie roared in return. "You met her before the Clone Wars? A Jedi..
. she our mother! Well, Joyce's mother, at any rate..."
Chewie set Buffy down and then mussed her hair. "I know it's a lot to take in. I
thought you had been killed by the Sith." She tuned back to Joyce, who had hols
tered her blaster. "Just as I thought you both were killed by the Separatists'.
If I had known you were alive..."
"Osi'yaim!" Joyce snarled and then backhanded Buffy. "Ni'duraa! You are dar'buir
to me!"
"Oh my!" Threepio said, having shuffled to where all the commotion was. Luke tur
ned to the droid with a curious expression.
"What did she say?" he asked. The golden droid turned his glowing eyes on the yo
ung farmer.
"Well, after an assortment of rather colorful Mandalorian curses, she has essent
ially disowned Mistress Skywalker. She no longer considers Mistress Skywalker he
r mother."
"Oh, man..."
"Listen, everybody - why don't we all move into the main hold and we can all sit
down and talk about this rationally..." Obi-Wan started.
"I have nothing more to say to this deserter," she growled. Han nodded in agreem
ent.
"I feel the same way. So let me tell you what's going to happen. You're all goin
g to go back to the hold, We're going to go back to the cockpit and after we dro
p you all off at Alderaan, you," he pointed at Buffy, "can go and disappear for
another twenty years."
Buffy wiped the tears from her face and squared her shoulders. "If that's how yo
u feel, then fine. But I think my daughter and I need to have a conversation." I
n a flash, one hand reached out and grabbed on to Joyce's wrist, while the other
flew to her belt and activated her PPG. There was a bright flash of purple and
white energy and in a flash the two women were gone.
Chewie roared in fear and confusion even as Han drew his blaster.
"What the hell!" Han cried, turning and pointing his blaster at Obi-Wan. "What i
n the nine Corellian hells just happened? Where's my sister!"
Obi-Wan rubbed his temple and sighed in resignation. "Why don't we move back to
the hold and we'll explain a few things..."
====BtVS====
With a flash of purple and white energy, the two women appeared in the embarkati
on room at the Council. Running on instinct, Joyce roughly shoved Buffy away wit
h her free hand, breaking her mother's grip on her wrist. She then drew her blas
ter and leveled it at Buffy, who calmly raised her hand towards the gun which pr
omptly flew out of the young Mandalorian's hand. Joyce reached out towards the g
un and it stopped in midair between the two women. Joyce gritted her teeth and s
truggled to bring her blaster back towards her; Buffy stood their calmly, expend
ing no obvious effort.
"Judging by the push, you got some of my strength. It would also appear you can
access the Force, but I can tell you've had no training."
"Not many freaks like you around these days," Joyce ground out.
"Yes, well - just remember. You're a freak like me, too," Buffy replied, casuall
y swishing her hand and sending the blaster flying across the room. Joyce went f
or her second blaster, but Buffy relieved her of that as well. The elder Slayer
crossed her arms and looked pointedly at her daughter.
"Just how many times do I have to disarm you?"
"More than that, believe me." She looked around the room, taking in the various
pieces of unfamiliar equipment. "Where are we?"
"You are where I've been staying. This is the Watcher's Council, on the planet E
arth."
"Never heard of it," Joyce replied flippantly.
"That's because it's in another dimension," Buffy said, causing her daughter to
gape at her.
"Eta Kooram Nah Smech!" Joyce replied.
"It's the truth," Buffy responded earnestly. Joyce shook her head violently.
"No. It's just another lie. You're trying to make excuses for leaving us. Well,
it's not going to work, Jedi! Not on me!" Joyce shoved past Buffy and ran out th
e door, nearly bowling over Dawn in the process. The young Padawan did a double
take at seeing her own face rush past her.
"What the fuck?"
Buffy sighed. "Don't swear, Dawn."
"What ever you say, Hermione," Dawn retorted. "So, what's up with the attack of
the clones?"
"That was Joyce, my daughter."
There was a pause as Dawn considered that. "I thought she was dead," she finally
said. Buffy sighed sadly and looked out the door towards where her daughter had
run.
"So did I, Dawnie," she said quietly. "So did I."
====BtVS====
"So you're telling me that my sister is in another dimension?"
Han was pacing in front of the crash couches, Chewie standing tautly behind him
while Luke, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon sat before him. "You expect me to believe that?"
"It's the truth," Obi-Wan replied.
"It's sithspit!" Han shouted. "It's ridiculous!"
"I've been saying that for years," Luke muttered. Obi-Wan sighed.
"Look, Captain Solo," he started, "Buffy just found her daughter and she wasn't
going to be able to talk to her while everyone here is ganging up on her. She br
ought Joyce across the barrier to try and talk to her. I'm sure they'll be back
soon."
Han scowled. "Well, let me tell you this, old man. If they're not back by the ti
me we get to Alderaan, I'm letting you off in the atmosphere. Come on, Chewie,"
he said to his friend, heading back towards the cockpit. "Let's make sure we los
t the Imps."
Obi-Wan sighed as the two left before turning to Luke. "In the mean time, let's
say we get started on your training, shall we?"
====BtVS====
Joyce had stopped running and was now walking aimlessly through the halls of the
strange building she had ended up in. As ridiculous as it was for her to think,
the more she looked around the more she began to believe her mother's story abo
ut being in another dimension.
She's not my mother, she thought to herself fiercely. A mother doesn't abandon h
er children.
She walked down another hallway, passing portraits of strange looking men and wo
men, passing strangely dressed girls who gave her odd looks as she passed by. Jo
yce grimaced inside. She was the kind of warrior that prized herself on her stea
lth abilities, for moving around unseen even in a crowd.
Unfortunately, there was no one else wearing armor here.
She rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks. Heading towards her, her he
ad down in a book, was a woman whose face and name was burned in her memory-
Darth Traya.
Joyce had spent many hours studying the invasion of Corellia by the Separatists
and the events that led to the death of her father. She knew that Darth Traya wa
s the right hand to Count Dooku and that she had ordered the total extermination
of the population of her home planet. She had heard stories that she had even h
ired mercs to kill Buffy and anyone she was close to - including her father.
And now the woman who was responsible for all of the grief, all of the pain in h
er life, was walking towards her, completely oblivious. She felt the anger well
up inside of her, and welcomed it. She wasn't a Jedi. She didn't use powers to h
urt and kill - that's what her blasters were for. And even without them, she had
a few surprises in her suit.
Calmly, she walked towards the object of her hatred, who finally glanced up.
"Dawnie, what's wrong..." Willow said and then trailed off as she took in her ou
tfit. "You didn't go back to Coruscant again, did - wait..." she said, finally r
ealizing. "You're not Dawn..."
Joyce stopped in front of the witch, her cold eyes boring into the horrified gaz
e of the redheaded witch. "No, I'm not. My name is Joyce Solo. And I've waited a
long time for this moment, Darth Traya..."
====BtVS====
Admiral Motti entered the quiet conference room, his face streaked by the linear
lights lining the walls. His gaze went to the spot where Governor Tarkin stood
before the curved viewscreen and he bowed slightly. Despite the evidence of the
small green gem of a world entered in the screen, he formally announced, "We hav
e entered the Alderaan system. We await your order."
The door signaled and Tarkin made a falsely gentle gesture to the admiral. "Wait
a moment yet, Motti."
The door slid aside and Leia Organa entered, flanked by two armed guards, follow
ed by Darth Vader and Master Halcyon.
"Governor Tarkin," she spat. "I should have expected to find you holding Vader's
leash. I thought I recognized your foul stench when I was first brought on boar
d."
"Charming to the last," Tarkin declared in a fashion which suggested he was anyt
hing but charmed. "You don't know how hard I found it to sign the order for your
termination." His expression changed to one of mock sorrow. "Of course, had you
cooperated in our investigation, things might be otherwise. Lord Vader has info
rmed me that your resistance to our traditional methods of inquiry-"
"Torture, you mean," she countered a trifle shakily.
"Let us not bandy semantics," Tarkin smiled.
"I'm surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility for issuing the or
der on yourself."
Tarkin sighed reluctantly. "I am a dedicated man and the pleasures I reserve for
myself are few. One of them is that before your execution I should like you to
be my guest at a small ceremony. It will certify this battle station's operation
al status while at the same time ushering in a new era of Imperial technical sup
remacy. This station is the final link in the newly-forged Imperial chain which
will bind the million systems of the galactic Empire together once and for all.
Your RebelAlliance will no longer be of any concern to us. After today's demonst
ration no one will dare to oppose the Empire."
Organa looked at him with contempt. "Force will not keep the Empire together. Fo
rce has never kept anything together for very long. The more you tighten your gr
ip, the more systems will slip through your fingers. You're a foolish man, Gover
nor. Foolish men often choke to death on their own delusions."
Tarkin smiled a death's-head smile, his face a parchment skulls. "It will be int
eresting to see what manner of passing Lord Vader has in mind for you. I am cert
ain it will be worthy of you-and of him. But before you leave us, we must demons
trate the power of this station once and for all, in a conclusive fashion. In a
way, you have determined the choice of subject for this demonstration. Since you
have proven reluctant to supply us with the location of the rebel stronghold, I
have deemed it appropriate to select as an alternate subject your represented p
lanet of Alderaan."
"No! You can't! Alderaan is a peaceful world, with no weapons to speak of! You c
an't..."
Tarkin's eyes gleamed. "You would prefer another target? A military target, perh
aps? Then name the system." He shrugged elaborately. "I grow tired of such games
. For the last time, where is the main rebel base?"
A voice announced over a hidden speaker that they had approached within antigrav
range of Alderaan-approximately six planetary diameters. That was enough to acc
omplish what all of Vader's infernal devices had failed to.
"Dantooine," she whispered, staring at the deck, all pretense at defiance gone n
ow. "They're on Dantooine."
Tarkin let out a slow sigh of satisfaction, then turned to the black figure near
by. "There, you see, Lord Vader? She can be reasonable." He directed his attenti
on to the other officers. "Proceed with the operation, gentlemen. You may fire w
hen ready."
It took several seconds for Tarkin's words, so casually uttered, to penetrate. "
What!" Organa finally gasped.
"You're far too trusting." Tarkin chided sarcastically. "Dantooine," Tarkin expl
ained, examining his fingers, "is far too remote to serve as an effective demons
tration. Have no fear, though. We will deal with your rebel friends on Dantooine
as soon as possible."
"No..." Organa started to protest.
He gestured to the two soldiers flanking her. "Escort her to the principal obser
vation level and," he smiled, "make certain she is provided with an unobstructed
view."
====BtVS====
Anakin and Padmé sat with Tara, Kennedy, Spike and Zett sat in the TV lounge watch
ing Passions. Anakin held Padmé close to him, munching on a bowl of popcorn that P
admé occasionally dipped into.
"This show is terrible. It's completely unbelievable," he remarked, eyes never l
eaving the screen.
"It's not supposed to be believable, it's supposed to be entertaining," Spike re
marked.
"It shouldn't even be entertaining, how bad it is," Padmé said. "Still, its better
acting than some of the Senators I used to serve with were capable of."
"You see, this is all a part of my plan for world domination," Spike said conver
sationally. "First, I get everyone here addicted to Passions. Then when I make m
y move, they'll all be to busy watching it to stop me."
"A masterful plan, worthy of a Master Vampire like yourself," Tara said amicably
, sneaking some popcorn from Anakin who unsuccessfully tried to swat her hand aw
ay. She popped on kernel in her mouth, then another in Kennedy's. Spike smiled.
"Thanks Glinda. I certainly thought so-"
Further conversation was cut off when two figures suddenly smashed through the o
paque glass wall that separated the room from the hallway and landed on the floo
r of the lounge amid the broken glass. There was a brief struggle, then they all
saw the impossible - Dawn kneeling on top of Willow dressed in strange armor, h
er right hand raised to strike. In a flash, two wicked looking blades popped out
of the gauntlet on her arm.
"Time to die, you fucking BITCH!" Joyce snarled. Willow looked up in fear, which
quickly turned to a look of resignation. Joyce moved to bring the blades down i
nto her face, but her arm was intercepted by an iron grip. She looked up to see
a snarling, deformed male face with blond hair and long, pointed teeth.
"You're not Dawn and this ain't happening," Spike snarled, yanking the girl up.
She surprised him by going with the momentum, spinning around and belting him wi
th her left fist. The force of the impact caused him to let go of her arm and Jo
yce spun around and slashed at Spike, cutting his chest deeply. Kennedy moved in
, batting away the blades and belting her twice in quick succession in the face
before grabbing her by the throat and lifting her into the air. Joyce lashed out
with her left foot, catching Kennedy in the face and dazing her long enough for
the Slayer to drop her. She moved to stab the girl in the chest, but suddenly a
voice cried out "Thicken!" and the air around her seemed to congeal. She starte
d in anger at Tara, who had her hand extended and a look of intense concentratio
n on her face. Joyce struggled to move and she unconsciously tapped into the For
ce to fight against her imprisonment. With a loud bang and a flash of light, the
air around her exploded, causing Joyce to drop and throwing Tara into Anakin an
d Padmé. The young Mandalorian struggled to her feet and staggered towards Willow,
who was rising herself. Joyce moved to strike-
- and was brought up short by a brilliant blue blade of a lightsaber that sudden
ly flared to life under her chin.
"That's enough, niece-o-mine," Dawn said, holding her one ignited blade steady.
It was soon joined by Anakin's.
"Go HWONG-TONG," the Jedi Master said softly. "This place is a sanctuary. There
is NO KILLING here, DONG-luh MAH?"
"You can't stop me from fulfilling skira!" Joyce protested. She turned her head
slightly towards Dawn and froze in shock as she saw the face that stared back. I
t was her face, aside from some differences. The nose was a little thinner and t
he eyes were a silver-gray instead of the deep blue of hers. Dawn noticed her st
are and smirked.
"Yeah, this is weird for me, too," Dawn remarked. "Now, what's to say you drop t
he blades? Or at least put them away."
"EVERYBODY put their weapons away," A voice said from the hallway. All eyes turn
ed towards Buffy, who stood calmly with her arms behind her back. "Anakin, Dawn
- put them up."
Dawn stared at her sister for a moment, then at Joyce and then finally shut off
her saber. Anakin quickly followed suit and hooked his back on his belt. Joyce h
esitated for an instant, then flexed her hand and retracted her blades. Buffy no
dded in agreement.
"Joyce, let's take a walk," She said then moved down the hall, obviously expecti
ng Joyce to follow. After a few moments' indecision, she followed.
====BtVS====
The two made their way down to the lake, where the memorial stood. Joyce glanced
at the wall impassively.
"What's this?" she asked in a bored tone.
"Your legacy," Buffy replied, getting her daughters attention instantly. "Did yo
u ever wonder where that extra strength came from? Or how you were faster than e
verybody else? Or how your wounds would heal fast, even without bacta?" Absently
Joyce nodded, staring at the names on the wall. "When I was fifteen, I was chos
en. One girl in all the world, with the strength and skills to fight the vampire
s, the demons and the forces of darkness - that's what I was told. I became the
Slayer. The names you see before you are all of the Slayers that came before me.
Also here are the names of the Watchers - those who guide the Slayers - as well
as our loved one that have passed on."
"What's all of this have to do with me?"
"Well, there are many Slayers now," Buffy continued patiently. "And I may be a J
edi, but I'm still a Slayer. It would appear that you inherited a portion of tha
t power as well. We have no real evidence to back it up - Slayers normally don't
have children and the one we know about is a man with no powers, so maybe it's
only a girl thing."
Joyce was half paying attention, her focus on the names instead. She came upon a
familiar name and stopped.
Joyce Summers
Beloved Mother
Buffy noticed where Joyce's gaze was fixed and smiled sadly. "That's your grandm
other, my birth mother. I named you after her."
Joyce nodded and then looked at the name under it.
Buffy Anne Summers
Beloved Sister
Devoted Friend
She saved the world a lot
Buffy chuckled. "They thought I was dead for a time."
Joyce raised an eyebrow. "Runs in the family, does it?"
Buffy nodded slowly, turning her gaze back to the wall. Joyce followed her gaze
and gasped at the names she saw under Buffy's.
Jacen Solo
Han Solo
Joyce Solo
My love, My life, My Child
Be at peace and may we find each other
In the Force one day
"Daddy," Joyce whispered as she reverently ran her fingers over her father's nam
e.
"I come here every day. To remember..." Buffy took a shuddering breath before sh
e pressed on. "I was chosen as a Slayer, Joyce. That meant that I wasn't suppose
d to live past eighteen. When I was younger, I never even thought about having c
hildren - I never expected to live long enough to have any. So when I had you,"
she paused for a moment to compose herself, wiping away the tears that were fall
ing freely now. "When I had you, it was an answer to a prayer that I never knew
I had uttered. The happiest day of my life was the day you were born. When I tho
ught you were all dead - I nearly died. I tried to die." Images of holding the F
alcon steady as they sped towards the Separatists command ship during their esca
ped flashed through her mind.
"Why?" Joyce whispered. "Why did you leave?"
"The day I left, I had gone out on a routine patrol to investigate something tha
t had landed near our camp," Buffy explained. "It turns out it was my brother an
d his Master and they had come to rescue me. They told me they came to bring me
back. I told them I wasn't leaving."
"Then why did you?" Joyce demanded, her voice hard.
"I found your father's body. The building was collapsed; smoking. You and Han ha
d been home when I had left..."
"He had brought me to the park," Joyce said quietly. "I remember crawling around
in the grass while he watched me. Then I remember pain, lots of pain." She shud
dered at the early memory. "I remember wishing it would go away and it did."
"You shut yourself off from the Force," Buffy realized. "You were so young, you
did it instinctively. That's why I couldn't feel you..."
"So it's my fault?"
"No!" Buffy added quickly. "It's mine. Jesus, Joyce! You felt your father die! Y
ou felt all of them die! I should have realized you would have cut yourself off.
.."
"So we both screwed up," Joyce sighed, sitting down on the ground. "You didn't l
ook and I thought you just didn't care." The girl looked up at her mother, a hau
nted expression on her face. "So, what now?"
Buffy sat down next to her daughter and gently placed an arm around her. Joyce s
tiffened and then started to relax into the hold slightly. "Now we have a conver
sation without trying to kill each other." Joyce let out a choked laugh and then
fully relaxed into the embrace, her eyes never leaving the stone that bared her
father's name.
====BtVS====
The two women had retired to Buffy room in the Council building. Joyce moved aro
und slowly, taking in everything. She stopped at the fireplace and looked at the
pictures that adorned the mantel.
"What is this place, anyways?"
"Our haven," Buffy replied, fixing two glasses of Corellian brandy. "When the pu
rge happened, we realized we needed a safe place to gather the surviving Jedi. W
e kind of lucked out that my friends and family found us when they did and broug
ht us back here. This is actually where I'm from, originally."
"You're from another dimension?" Joyce asked, looking back at her mother unbelie
vingly. Buffy shrugged.
"That's another story for another time," she said, handing the drink to Joyce. T
he girl took a sip and nodded appreciatively.
"Nice." She nodded to a picture of Dawn. "So who's the look-a-like?"
"Your Aunt Dawn," Buffy paused for a second, "or possibly your sister. Depends o
n your point of view."
Joyce blinked, nodded and then downed the brandy. "I think I'll probably need an
other one of these."
Buffy chuckled as she refilled the glass. "You get used to it, believe me. What
about you?" she regarded the armor. "What's with the armor? It's Mandalorian, ri
ght?"
Joyce shrugged. "I'm a Mandalorian."
"I thought you were Corellian."
Joyce chuckled and took a sip of her drink. "When I was twelve, Han enrolled in
the Imperial Academy and I got sent to an Imperial Boarding School. After about
six months I got sick of it, so I stole an Imperial shuttle and ran away."
"You stole an Imperial shuttle?" Buffy repeated.
"Are you going to reprimand me?"
"No, no." Buffy chuckled. "Just impressed you were such a delinquent at such a y
oung age." She paused a moment. "You really are my daughter," she muttered under
her breath.
"Call it a lack of a positive role model," Joyce replied dryly. "Anyways, I wand
ered for a few months before I ended up in the Mandalorian sector, where I caugh
t the eye of the Mand'alor - the ruler of the Mandalorian people."
"How'd you do that?"
"I had heard about the Mandalorians and they appealed to me. I guess, thinking b
ack now, their lifestyle appealed to the Slayer in me. A couple of them were giv
ing me trouble, saying an aruetiise like me had no business with them. I proved
them wrong."
"You kicked their asses," Buffy interpreted. Joyce raised her glass in acknowled
gement and took a sip.
"They respected me a hell of a lot more after that. Anyway, the Mand'alor took m
e under his wing, taught me his trade. After about two years, I settled down on
Mandalore and learned more about the people and customs. I became a Mandalorian.
"
"Just like that?"
"Blood doesn't matter to them, Buffy. Intent does. Sincerity in your beliefs doe
s. For years with Han, I felt like an outsider. When I was on Mandalor, I felt l
ike I belonged. It felt right."
Buffy nodded and finished off her drink. "So, how did you and Han find each othe
r again?"
Joyce chuckled in amusement. "About four years after I ran, I took a contract. S
ome deadbeat, low level smuggler had racked up a debt and hadn't paid it back. G
uess who it was?"
"Your brother?" Buffy guessed. "And you were working as a bounty hunter?"
"What do you think the Mand'alor taught me, basket weaving?" Joyce shot back. "A
nd yes, it was Han. So I took the contract, tracked down my brother, paid of the
debt and then collected the bounty, which was double what Han owed. Made a nice
little profit from that. And I've been riding with Han ever since, watching his
six."
"A Mandalorian and a Wookie guarding Han. He's got to be the most protected smug
gler in the Outer Rim," Buffy mused.
"Just about," Joyce mused. There was an awkward silence for a few moments before
she spoke again. "So now what?"
"I'm not sure," Buffy admitted. "But let me tell you this - despite whether you
acknowledge it or not, I am your mother. And I will not abandon you again, now t
hat I found you. I promise you that."
Joyce only sat back in her chair, silently contemplating. Buffy sighed and sat b
ack herself, finishing her drink.
====BtVS====
On the Falcon, both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both stumbled, feeling something through
the Force. Ben leaned against a counter while Qui-Gon stumbled back into the cr
ash couches. Luke noticed and shut off his saber.
"Are you two all right?" he asked them. Qui-Gon shook his head.
"No, but give me a few moments and I will be."
"What happened?"
"We felt a great disturbance through the Force," Ben explained, "as if suddenly
millions of voices cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced." He motioned
to Luke. "You should get on with your exercises."
Luke nodded and switched his lightsaber back on. Meanwhile Han was busily checki
ng readouts from gauges and dials in the hold area. Occasionally he would pass a
small box across various sensors, study the result and cluck with pleasure.
"You can stop worrying about your Imperial friends," he told Luke and Ben. "They
'll never be able to track us now. Told you I'd lose them."
Kenobi might have nodded briefly in response, but he was engaged in explaining s
omething to Luke.
"Don't everybody thank me at once," Solo grunted, slightly miffed. "Anyway, navi
gation computer calculates our arrival in Alderaan orbit at oh-two-hundred."
He returned to his checking, passing in front of a small circular table. The top
was covered with small squares lit from beneath, while computer monitors were s
et into each side. Tiny three-dimensional figures were projected above the table
top from various squares.
Chewbacca sat hunched over one side of the table, his chin resting in massive ha
nds. His great eyes glowing and facial whiskers wrinkled upward, he gave every s
ign of being well-pleased with himself.
At least, he did until Artoo Detoo reached up with a stubby clawed limb across f
rom him and tapped his own computer monitor. One of the figures walked abruptly
across the board to a new square and stopped there.
An expression of puzzlement and then anger crossed the Wookiee's face as he stud
ied the new configuration. Glaring up and over the table, he vented a stream of
abusive gibberish on the inoffensive machine. Artoo could only beep in reply, bu
t Threepio soon interceded on behalf of his less eloquent companion and began ar
guing with the hulking Wookie.
"He executed a fair move. Screaming about it won't help you."
Solo looked back over his shoulder, frowning slightly. "Let him have it. It's no
t wise to upset a Wookiee."
"But sir," Threepio argues, "no one worries about upsetting a droid!"
"That's because droids don't rip people's arms out when they loose. Wookiee's ar
e known to do that," Han replied. For his part, Chewie just sat back in his seat
with his hands behind his head. Qui-Gon chuckled.
"I'd like to offer a new strategy, Artoo," the elder Jedi said. "Let the Wookiee
win."
Oblivious to the altercation, Luke stood frozen in the middle of the hold. He he
ld an activated lightsaber in position over his head. A low hum came from the an
cient instrument while Luke lunged and parried under Ben Kenobi's instructive ga
ze. As Solo glanced from time to time at Luke's awkward movements, his lean feat
ures were sprinkled with smugness.
"No, Luke, your cuts should flow, not be so choppy," Kenobi instructed gently. "
Remember, a Jedi can actually feel the force flowing through them."
"You mean it controls your actions?" Luke inquired.
"Partially, but it also obeys your commands."
The Jedi was hefting a silvery globe about the size of a man's fist. It was cove
red with fine antennae, some as delicate as those of a moth. He flipped it towar
d Luke and watched as it halted a couple of meters away from the boy's face.
Luke readied himself as the ball circled him slowly, turning to face it as it as
sumed a new position. Abruptly it executed a lightning-swift lunge, only to free
ze about a meter away. Luke failed to succumb to the feint, and the ball soon ba
cked off. Moving slowly to one side in an effort to get around the balls fore se
nsors, Luke drew the saber back preparatory to striking. As he did so the ball d
arted in behind him. A thin pencil of red light jumped from one of the antennae
to the back of Luke's thigh, knocking him to the deck even as he was bringing hi
s saber around-too late.
Rubbing at his tingling, sleeping leg, Luke tried to ignore the burst of accusin
g laughter from Solo. "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a go
od blaster at your side, kid," the pilot sneered.
"You don't believe in the Force?" asked Luke, struggling back to his feet. The n
umbing effect of the beam wore off quickly.
"Kid, I've been from one end of this galaxy to the other," the pilot boasted, "a
nd I've seen a lot of strange things. But I've never seen anything to make me be
lieve that there was some all powerful force controlling everything. There's no
mystical energy field that controls my destiny."
Kenobi only smiled gently before turning back to face Luke. "I suggest you try i
t again, Luke," he said soothingly. "Only this time you should let go of your ph
ysical self." He hefted a blast-shielded helmet and placed it on Luke's head.
"But with the blast shield down, I can't even see! How am I supposed to fight?"
"Your eyes can deceive you, Luke," Qui-Gon said. "Don't trust them. Concentrate
on the living Force, let it flow through you."
"I can't do it," Luke moaned. "I'll get hit again."
"Not if you let yourself trust you," Kenobi insisted, none too convincingly for
Luke. "This is the only way to be certain you're relying wholly on the Force."
Noticing that the skeptical Corellian had turned to watch, Kenobi hesitated mome
ntarily. It did Luke no good to have the self-assured pilot laugh every time a m
istake was made. But coddling the boy would do him no good either and there was
no time for it anyway. Throw him in and hope he floats, Ben instructed himself f
irmly. Bending over the chrome globe, he touched a control at its side. Then he
tossed it straight up. It arched toward Luke. Braking in mid fall, the ball plum
meted stone-like toward the deck. Luke swung the saber at it. While it was a com
mendable try, it wasn't nearly fast enough. Once again the little antenna glowed
. This time the crimson needle hit Luke square on the seat of his pants. Though
it wasn't an incapacitating blow, it felt like one and Luke let out a yelp of pa
in as he spun, trying to strike his invisible tormentor.
"Relax!" Quinn urged him. "Be free. You're trying to use your eyes and ears. Sto
p predicting and use the rest of your mind."
Suddenly the youth stopped, wavering slightly. The seeker was still behind him.
Changing direction again, it made another dive and fired. Simultaneously the lig
htsaber jerked around, as accurate as it was awkward in its motion, to deflect t
he bolt. This time the ball didn't fall motionless to the deck. Instead it backe
d up three meters and remained there, hovering.
Aware that the drone of the seeker remote no longer assaulted his ears, a cautio
us Luke peeked out from under the helmet. Sweat and exhaustion competed for spac
e on his face.
"Did I-?"
"I told you that you could," Kenobi informed him with pleasure. "Once you start
to trust your inner self there'll be no stopping you."
"I'd call it luck," snorted Solo as he concluded his examination of the readouts
.
"In my experience there is no such thing as luck."
"Call it what you like," the Corellian sniffed indifferently, "but good against
a remote is one thing. Good against the living is another."
As he was speaking a small telltale light on the far side of the hold had begun
flashing. Chewbacca noticed it and called out to him.
Solo glanced at the board and then informed his passengers, "We're coming up on
Alderaan. And might I say that my sister still isn't here, so I hop you brought
your chutes. Come on, Chewie."
Rising from the game table, the Wookiee followed his partner toward the cockpit.
Luke watched them depart, but his mind wasn't on their imminent arrival at Alde
raan. It was burning with something else, something that seemed to grow and matu
re at the back of his brain as he dwelt on it.
"You know," he murmured, "I did feel something. I could almost 'see' the outline
s of the remote." He gestured at the hovering device behind him.
Qui-Gon's voice when he replied was solemn. "Luke, you've taken the first step i
nto a larger universe."
Dozens of humming, buzzing instruments lent the freighter's cockpit the air of a
busy hive. Solo and Chewbacca had their attention locked on the most vital of t
hose instruments.
"Steady... stand by, Chewie." Solo adjusted several manual compensators. "Ready
to go sublight... ready... cut us in, Chewie."
The Wookiee turned something on the console before him. At the same time Solo pu
lled back on the hyperdrive activator and abruptly the long streaks of Doppler-d
istorted starlight slowed to hyphen shapes, then finally to familiar bolts of fi
re. A gauge on the console registered zero.
Gigantic chunks of glowing stone appeared out of the nothingness, barely shunted
aside by the ship's deflectors. The strain caused the Millennium Falcon to begi
n shuddering violently.
"What the-?" a thoroughly startled Solo muttered. Next to him, Chewbacca offered
no comment of his own as he flipped off several controls and activated others.
Only the fact that the cautious Solo always emerged from hyperspace with his def
lectors up-just in case any of many unfriendly folks might be waiting for him-ha
d saved the freighter from instant destruction.
Luke fought to keep his balance as he made his way into the cockpit. "What's goi
ng on?"
"Aw, we've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. Some kind of asteroid co
llision. It's not on any of our charts." He peered hard at several indicators. "
Our position is correct, only no Alderaan."
"What do you mean? Where is it?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, kid. It's been totally blown away," Han rep
lied.
"But-how?"
"Destroyed. By the Empire," a voice declared firmly. Ben Kenobi had come in behi
nd Luke and his attention was held by the emptiness ahead as well as the import
behind it.
"No." Solo was shaking his head slowly. In his own way even he was stunned by th
e enormity of what the old man was suggesting. That a human agency had been resp
onsible for the annihilation of an entire population, of a planet itself... "No.
.. the entire Imperial fleet couldn't have done this. It would take a thousand s
hips massing a lot more firepower than has ever existed."
Muffled alarms began humming loudly as a synchronous light flashed on the contro
l console. Solo bent to the appropriate instrumentation.
"Another ship," he announced. "Can't judge the type yet."
"A survivor, maybe-someone who might know what happened," Luke ventured hopefull
y.
Ben Kenobi's next words shattered more than that hope. "That's an Imperial fight
er."
Chewbacca suddenly gave an angry bark. A huge flower of destruction blossomed ou
tside the port, battering the freighter violently. A tiny, double-winged ball ra
ced past the cockpit port.
"It followed us!" Luke shouted.
"No, it's a short range fighter," Qui-Gon said, coming into the cockpit.
"But where did it come from?" the Corellian wanted to know. "There are no Imperi
al bases near here."
"It's leaving in a big hurry," Luke noted, studying the tracker. "No matter wher
e it's going, if it identifies us we're in big trouble."
"Not if I can help it," Solo declared. "Chewie, jam its transmission. Lay in a p
ursuit course."
"It would be best to let it go," Kenobi ventured thoughtfully. "It's already too
far out of range."
"Not for long."
Several minutes followed, during which the cockpit was filled with a tense silen
ce. All eyes were on the tracking screen and viewport. At first the Imperial fig
hter tried a complex evasive course, to no avail. The surprisingly maneuverable
freighter hung tight on its tail, continuing to make up the distance between the
m. Seeing that he couldn't shake his pursuers, the fighter pilot had obviously o
pened up his tiny engine all the way.
Ahead, one of the multitude of stars was becoming steadily brighter. Luke frowne
d. They were moving fast, but not nearly fast enough for any heavenly object to
brighten so rapidly. Something here didn't make sense.
"Impossible for a fighter that small to be this deep in space on its own," Qui-G
on observed.
"It must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something," Luke hypothesize
d.
Solo's comment was gleeful. "Well, he won't be around long enough to tell anyone
about us. We'll be on top of him in a minute or two."
The star ahead continued to brighten, its glow evidently coming from within. It
assumed a circular outline.
"He's heading for that small moon," Luke murmured.
"Don't worry, he's almost in range."
They drew steadily nearer. Gradually craters and mountains on the moon became vi
sible. Yet there was something extremely odd about them. The craters were far to
o regular in outline, the mountains far too vertical, canyons and valleys imposs
ibly straight and regularized. Nothing as capricious as volcanic action had form
ed those features.
"That's no moon," Kenobi breathed softly. "That's a space station."
"That's impossible!" Solo objected.
"I have a very bad feeling about this," was Luke's comment.
"Turn the ship around," Kenobi said calmly.
"Yes, I think you're right. Full reverse, Chewie."
The Wookiee started adjusting controls and the freighter seemed to slow, arcing
around in a broad curve. The tiny fighter leaped instantly toward the monstrous
station until it was swallowed up by its overpowering bulk.
Chewbacca chattered something at Solo as the ship shook and strained against uns
een forces.
"Lock in auxiliary power!" Solo ordered.
Gauges began to whine in protest and by ones and twos every instrument on the co
ntrol console sequentially went berserk. Try as he might, Solo couldn't keep the
surface of the gargantuan station from looming steadily larger, larger-until it
became the heavens.
Luke stared wildly at secondary installations as big as mountains, dish antennae
 larger than all of Mos Eisley. "Why are we still moving toward it?"
"Too late," Kenobi whispered softly. A glance at Solo confirmed his concern.
"We're caught in a tractor beam-strongest one I ever saw. It's dragging us in,"
the pilot muttered.
"You mean, there's nothing you can do?" Luke asked, feeling unbelievably helples
s.
Solo studied the overloaded sensor readouts and shook his head. "Not against thi
s kind of power. I'm on full power myself, kid, and it's not shifting out of cou
rse a fraction of a degree. It's no use. I'm going to have to shut down or we'll
melt our engines. But they're not going to suck me up like so much dust without
a fight!"
He started to vacate the pilot's chair, but was restrained by an aged yet powerf
ul hand on his shoulder. An expression of concern was on the old man's face-and
yet, a suggestion of something somewhat less funereal.
"If it's a fight you cannot win-well, my boy, there are always alternatives to f
ighting..."
The true size of the battle station became apparent as the freighter was pulled
closer and closer. Running around the station's equator was an artificial cluste
r of metal mountains, docking ports stretching beckoning fingers nearly two kilo
meters above the surface.
Now only a minuscule speck against the gray bulk of the station, the Millennium
Falcon was sucked toward one of the massive hanger bays that soon swallowed the
ship whole. Whether they liked it or not, Han Solo and company were now guests o
f the Empire.
Episode 4 Chapter 8
Escape from the Death Star
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1
====BtVS====
Death Star Briefing Room.
Tarkin turned as an Imperial officer entered the chamber. "Yes, what is it, Cass
?"
"Governor, the advance scouts have reached Dantooine. They have found the remain
s of a rebel base... which they estimate has been deserted for some time. Years,
possibly. They are proceeding with an extensive survey of the remainder of the
system." The officer gave a curt bow and then turned and left with all due haste
.
Tarkin turned apoplectic, his face darkening to a fine pomegranate fury. "She li
ed! She lied to us!" he turned towards Vader, who was leaning nonchalantly again
st the wall. "Terminate her immediately!"
"Calm yourself, Tarkin," Vader advised him. "You would throw away our only link
to the real rebel base so casually? She can still be of value to us."
"Fagh! You just said it yourself, Vader: we'll get nothing more out of her. I'll
find that hidden fortress if I have to destroy every star system in this sector
. I'll-" A quiet yet demanding beep interrupted him. "Yes, what is it?" he inqui
red irritably.
A voice reported over an unseen speaker. "Sirs, we've captured a small freighter
that was entering the remains of Alderaan. Its' markings apparently match that
of the ship which blasted its way out of the quarantine at Mos Eisley."
"Someone apparently received the missing data tapesto the Senator," Vader said.
"We may still have some use for her."
"Very well," Tarkin replied. "Keep her alive. For now." He turned to the officer
. "Anything else?"
"Lady Jade's shuttle has arrived as well. She brings news from the Emperor for M
aster Halcyon."
"Then make sure she is accommodated. Vader, I leave this other matter to your ca
pable hands."
The Dark Lord bowed slightly, a gesture which Tarkin acknowledged with a perfunc
tory salute. Then he spun and strode from the room, leaving Motti to find Master
Halcyon.
====BtVS====
Vader strode up to the captain who stood outside the Falcon with a squad of Stor
m Troopers. "Report," he snapped, causing the captain to snap to attention.
"The ship appears to be deserted, sir," he replied. "The ships' log says that th
e crew abandoned ship shortly after lift off and several of the escape pods have
been jettisoned."
"Did you find any droids?"
"No sir. If they were on board, they must have also jettisoned."
"Very well," Vader said finally. "Send a scanning party on board. I want every p
art of this ship searched." He paused for a moment and then reached out through
the Force. He senesed something vague and undefined which caused him to frown. "
I sense something. A presence I've not felt since..." Vader trailed off, abruptl
y turning and stalking out of the hangar.
====BtVS====
Halcyon approached the shuttle whose ramp was lowering. As it sit down Mara exit
ed.
"Master Halcyon. Good to see you again," she said.
"Mara," he replied. "What is our master's bidding?"
"We are to return to Imperial City as soon as possible," she replied
"Very well. We shall leave shortly," he replied.
"What's all the commotion?" Mara asked.
"Just some Rebels, nothing much," Halcyon replied. Mara nodded thoughtfully.
"Then let's stay around for a bit and see what happens, shall we?" she said, and
the two headed off to the control room.
====BtVS====
The Falcon seemed to be deserted to the Storm Troopers that had searched the shi
p. But any smuggler worth his salt knew how to hide undesirables from government
search teams. Of course, Han Solo had never thought of himself as undesirable b
efore. But it was nice to have a place to hide...
"This is ridiculous," he remarked as he pulled himself out of the hidden smuggli
ng compartment. Luke and Obi-Wan were pushing up the floor tile that covered the
irs, as was Qui-Gon. "Even if I could take off, I'd never get past the tractor b
eam."
Qui-Gon looked to Obi-Wan, who nodded in silent agreement. "Leave that to us," t
he Jedi told the smuggler, who scowled.
"Damn old fool, I knew you'd say that," he grumbled. Kenobi smirked.
"Who's the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?" He paused for a
moment as he heard a storm trooper speak.
"She's all yours. If you find anything, report it immediately."
"Yes sir!" a voice responded and, after a moment, the sound of footsteps echoed
up the ramp and through the halls and two technicians carrying a heavy case step
ped into the deserted ship. Without preamble, they moved down the hall towards t
he cockpit-
And were thrown into the bulkhead when the deck beneath them lurched up suddenly
.
Before they could react, a large and angry Wookie slammed both of their heads in
to the bulkhead, knocking them out.
"Hey down there, could you give us a hand?" Han called out, pulling out his blas
ter.
====BtVS====
Up in the command office, a young officer noticed that the two Troopers left to
guard the Falcon were missing for their posts. He hit the com button.
"TK-421, why aren't you at your post?" he asked, frowning when he didn't receive
an answer. "TK-421, respond!"
Suddenly a Storm Trooper walked down the ramp of the ship and tapped the side of
his helmet. The officer nodded and turned to his companion.
"Looks like a bad transmitter. Take over here, I'm going down there to see what
I can do," he remarked, hitting the door button. The door slid up to reveal a ve
ry angry Wookie, who roared at the officer before he slammed him across the room
with a massive blow. The second officer stood drawing his blaster, but was shot
by a Storm Trooper before he could even think of pulling the trigger. The two w
alked calmly into the room, followed by the two Jedi, the Droids and another Sto
rm Trooper who closed the door. He removed his helmet revealing the young featur
es of Luke Skywalker, who turned to the other trooper immediately.
"You know, between his howling and your blasting everything in sight, it's a won
der that the whole station doesn't know we're here!"
Han pulled off his own helmet and rolled his eyes. "Bring it on! I prefer a stra
ight fight to all of this sneaking around."
Kenobi and Qui-Gon ignored the two bickering men, instead turning to Artoo. "Plu
g in," Ben instructed the little droid, who obediently plugged his access plug i
nto the terminal. "He should be able to interpret the entire Imperial network."
Several moments passed as Artoo sifted through the Imperial files. Suddenly he b
eeped excitedly, "He's found it, Sir!" Threepio exclaimed "The tractor beam is c
oupled to the main reactors at seven locations. A loss of power at any one of th
e stations will shut down the tractor beam."
Qui-Gon and Kenobi watched the schematics scroll across the screens, then shared
a look. Finally, Qui-Gon spoke.
"I don't think there's any way you boys can help with this," he told them. "We m
ust go alone."
"That suits me fine," said Solo readily. "I've already done more than I bargaine
d for on this trip."
Luke wasn't put off so easily. "I want to go with you."
"Don't be impatient, Luke," Qui-Gon said. "Stay and watch over the droids. They
must be delivered to the rebel forces or many more worlds will meet the same fat
e as Alderaan." He put a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder. "The Force will be
with you. Always."
"When Buffy and Joyce return, they will appear inside the Falcon. They will be w
aiting for us when we leave," Obi-Wan assured Han and then moved to the door and
opened it. The two Jedi looked once left, once right and disappeared down a lon
g, glowing hallway.
As soon as they were gone Chewbacca growled and Solo nodded agreement. "You said
it, Chewie!" He turned to Luke. "Where'd you dig up those old fossils?"
"Quinton Jinn and Ben Kenobi are great men," Luke protested loftily.
"Yeah," Han snorted, "great at getting us into trouble."
"Well I didn't hear you giving any other bright ideas!" Luke shot back challengi
ngly.
"Anything would be better than just waiting here for them to come and pick us up
. If we-"
A hysterical whistling and hooting came from the computer console. Luke hurried
over to Artoo Detoo. The little droid was all but hopping about on stubby legs.
"What now?" Luke asked Threepio.
The taller robot looked puzzled himself. "I'm afraid I don't understand either,
sir. He says, 'I found her,' and keeps repeating, 'She's here!'"
"Who's here?"
Artoo turned a flat blinking face toward Luke and whistled frantically.
"Senator Nabberie," Threepio announced after listening carefully. "The person in
the message he was carrying."
"Leia? She's here?"
Attracted by the commotion, Solo wandered over. "Senator? What's going on?"
"Where? Where is she?" Luke demanded breathlessly, ignoring Solo completely.
Artoo whistled on while Threepio translated. "Level five, detention block AA-23.
According to the information, she is scheduled for slow termination."
"No! We've got to do something."
"What are you talking about?" an exasperated Solo demanded.
"She's the one who programmed the message into Artoo," Luke explained hurriedly,
"the one we were trying to deliver to Alderaan. We've got to help her."
"Now, just a minute," Solo cautioned him. "The old man said to wait here, so tha
t's what I'm going to do."
"A minute ago you said you didn't just want to sit here and wait to be captured.
Now all you want to do is stay. Which is it, Han?"
The Corellian looked troubled-and confused. "Marching into a detention area's no
t what I had in mind."
"But they're going to kill her!"
"Better her than me."
Han turned away and Luke frantically searched for a way to enlist his help. Luke
may be young and impulsive, but he wasn't delusional. He knew he had no chance
of saving his sister by himself. He needed the Corellian's help. But how could h
e convince him? How could he convince a smuggler...
"She's rich," he said suddenly; Han perked up despite his best efforts.
"Rich?"
"Uh-huh. Rich, powerful - if you were to save her, the reward would be..."
Han looked sharply at Luke. "What?"
Luke shrugged. "Well, more wealth than you can imagine!"
"I don't know," Han retorted, "I can imagine a lot."
"You'll get it."
"I better!"
"You will!"
Han sighed. "All right, what's your plan?"
====BtVS====
The most boring job on the station had to be guarding the detention blocks, so o
f course those jobs went to the more junior officers. Like the one who was on du
ty in the high security wing at that moment.
Seriously, he thought to himself, who'd be crazy enough to try and break into a
detention block inside the Death Star?
At that moment his musing were interrupted when the turbolift door opened, revea
ling two Storm Troopers and - a monkey?
As they stepped out of the lift, he walked around his console towards them.
"Where are you taking this...thing?" he asked disdainfully
"Prisoner transfer from cell block 1138," the shorter trooper said. The officer
narrowed his eyes.
"I wasn't notified," he said. "I'll have to clear it." He moved back behind the
console as two more guards came to take the tall anthropoid.
Suddenly the Wookie broke loose from the binder cuffs and let out an ear-splitti
ng howl and attacked the closet guard as the Storm Troopers started yelling.
"Look out, he's loose!"
"He'll rip your arms out!"
"I'll get him!"
Blaster fire erupted and it didn't take long for the officer to see how accurate
the Storm Troopers fire was actually being. He moved to sound the alarm and was
blasted in the chest as a result. His last coherent thought was: who could be t
his crazy?
Solo rushed to the open comlink speaker, which was screeching anxious questions
about what was going on. Apparently there were audio as well as visual links bet
ween this detention station and elsewhere.
Ignoring the barrage of alternate threats and queries, he checked the readout se
t in the panel nearby. "We've got to find out which cell this Princess of yours
is in. There must be a dozen levels and- here it is. Cell 2187. Go on-Chewie and
I'll hold them here."
Han pulled off his helmet and shut off the blaring alarms and hit the coms butto
n.
"Everything's under control," he said into the pickup, sounding reasonably offic
ial. "Situation normal."
"What happened?" a voice snapped back in a no-nonsense tone.
"Uh, well, we had a slight weapon malfunction," Solo stammered, his temporary of
ficiallese lapsing into nervousness. "But there's no problem now- we're fine, we
're all fine, thanks. How are you?"
"We're sending a squad up," the voice announced suddenly.
Han could almost smell the suspicion at the other end. What to say? He spoke mor
e eloquently with the business end of a blaster.
"Negative-negative. We have a coolant leak. Give us a few minutes to lock it dow
n. Large leak-very dangerous."
"Who is this? What's your operating-?"
Pointing his pistol at the panels, Solo blew the instrumentation to silent scrap
s. "It was a boring conversation anyway," he murmured. Turning, he shouted down
the corridor, "Hurry it up, Luke! We're going to have company."
Luke frantically moved from one side of the hall to the other, looking for the c
ell. Finally he found it and hit the door release. Inside the cell, his sister l
ay there on her side, apparently sleeping. As soon as Luke entered, though, she
sat up.
Aren't you a little short to be a storm trooper?" she asked sarcastically.
"Huh?" Luke said in confusion and then realized what she meant. "Oh, the uniform
." He pulled off the helmet and smiled. "You can't go two weeks without getting
into trouble, can you?"
"Luke!" Leia yelled in shock. "What are you doing here?"
"We found Artoo and Threepio. I came with Ben Kenobi and Quinn Jin." He heard sh
outing from down the hall. "Come on, sis! We got to get out of here!" Blaster fi
re erupted from outside the hallway and Luke cursed. He came out of the doorway
and fried down the hall past Han and Chewie, who were running up to meet them.
"Now what?" the Corellian asked sarcastically, firing back at the Storm Troopers
.
"This is some rescue!" Leia exclaimed. "You got in here. Did you have a plan for
getting out?"
"He's the brains, sweetheart!" Han retorted.
Leia sighed in frustration, then grabbed her brother's blaster from his hand and
blasted a hatch cover across from her.
"What the¬-"
"Into the garbage chute, fly-boy!" Leia shouted, firing down the hall at the onc
oming Storm Troopers, then tossing the gun back to Luke before finally jumping d
own the chute.
"Great girl! Either I'm going to kill her, or I'm beginning to like her!" Luke j
ust shot him a look before jumping feet first into the chute. Han turned to his
friend. "Go, Chewie!" he shouted, but the Wookie whimpered and shook his head. "
I don't care what you smell! Get in there you great furry oaf!" Han gave him a k
ick in the seat of his pants, sending the Wookie sprawling down the chute. Han b
acked up and took a few more shots, then finally dived head-first down the chute
.
====BtVS====
It took very little effort for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to sneak past security and fi
nd the tractor beam emitter controls. Both Jedi carefully made their way around
on the small catwalk to the control panel on the opposite side. The two worked i
n perfect harmony before Qui-Gon finally spoke.
"You feel it, don't you? The tremor in the Force," he remarked quietly.
"Yes," Obi-Wan replied. "But it can't be possible. He's dead."
"So was I," Qui-Gon replied. "It is conceivable that Sidious cloned C'baoth as w
ell. If he did, then we will have to face him."
Obi-Wan put a hand on his mentor's shoulder. "Than face him we will. Come now, l
et us finish with this."
====BtVS====
Han finished shrugging off the last of the Storm Trooper armor and tossed it thr
ough the now-open door of the trash compactor. Part of him still couldn't believ
e that it had almost been his grave, so he covered up his feeling in his usual w
ay - with sarcastic bluster.
"Well, if we can just avoid any more female advice, we ought to be able to get o
ut of here," he said, attaching the storm trooper belt around his waist. Leia sc
owled and moved in front of him.
"Listen, I don't know who you are or where you came from, but from now on you'll
do as I say, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned and moved off dow
n the hall behind Chewbacca. Han, taken aback momentarily by how brazen the youn
g Senator had been, soon moved to follow with Luke right behind him.
"Look, your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight. I take orders from onl
y one person: me!"
"It's a wonder you're still alive," she remarked dryly, then glanced at Chewie.
"Will someone get this big walking carpet out of my way?" she grumbled, pushing
past the Wookie.
"No reward is worth this!" Han complained as he followed her.
====BtVS====
The two Jedi made their way silently back towards the hanger, using the Force an
d their own natural talents at remaining hidden to avoid detection. They were ne
arly to the ship when a familiar face slid out of the shadows in front of them.
"My, my. The ghosts of the past have come to me once more - and not whom I was e
xpecting," the Jedi master once known as Jorus C'baoth, now known as Darth Vader
said. "You of course, Qui-Gon," he nodded to the elder Jedi, "but not you, Obi-
Wan." He cast an appraising eye over Kenobi. "I must say, you're not looking qui
te how I'd expect you to look. You're looking well for your age."
"Yes, well - I eat right, exercise, watch my cholesterol..."
"Now, now Obi-Wan - don't mock the Sith lord. We have a job to do..."
Vader shook his head in disgust. "The great Jedi duo. More like the great Jedi j
esters. How you think you could ever stand against my master is beyond me. Look
around you!" he exclaimed, gesturing to the walls surrounding them. "This space
station holds the power to destroy entire planets! And who will stop it - the Je
di?" he scoffed. "I've spent the past twenty years killing them off while you've
been working on your tan, Jinn. Face it - the Jedi Order is dead and the Sith O
rder is just getting warmed up."
"The Jedi aren't as dead as you would like to believe, Jorus," Qui-Gon remarked,
"nor are the Sith as powerful as you would like to believe."
"This station will be destroyed," Obi-Wan added. "As will the Sith."
Vader snarled and activated his lightsaber, the crimson blade reflecting off of
the walls. "The only thing that will be destroyed today are two over-confident J
edi." He looked to Qui-Gon. "I've been looking forward to this."
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both ignited their blades. "I'm sure you have, Vader," Qui-G
on replied. "I'm sure you have."
Without further preamble, Vader attacked.
====BtVS====
The small band of escapees made their way to the observation deck above the hang
er where the Millennium Falcon was stored. Leia glanced down at the ship in disd
ain.
"You came in that?" she remarked. "You're braver than I thought."
Han rolled his eyes. "Nice. Come on!" He turned to head towards the stairs when
a small squad of Storm Troopers came around the corner.
"It's them! Blast 'em!" one of the Storm Troopers shouted. Han pumped a few shot
s into the Trooper, sending the others scampering away for cover.
"Get back to the ship!" he cried, running after the fleeing troops. Chewie roare
d and ran off behind him.
"He sure is brave," Leia remarked. Luke just sighed.
"What good will it do if he gets himself killed?" he asked his sister.
====BtVS====
A flash of light and sound announced the arrival of Buffy and her daughter back
on board the Millennium Falcon.
"Home sweet home," Joyce remarked. She spied her helmet lying on the deck, right
where she had left it before her trip across the dimensional barrier. "How'd we
get back to exactly where we left?"
"When I took out the holo, I put in a locater. Helps to pinpoint portal openings
on either side of the barrier." She paused and frowned. "Something's wrong..."
"The engines," Joyce said at once. "They're not running."
"Nothing is," Buffy added. "She's powered down."
"This isn't right," Joyce remarked. "Where still in artificial gravity, so we ca
n't be at Alderaan. What's going on?"
"Let's find out," Buffy responded, moving past her daughter towards the cockpit.
Joyce followed and the two moved silently through the ship, arriving in no time
at the outrider cockpit. The sight outside of it chilled them both.
"This is an Imperial dock," Joyce said, looking around. "Looks brand new. Maybe
some new station was built in the Alderaan system and the Falcon got towed in. I
f that's the case, it's up to us to break everyone out."
Buffy shook her head. "Luke's on the move. So is Leia. They're on their way back
here, I bet, so our job is to get the ship ready to leave."
Joyce looked to her mother. "How could you possibly know that?"
"I felt them through the Force," she replied simply.
Joyce sighed and donned her helmet. "Well, I'll get the Falcon ready. You get re
ady to back them up if they come in hot."
"Yes ma'am," Buffy responded wryly. She glanced back out of the cockpit window a
nd instantly blanched at what she saw - Qui-Gon and Ben, fighting-
C'baoth?
"What the fu-"
====BtVS====
Mara Jade stared impassively as Halcyon used the Force to choke another hapless
technician.
"Explain to me how a handful of rebels could cause so much disruption on the Emp
ire's premier battle station?"
"I don't think he can answer you if he can't breath, my lord," Mara remarked dry
ly. Her eyes fell on a security monitor and narrowed. "What's this?" she demande
d of a technician, who had been too terrified of Halcyon to pay attention to his
monitors. At once he turned back to the screen and enhanced the image, revealin
g two Jedi fighting against Darth Vader. Halcyon saw this and immediately droppe
d his victim, instead moving towards the screen. The mechanically-regulated brea
thing from the suit sped up as he recognized the figures on the screen.
"Kenobi!" he exclaimed. "If he's here, then..." he trailed off as he reached out
through the Force. Suddenly a presence flared to life, one he recognized in a h
eartbeat. "Skywalker! She's here, in the Millennium Falcon." He whirled to face
the technician once more, his cape whipping around behind him. "Organize your fo
rces. Have them proceed to the hanger at once. Kill the others, but I want Skywa
lker ALIVE!"
====BtVS====
Once again, Obi-Wan found himself fighting beside his mentor against a Sith Lord
of incredible power. Of course this time he was older and more experienced; tho
ugh on the flip side Qui-Gon was older and more out of shape, while Vader was se
emingly younger and more powerful than Jorus had been when he was killed. Their
blades were meeting each others with a flurry of hits and parries, but while the
two Jedi were expending a tremendous amount of effort, Vader seemed to be playi
ng with them.
"Your powers are weak, old man!" Vader taunted Qui-Gon, viciously knocking aside
the Jedi's blade then kicking him in the face. Qui-Gon stumbled back and Vader
turned his full attention to Obi-Wan. He slashed violently at his head and then
thrust the blade down low towards his abdomen. Ben barely managed to block, send
ing the Sith's blade off to the side, but Vader instantly reversed the angle of
the blade and swiped low, cutting for his knees. Ben jumped over the blade and b
acked off.
"Obi-Wan, you disappoint me. Master Yoda always held you in such high esteem." V
ader grinned maliciously. "Surely you can do better!"
Vader attacked again, with Obi-Wan desperately blocking his shots. "It's funny y
ou say that, C'baoth. I used to think you were held in high esteem by the Order.
" Vader lunged and Obi-Wan parried, locking their blades together. "It wasn't un
til after you were killed on Outbound Flight that I learned how much you were ac
tually despised by everyone." Vader growled and struggled to pull his blade free
. "Personally, I never gave you much thought. I was always more concerned with y
our Padawan. I always felt that Lorana Jinzler would have made an excellent Jedi
, if she hadn't been saddle with such an insane, inept Master..."
Vader roared in outraged and ripped his blade free and then started battering at
Obi-Wan's defenses. The younger Jedi cursed under his breath as he fought to st
op the Sith's attack. And Buffy says that bantering with the enemy helps to lowe
r their defenses, he thought darkly to himself. Vader brought his blade down and
Obi-Wan blocked, but Vader instantly spun on his foot, spinning the blade aroun
d so the blade was pointed behind him and thrust out. The crimson blade impaled
Kenobi in the lower abdomen and Vader let the blade sit there for a moment befor
e mercifully pulling it out. Obi-Wan dropped to the ground, groaning in pain.
Obi-Wan looked up at Vader, who was grinning maniacally, then past him to his fo
rmer master who had risen again. He saw the sad expression in his eyes and insta
ntly knew what he was going to do.
"Qui-Gon, no..."
The elder Jedi nodded to Obi-Wan once, then with the Force activated his PPG. A
surprised Vader leapt back as a flash of swirling purple and white energy envelo
ped Obi-Wan, pulling him across the barrier before dissipating into nothing.
"So that's how he's escaped me all of these years..." Vader said quietly and the
n turned to face Qui-Gon. "Where has he gone?" he demanded.
"To a place that you cannot follow him, Darth," Qui-Gon responded evenly. "And I
have no way to reach him, either." He raised his green blade to a basic neutral
stance. "Let's say we finish this, Jorus."
Vader snarled and raised his blade to an aggressive forward stance. "Yes, lets."
====BtVS====
Buffy watched helplessly as Ben was cut down, then teleported away from the safe
ty of the cockpit of the Falcon. She looked around the hangar and spied Artoo an
d Threepio in the far corner. She then saw Han, Luke - and Leia?
Boy, she hated it when she missed important stuff.
It was then that the Storm Troopers in the hanger moved towards the hall at the
far end where Qui-Gon was fighting with C'baoth. She turned to her daughter.
"Power her up. We're leaving."
====BtVS====
Han, Leia and Luke raced across the deck towards the Millennium Falcon. Luke loo
ked to his right and spotted the droids, then looked past him to see Qui-Gon fig
hting against Darth Vader - and losing.
"Quinn?"
Qui-Gon glanced over to where Luke stood, then back at Vader and smirked.
"You find this amusing old man?" Vader demanded and then swung his blade across
Qui-Gon's chest. The Jedi seemingly brought his blade up to block it-
Then simply let go, closing his eyes a moment before Vader's blade slashed acros
s his body. The impact knocked the still-active lightsaber away and into the han
gar - while his body disappeared.
"NO!" Luke screamed. The Storm Troopers immediately turned to investigate the no
ise and opened fire when they saw who it was. Luke immediately opened fire, taki
ng down several Storm Troopers in quick succession.
"Blast the door, kid!" Han cried and Luke turned his fire onto the door panel. T
he panel exploded and the blast door slammed shut, holding the Sith Lord behind
it. Luke turned to run towards the ship-
And was thrown forward, landing on the ground hard. The blaster flew out of his
hand and slid into the open maintenance pit in the floor, out of his reach. Luke
looked up at Leia and Han and shouted, "Get on the ship!" He scrambled to his f
eet and grabbed his father's lightsaber from his belt. He ignited the blue blade
and swung around, holding it with two hands in front of him-
And came face to face with the most beautiful redhead he had ever seen. Never mi
nd the fact that she wore a standard grey Imperial uniform and held a crimson-bl
aded lightsaber loosely at her side, she was still gorgeous.
"Well, would you get a load of this," Mara Jade said, smirking. "The farm boy's
got a lightsaber. Put that away, kid, before you poke your eye out or something.
Leave these to the professionals."
"I can handle it just fine," Luke shot back defiantly, tightening his grip on hi
s saber. Mara's smirk grew even wider as she slinked slowly up to Luke, till she
was a blade's length away from the young farm boy. Suddenly she lashed out with
her blade with one hand, effortlessly knocking the blade out of Luke's hand and
sending the saber tumbling to the deck. Mara's smirk turned into a broad smile
as Luke closed his eyes in frustration.
"Yeah, I can see you handle that real we-" she suddenly used the Force to push L
uke out of the way and brought her blade up to intercept Buffy's silver blade. "
Do you mind? I was trying to have a conversation here..."
"Just like your mother," Buffy remarked casually, driving the young Hand back, "
all talk, no akk!" suddenly Buffy floundered, a vice-like grip crushing her thro
at. She felt herself being picked up off of the floor and watched helplessly as
Mara moved away from her and back towards Luke. Her eyes searched frantically fo
r the source of her torture and settled on an eerily familiar sight of a man in
a black suit and mask...
It's not Anakin...but I'd recognize that presence anywhere.
"Welcome back, Master Skywalker," Nejaa Halcyon intoned, his hand extended in fr
ont of him as he used the Force to choke the life out of her. "It's been a long
time."
"Hu-Hal," she choked out, "y-you looked bu-bu-better,"
"Your brother and your dear friend took my family away from me, Skywalker," he s
pat out. "So I intend to return the favor. Starting with his sister and her frie
nds!"
Reaching into the Force with everything she had, she suddenly threw her hand for
ward and let loose a Force blast that sent Halcyon crashing back into the wall.
His concentration broken, Buffy slumped to the ground, where she gasped for brea
th. She reached for her lightsaber and ignited it, just in time to block a retur
ning Halcyon's own shot.
Luke wasn't having a much better time with Mara. As soon as her attention turned
back to Luke, he had thrown a punch into her jaw, snapping her head back and se
nding her off balance. He had then tackled her, sending them both to the deck an
d knocking her weapon out of her hand. Of course, Mara Jade had been trained to
be the Emperor's Hand. She didn't just know how to fight with a lightsaber.
All too soon Luke found that she was pretty good at hand-to-hand as well.
"You just don't know when to quit, do you, farm boy?" she said scathingly, snapp
ing a kick off and connecting with Luke's jaw. The young Jedi collapsed to the d
eck, dazed, and Mara used that moment to call her lightsaber back to her hand. "
Got to give you points for tenacity, though..."
"Hey, Darth Rosenberg!"
Mara spun around - and promptly received an armored fist to her face, followed b
y another to her gut. Dazed, her lightsaber fell to the ground and she was helpl
ess as the armored figure grabbed her by the front of her tunic and hauled her u
p.
"I wasn't allowed to kill your mother and I don't really feel like killing you.
Personally, I think that having an evil daughter is poetic justice for that bitc
h. But, seeing as how I can't let you kill my cousin here - how 'bout a mirshmur
e'cya?" and with that, she reared back and let loose with a vicious head butt, w
hich was only enhanced by her beskar helmet. She let the even more dazed Hand sl
ump to the floor and then grabbed Luke. "Time to co, Cuz!"
Buffy blocked a flurry of shots from Halcyon, desperately holding him back while
her friends and family made it back about the ship. She saw Joyce come to Luke'
s aid, taking down whom Buffy presumed to be Willow's daughter with startling ea
se.
A Mandalorian Slayer, she thought to herself, what should I have expected? She n
oticed that Halcyon was distracted by that as well and she seized the opportunit
y to let loose with another Force push. The impact crumpled the control box on t
he front of his suit that regulated the life support system and the impact with
the wall stunned the would-be Sith. Halcyon crumpled to the deck, desperately wh
eezing as Buffy ran to the Falcon. She was climbing on board when a blaster bolt
nicked her artificial arm and she looked behind her - and gasped in amazement a
t seeing Mara rise unsteadily to her feet, a small assassins' blaster in her rig
ht hand. Hesitating only a fraction of a second, she fired. Buffy instinctively
raised her artificial hand towards her face and intercepted the bolt that would
have gone right between her eyes. The ramp then closed, blocking off any more sh
ots and Buffy slapped the com panel on the wall with her good hand.
"We're all on board! Get us out of here, Han!" she yelled, then sighed in relief
as the familiar hum of the engines resonated throughout the ship. Realistically
she knew that they weren't out of danger yet, but at least they were finally go
ing to escape the station.
But the question was- at what cost?
Episode 4 Chapter 9
Return to Yavin IV
Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
A/N: Great news! I am now starting to work on the Epilogue for this Episode, whi
ch means updates should be somehwat regular till the end. The bad news is that F
anFiction DOT Net is acting up and I am no longer recieving ANY alerts from them
, nor am I able to change my e-mail address. So while I urge you to continue to
review, if you have any questions please send them to the Yahoo group. Also, I w
hall begin putting this story up both on my site and Twisting the Hellmouth.
Thanks as always to my betas Fallenstar2 and Winterd.
====BtVS====
As the Millennium Falcon sped away from the Death Star, the passengers sat in th
e hold in a state of abject shock. Leia placed a blanket around her brother's sh
oulders and rubbed his back comfortingly as Buffy sat across from them, her head
in her hands. Once again the man who had saved her had been taken away and now
she wasn't even sure if Obi-Wan was all right. All she knew was that she couldn'
t go back until her family was safe at the Rebel base.
Joyce has gone directly to the cockpit as soon as they had all gotten on board,
a fact that Buffy was glad of when she saw Han come through the hold towards the
belly gun access tunnels. He paused for a moment, looking at Luke.
"Come on, kid. We ain't out of this yet." Luke stared back with a vacant express
ion and Leia stared at Han angrily.
"Give him a moment, for pity's sake! Can't you see how much Quinn meant to him?"
she snarled. Han stared back impassively.
"Quinn and Ben gave their lives to get us out. You want that sacrifice to mean n
othing?" Han asked. Joyce's voice sounded over the com. "Incoming sentry ships!"
Han looked pointedly at Luke, who now stared resolutely back. The young farmer
threw off the blanket and followed Han towards the guns as Buffy and Leia headed
to the cockpit. Luke headed down the access hatch and crawled into the belly gu
n chair. He strapped himself in and activated the targeting computer. No sooner
had the display come up than Leia's voice sounded in his headset.
"Here they come!"
Four Imperial TIE fighters flew by, two on each side of the ship and all firing
their twin green lasers. Luke swung the turret around and fired back, the powerf
ul quad lasers sending orange bolts back in return. The TIEs deftly maneuvered a
round the shots, using their smaller size and faster engines to their advantage.
"They're coming in too fast!" Luke cried, desperately swinging the turret around
and letting loose another volley. The TIE spun out of the way and swung around
again, letting loose another volley that struck the side of the ship. The Falcon
rocked as several conduits exploded.
"We've lost lateral controls!" Leia announced. Han touched the side of his heads
et.
"Don't worry, she'll hold together!" He let loose the com button as the ship roc
ked again. "Hear me baby? Hold together!" he mumbled. He fired his quads again a
nd they finally struck their mark as a TIE exploded. "Ha-ha!" he cried out in vi
ctory. Luke then managed to score a hit as the TIE he was following exploded int
o a huge fireball.
"I got it! I got it!" he cried.
"Great kid! Don't get cocky!" Han shouted back down the tunnel, even as Buffy's
voice sounded through their headsets.
"There's still two more of them out there!" Even as she said that, one TIE flew
down money lane - the point in front of the ship where not only did the four qua
ds converge, but where the two forward lasers fired. Joyce took the opportunity
and fired the forward lasers, slamming into the unshielded fighter and sending i
t up in a fireball. "Make that one left," Buffy said, not missing a beat.
In short order, Luke spun his turret around and held down the trigger, sending b
urst after burst at the TIE that was heading straight for them. In no time at al
l, the TIE exploded.
"We did it!" Luke cried out.
"We did it!" Leia echoed in the cockpit, giving Chewie a hug.
"Help! I think I'm melting! This is all your fault!" Threepio complained to Arto
o as he lay among the smoldering wires. Artoo, for his parts, just chuckled in h
is mechanical tone.
====BtVS====
Darth Vader strode into the control room where Governor Tarkin stood staring at
a huge, brilliantly lit screen that showed the massive star field beyond. Behind
him strode Halcyon and Mara, the latter whose face bore a fierce scowl.
Bested by a farm boy! I can't believe it! She thought to herself. Her master, sh
e knew, would not be pleased.
Tarkin barely glanced around as the trio entered.
"Are they away?" the Dark Lord demanded.
"They've just completed the jump to hyperspace. No doubt they are at this very m
oment congratulating themselves on their daring and success." Now Tarkin turned
to face Vader, a hint of warning in his tone. "I'm taking an awful chance on you
r insistence, Vader. This had better work. Are you certain the homing beacon is
secure aboard their ship?"
Vader exuded confidence beneath the reflective black mask. "There is nothing to
fear. This will be a day long remembered. It already has end of Qui-Gon Jinn and
Obi-Wan Kenobi and soon it will see the end of the Alliance and the rebellion."
"If that is the case, then Mara and I will be taking our leave," Halcyon announc
ed. "We will be sure to tell the Emperor of your success in eliminating the two
Jedi, Lord Vader."
"While omitting your failure to eliminate Skywalker, no doubt," Vader responded
snidely. Mara's eyes narrowed, but she bit her tongue and the two Hands turned a
nd walked out of the control room. Vader smirked and turned back to Tarkin.
"What do you say we go destroy a rebellion?" he asked nonchalantly.
====BtVS====
"What do you think, sweetheart? Not a bad bit of rescuing." Han gloated as he ca
me into the cockpit. He dropped down into Chewie's chair - the Wookie was inspec
ting the damage - and gave a cocky grin to Leia who was sitting in his. Joyce sa
t in the rear seat by the navi-computer, her grin hidden behind her helmet as Ha
n continued. "You know, sometimes I amaze even myself."
"That doesn't seem too hard," Leia quipped, leaning closer to Han. "They let us
go. That's the only explanation for the ease of our escape."
"Easy? You call that easy?"
"Yes," Joyce remarked, not looking up from her console. "The station was as big
as a moon, and they only send four small fighters? And, by the way - the station
was as big as a moon? What the frak did I miss?"
"Oh, superlasers, storm troopers, kamikaze Jedi - the usual," Han replied noncha
lantly, drawing a snort from his sister. "How about you?"
"Oh, I got to see where Mom's been. Nice place, by the way." She turned to Leia.
"So, where are we headed?"
"Yavin IV," Leia replied. "Once we get there, we can have my people extract the
information from Artoo."
"What's the little droid carrying that's so important?" Han asked, a little curi
ous.
"The complete technical readouts from that battle station," the Senator replied.
"I can only hope that, when the data is analyzed, a weakness can be found." She
smiled wryly at the smuggler. "It's not over yet."
"It is for me, sister," Han said defiantly. "Look, I'm not in this for your revo
lution and I'm not in it for you. I expect to be well paid - I'm in it for the m
oney!"
Leia harrumphed and rose from her seat. "Well, you needn't worry," she said. "If
money is all you care about, then that's what you shall receive." She moved to
the door - and ran into Luke, who was coming in. "Your friend's quite the mercen
ary. I wonder if he cares about anything...or any one."
"Well I care," Luke said as his sister moved past him out the door. He moved int
o the cockpit and took her vacated seat, throwing a glance at Joyce. He wanted t
o ask her about the 'cousin' remark she threw at him during their escape, but he
held his tongue - there would be time later. Instead he turned to Han and looke
d at the smuggler shrewdly.
"So...what do you think of her, Han?"
"I'm trying not to," Han replied, checking the status on his board. Luke nodded.
"Good."
Joyce smiled behind her helmet. Overprotective brothers, unite!
Han looked over to Luke and assumed the farm boy was interested in the Senator.
Smirking, he decided to wind him up a little. "Still...she's got spirit." He tur
ned to Luke. "I don't know, you think a guy like me and a girl like that-"
"No," Luke said quickly and then turned away. He didn't notice Han's grin and ne
ither heard Joyce's quiet laugh as she left the cockpit.
====BtVS====
A few hours later the Millennium Falcon landed in the ancient Massassi temple th
at was serving as the base for the Rebellion. Leia was met by Commander Willard
and several Rebel officers, who quickly led them and the droids away. Only Buffy
hung back - a fact that Joyce noticed.
"What's up, Buffy?" she asked, leaning against the speeder that had brought them
into the temple. Buffy smiled.
"Well, while the rest of the kids are off playing, I wanted to give you somethin
g."
Joyce stared at her mother through the visor of her helmet. "I thought Jedi didn
't have personal possessions?"
Buffy smirked. "I've never been a conventional Jedi."
The two walked down the hallways of the ancient temple until they reached a seri
es of abandoned corridors. They walked for nearly ten minutes before Joyce spoke
up.
"Do you even know where you're going?"
"It was around here somewhere...ah, here it is." They stopped at the end of the
hall in front of a sealed door. Buffy tapped several keys on an old control pane
l, and the door slid open - to reveal an empty room.
"Here you are!" Buffy said happily. Joyce took a look into the empty room and th
en looked back to her mother.
"Have you completely lost it?"
"Look closer," Buffy commented with a smirk. Joyce turned back to the room and s
witched on several filters in her visor - infrared, electromagnetic, sonic-
Nothing.
"Yeah...I got nothing."
Buffy's smirk got wider as she hit the small controller in her pocket and, for t
he first time in twenty years, the Prometheus shimmered into view.
"What the hell!" Joyce exclaimed, staring in shock at the old ARC fighter. She p
ulled off her helmet and stared at the ship with her own eyes, then turned her a
stonished gaze to her mother. "You must be joking. Where in the nine Corellian h
ells did you get a working cloaking device?"
"Your father designed it," Buffy said softly. "He helped put her together shortl
y before...well..." she trailed off for a moment and then cleared her throat. "S
he's old and not as fast as some of those new fighters I saw, but the cloak give
s it a hell of an advantage. I also upgraded the shields and weapons package bef
ore I stored it here. And there're a lot of things you can do with this baby to
get it up to speed." She smiled at her daughter. "Your father would have wanted
you to have it. I want you to have it." Buffy exhaled as her daughter looked ove
r every inch of the ship. "Anyway, I wanted to give this to you before I headed
back again. The time is approaching, but I still have a lot of work to do..."
"Mommy!"
The raw emotion in that one word brought Buffy up short and she looked up at Joy
ce to see her daughter with an almost frightened and vulnerable expression on he
r face.
"Will...will I see you again?' she asked hesitantly. Buffy felt her eyes waterin
g as she moved over to Joyce and pulled her into a fierce hug.
"Now that I know you're alive, I swear to you that I will see you as often as I
possible can. More, even," Buffy said and, for the next few minutes, mother and
daughter truly reunited.
====BtVS====
Luke sat with the rest of the pilots in the main briefing room of the temple, wa
iting anxiously as General Dodonna took the stage and activated the view screen
behind him. A schematic of the Death Star appeared on the screen and the room qu
ieted down. As soon as it was silent, the General spoke.
"The Imperial battle station you now all have heard of is approaching from the f
ar side of Yavin and its' sun. That gives us a little extra time, but it must be
stopped-once and for all-before it can reach this moon, before it can bring its
weaponry to bear on us as it did on Alderaan." A murmur ran through the crowd a
t the mention of that world, so callously obliterated.
"The station," Dodonna went on, "is heavily shielded and mounts more firepower t
han half the Imperial fleet. But its defenses were designed to fend off large-sc
ale assaults. A small, one-or two-man fighter should be able to slip through its
defensive screens."
A slim, supple man who resembled an older version of Han Solo rose. Dodonna ackn
owledged his presence. "What is it, Red Leader?"
The man gestured toward the display screen, which showed a computer portrait of
the battle station. "Pardon me for asking, sir, but what good are our snub fight
ers going to be against that?"
Dodonna considered. "Well, the Empire doesn't think a one-man fighter is any thr
eat to anything except another small ship, like a TIE fighter, or they would hav
e provided tighter screens. Apparently they're convinced that their defensive we
aponry can fend off any light attacks. But an analysis of the plans provided by
Princess Leia has revealed what we think is a weakness in the station's design.
A big ship couldn't get near it, but an X- or Y-wing fighter might." The schemat
ic rotated until it showed a small opening on the surface of the station.
"It's a small thermal exhaust port. Its size belies its importance, as it appear
s to be an unshielded shaft that runs directly into the main reactor system powe
ring the station. Since this serves as an emergency outlet for waste heat in the
event of reactor over production, its usefulness would be eliminated by particl
e shielding. A direct hit would initiate a chain reaction that would destroy the
station."
Mutterings of disbelief ran through the room. The more experienced the pilot, th
e greater his expressed disbelief.
"I didn't say your approach would be easy," Dodonna admonished them. He gestured
at the screen. "You must maneuver straight in down this shaft, level off in the
trench, and skim the surface to-this point. The target is only two meters acros
s. It will take a precise hit at exactly ninety degrees to reach the reactor sys
tematization. And only a direct hit will start the complete reaction. The target
is ray-shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes."
A few of the pilots laughed humorlessly. One of them was a teenaged fighter jock
ey seated next to Luke who bore the unlikely name of Wedge Antilles. Artoo Detoo
was there also, seated next to another Artoo unit who emitted a long whistle of
hopelessness.
"A two-meter target at maximum speed-with a torpedo, yet," Antilles snorted. "Th
at's impossible even for the computer."
"But it's not impossible," protested Luke. "I used to bulls-eye womp-rats in my
T-16 back home. They're not much bigger than two meters."
"Is that so?" the rakishly uniformed youth noted derisively. "Tell me, when you
were going after your particular varmint, were there a thousand other, what did
you call it, 'womp-rats' armed with power rifles firing up at you?" He shook his
head sadly.
"With all that firepower on the station directed at us, this will take a little
more than barnyard marksmanship, believe me."
"Remember," the General went on, "you must achieve a direct hit. Yellow squadron
will cover for Red on the first run. Green will cover Blue on the second. Any q
uestions?"
A muted buzz filled the room. One man stood, lean and handsome-too much so, it s
eemed, to be ready to throw away his life for something as abstract as freedom.
"What if both runs fail? What happens after that?"
Dodonna smiled tightly. "There won't be any after that." The man nodded slowly,
understandingly, and sat down. "Anyone else?" Silence now, pregnant with expecta
tion.
"Then man your ships and may the Force be with you."
====BtVS====
As Luke walked back into the hanger towards his ship, he noticed Han and Chewie
over by one of the armored landspeeders, loading several strongboxes into it. Lu
ke looked over the pair sadly, a myriad of emotions playing over him. On one han
d, he was the brave and courageous smuggler that had helped him and his friends,
his family, off of Tatooine, who had helped to rescue his sister. On the other
hand, he was cocky and arrogant and cared more about the money than the people b
ehind it. It was all so very confusing.
"So, you got your reward, and your just leaving?" he asked the smuggler. Han loo
ked back at him, his own emotions playing across his face before a mask of indif
ference settled across his features.
"Yeah, that's right," he replied, placing another box onto the transport. "I got
a lot of old debts to pay off with this stuff." He eyed Luke for a moment. "Why
don't you come with us? You're pretty good in a fight, I could use you."
"Come on!" Luke exclaimed, "Why don't you take a look around! You know what's ab
out to happen, what they're up against! They could use a good pilot like you! Yo
u're turning your back on them!"
"What good is a reward if you ain't around to use it?" Han shot back. "Besides,
attacking that station isn't my idea of courage. More like suicide."
Luke shook his head and sighed. "All right, well take care of yourself, Han. It'
s what your best at," he shot, before turning and walking away.
Han watched him go, then called out, "Hey Luke!" Luke turned around and Han offe
red him a small smile.
"May the Force be with you."
Luke nodded, then turned and walked away. Han went back to loading his reward, p
atently ignoring the looks that Chewie was giving him.
"What are you looking at?" Han asked. "I know what I'm doing."
====BtVS====
Luke walked towards his fighter, deep in thought. So deep that he almost missed
the figure that was leaning against the wing of his ship, admiring the lines of
the sleek X-Wing.
"Not a bad ship," a familiar voice rang out, drawing Luke out of his thoughts. H
e stared in amazement as his father, clad in an orange flight suite, turned to f
ace him.
"Father?"
Anakin smirked. "What? Did you think I'd let you have all of the fun?"
====BtVS====
Joyce made her way back into the central hanger of the complex, looking for her
brother. She couldn't wait to tell Han about the Prometheus - and she was also e
ager to take a look at that cloaking device to see if she could make one for the
Falcon. She didn't fancy taking apart the Prometheus - even old, it was still i
n great shape; and having a fighter to cover the Falcon on her runs these days w
asn't a bad idea. So deep was she in her thoughts, she didn't notice the pilot w
alking across the hanger until she ran right into him.
"Whoa!" Wedge cried as she slammed into him. He reached out and grabbed a hold o
f her arm to steady himself and was about to say something when he finally notic
ed the Mandalorian armor.
Never make a Mandalorian angry. His father had always told him and that was one
lesson he intended to live by. He didn't fancy being beaten up before the most i
mportant mission of his young life.
Joyce, for her part, was mortified. A Mandalorian is never surprised - and yet s
he didn't even see him coming.
And I'd notice someone that good looking. She thought and then frowned. I didn't
just think that, did I? Out loud she merely took a step back and put her hand u
p slightly in a placating gesture.
"My apologies," she said, "I wasn't looking where I was going."
Wedge was surprised - Mandalorians didn't apologize as a rule. He tried to cover
up his discomfort by flashing that old Corellian smile. "No problem. I wasn't w
atching where I was going, either."
"You flying today?" Joyce asked. Wedge nodded.
"Yeah. You?"
Joyce shrugged. "Might be. Depends on my idiot brother, really." She held out he
r hand. "Good luck up there."
Wedge grasped her hand and shook it. We winced slightly at her grip, though he t
ried to cover it up. Behind her helmet, Joyce smirked. Finally hey released hand
s and Wedge subtly shook his hand. "Well, I hope to see you around sometime."
"Same here," Joyce replied, turning and walking away from the young pilot. Wedge
couldn't help but notice how - shapely - she was, a fact that Joyce wasn't obli
vious to thanks to the 360 degree field of vision in her helmet.
"Eyes up, flyboy," she said, and smirked as she saw him blush.
====BtVS====
Buffy arrived back in the hanger and let the Fore guide her towards her niece an
d nephew. Imagine her surprise when it also guided her to her brother.
"Anakin!" Buffy hissed, eyeing Anakin's flight suit. "What do you think you're d
oing?"
"I'm a fighter pilot, Buffy," he replied calmly. "I belong up there."
"Up there? You shouldn't even be here!"
"He knows you're alive, Buffy. And if you're alive, then I'll still be alive. It
doesn't mater anymore..." Anakin looked over to his kids. "I haven't been here
for my kids nearly enough. That stops today. I'm flying up there, I'm covering m
y son and nothing you say is going to stop me."
"He's right, Aunt Buffy," Leia said. "We need all of the pilots we can get."
"Please, Aunt Buffy," Luke added. Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed.
"I never could say no to the two of you when you ganged up on me. All right, fin
e! But I'm going to." She looked around. "Where are the flight suits?"
"I don't think they make them in Ewok size," Anakin said, earning a slap on the
back of his head. "Ow!"
"Keep it up, smart ass. There's more where that came from."
Luke and Leia looked at each other and smiled. Maybe they would pull this off af
ter all...
Episode 4 Chapter 10
Battle over Yavin IV
====BtVS====
Leia walked into the command center of the base and joined General Dodonna and t
he rest of the command staff around the circular display that outlined the Death
Star's approach to the small moon.
"Standby alert. Death Star approaching. Estimated time to firing range - fifteen
minutes."
"And so it begins," she murmured to herself as she watched the small dots on the
display move up from the moon and into space towards the station. "Be safe, all
of you."
====BtVS====
In space above Yavin IV, several squadrons of X and Y Wings fell into formation
as then headed towards the massive space station that was slowly heading towards
them. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Anakin couldn't help but smile.
"Just like old times, Buffy," he remarked over their private channel. "Reminds m
e of when me and Obi-Wan were flying in the battle over Coruscant, trying to get
to General Grievous' ship to rescue the Chancellor."
"Well, I wouldn't know about that, since someone decided it would be a good idea
to let me sleep through the whole damn thing," Buffy remarked dryly.
"Oh yeah..." Anakin replied. "You know, upon reflection..."
"You wish you hadn't succeeded?" Buffy finished knowingly. "Don't think about th
at now. Just concentrate on taking this damn thing out." Almost reluctantly she
switched her com system over to the squadron's frequency, cutting off anymore pr
ivate chats with her brother.
"All wings, report in!" Red Leader called over the com.
"Red Ten, standing by."
"Red Seven, standing by."
"Red Three, standing by."
"Red Six, standing by."
"Red Nine, standing by."
"Red Two, standing by," Wedge called, powering up his weapons and checking his s
ystems on more time.
"Red Eleven, standing by."
"Red Five, standing by," Luke called. Artoo chirped in agreement.
"Red Twelve, standing by," Anakin called in.
"Red Thirteen, standing by," Buffy announced as well, then grumbled to herself.
"Thirteen... I had to get thirteen..."
"Lock S-Foils in attack position," Red Leader called. One by one the X-Wings spl
it-design wings opened up into the position that gave the ships their name. Anak
in moved the stick around a little, trying to get a feel for the ship.
"Oh, yeah. Much more responsive than the old Actis Interceptors," he remarked as
his ship suddenly started to buck.
"We're passing through the magnetic field," Red Six called. "Hold tight!"
"Switch deflector to double front," Red Leader called. The pilots complied as th
e station grew larger and larger, finally blotting out all of the surrounding sp
ace.
"Look at the size of that thing!" Wedge exclaimed.
"Cut the chatter, Red Two," Red Leader reprimanded. "Accelerate to attack speed.
"
"This is it!"
As one - Red, Green and Gold groups all moved in.
====BtVS====
On board the station alarms blared and crew members ran to their stations. One b
y one the massive turbolaser batteries were manned and powered up and immediatel
y began firing at the small attackers. Admiral Motti was surprised - he had expe
cted the Rebels to stage a large-scale defense around the moon, not send in snub
fighters. Soon the true extent of the tactical blunder was made apparent as the
fighters began to inflict some, if minor, damage on the stations hull.
"I want all batteries manned and firing," he instructed his subordinate. "They c
an't dodge the fire if space is filled with it."
====BtVS====
"This is Red Five, I'm going in!" Luke called out, putting his fighter into a st
eep dive to try to confuse any electronic tracking.
"I'm right behind you," a voice sounded in his ear. Luke recognized it as his ol
d friend Biggs.
Luke dove down to the deck and leveled off, weaving in and out of incoming fire
instinctively. He took aim at the offending turbolaser tower and opened fire wit
h all four of his cannons, blasting it to atoms. Almost too late he realized he
was to close to the exploding tower and pulled up and his tiny craft was shaken
by the explosion.
"Luke, are you alright?" Wedge called out to him.
"I'm fine, just got a little toasted, that's all," Luke responded.
In higher orbit, Anakin followed his son with the Force. Just relax, Luke, he se
nt out. Don't over-fly it.
====BtVS====
Inside, troopers, mechanicals and equipment were blown in all directions by subs
idiary explosions as the effects of the blast traveled back down various conduit
s and cables. Where the explosion had hulled the station, escaping atmosphere su
cked helpless soldiers and droids out into a bottomless black tomb.
Moving from position to position, a figure of dark calm amid the chaos, was Dart
h Vader. A harried Commander rushed up to him and reported breathlessly.
"Lord Vader, we count at least thirty of them, of two types. They are so small a
nd quick the fixed guns cannot follow them accurately. They continuously evade t
he predictors."
"Get all TIE crews to their fighters. We'll have to go out after them and destro
y them ship by ship," Vader replied.
====BtVS====
Down in the command center, Leia could only watch helplessly as the Rebels attac
ked the Imperial monstrosity.
"Heavy fire, boss! Twenty-three degrees!"
"I see it! Stay low."
"There's a lot of fire coming from the right side of that deflection tower!"
Leia closed her eyes and sighed, praying to whatever deity would listen for the
safe return of her family.
Luke was flying like a wombat out of hell. The last few minutes had seen two of
his fellow squad mates taken down and he had been hard pressed not to join them.
"Squad leaders. We've picked up a new set of signals from the other side of the
station. Enemy fighters coming your way."
Luke looked around in confusion. "I don't see anything!"
"Pick up your visual scanning...here they come!"
Several squads of TIE fighters boiled out of the Death Star's hangars and headed
straight for the groups of Rebels. One immediately attached itself to Biggs.
"Watch it, you've got one on your tail!" Luke cried out, pushing his ship to the
limits to reach his friend in time.
"Where! I don't see it!" Biggs yelled in return, frantically looking around thro
ugh his canopy. Green flashes suddenly streaked past his viewport and he started
to frantically juke and jive. "I can't shake him!"
Luke came up behind the TIE and opened fire. The lasers ripped through the TIE's
unshielded body and blew it to pieces.
"Thanks, Luke!" Biggs said and then got back to the business of downing fighters
.
"I've got one! I've got one!" came a less restrained cry of triumph over the ope
n intercom. Luke identified the voice as belonging to a young pilot known as Joh
n D. Yes, that was Red Six chasing another Imperial fighter across the metal lan
dscape. Bolts jumped from the X-wing in steady succession until the TIE fighter
blew in half, sending leaf-like glittering metal fragments flying in all directi
ons.
"Good shooting, Red Six," the squadron leader commented. Then he added quickly,
"Watch out, you've got one on your tail."
Within the fighter's cockpit the gleeful smile on the young man's face vanished
instantly as he looked around, unable to spot his pursuer. Something flared brig
htly nearby, so close that his starboard port burst. Then something hit even clo
ser and the interior of the now open cockpit became a mass of flames.
"I'm hit, I'm hit!"
That was all he had time to scream before oblivion took him from behind. Far abo
ve and to one side Red Leader saw John D's ship expand in a fiery ball. His lips
may have whitened slightly. Otherwise he might as well never have seen the X-wi
ng explode, for all the reaction he displayed. He had more important things to d
o.
====BtVS====
"Flying is for droids!" Buffy announced as she put her X-Wing into a spiral to e
scape the fire from the pursuing TIE. She deftly flipped her craft around 180 de
grees and opened fire, destroying the pursuing craft. As soon as it exploded, Bu
ffy flipped the craft around again and hit the afterburners, rocketing her ship
onward.
"You complain as much as Obi-Wan does!" Anakin taunted, downing another fighter.
Buffy sighed wistfully.
"I hope he's all right."
"He is. We would have felt it if he had died, dimensional barrier or not."
"Right," Buffy replied and then went back to the task of eliminating TIEs. The t
ime to worry would come later.
====BtVS====
"Tighten it up, Red Two, tighten it up," Red Leader was saying. "Watch those tow
ers."
"Heavy fire, boss," came the voice of Wedge Antilles, "twenty-three degrees."
"I see it. Pull in, pull in. We're picking up some interference."
"I can't believe it," Biggs was stammering. "I've never seen such firepower!"
"Pull in, Red Five. Pull in." A pause, then, "Luke, do you read me? Luke?"
"I'm all right, Chief," came Luke's reply. "I've got a target. I'm going to chec
k it out."
"There's too much action down there, Luke," Biggs told him. "Get out. Do you rea
d me, Luke? Pull out."
"Break off, Luke," ordered the deeper tones of Red Leader. "We've hit too much i
nterference here. Luke, I repeat, break off! I can't see him. Red Two, can you s
ee Red Five?"
"Negative," Wedge replied quickly. "There's a fire zone here you wouldn't believ
e. My scanner's jammed. Red Five, where are you? Luke, are you all right?"
"He's gone," Biggs started to report solemnly. Then his voice rose. "No, wait...
there he is! Looks like a little fin damage, but the kid's fine."
Further above them, Anakin's relief was a palpable thing as he saw Luke's slight
ly battered X-Wing pull up out of the fire storm and in the control room on the
moon, Leia leaned against the display in relief. Buffy attempted to hide her own
relief behind her sarcasm.
"As reckless and irresponsible as his father..." she muttered.
On the battle station, troopers worn half to death or deafened by the concussion
of the big guns were replaced by fresh crews. None of them had time to wonder h
ow the battle was going and at the moment none of them much cared, a malady shar
ed by common soldiers since the dawn of history.
Luke skimmed daringly low over the station's surface, his attention riveted on a
distant metal projection.
"Stick close, Red Five," the squadron commander directed him. "Where are you goi
ng?"
"I've picked up what looks like a lateral stabilizer," Luke replied. "I'm going
to try for it."
"Watch yourself, Red Five. Heavy fire in your area."
Luke ignored the warning as he headed the fighter straight toward the oddly shap
ed protuberance. His determination was rewarded when, after saturating it with f
ire, he saw it erupt in a spectacular ball of super hot gas.
"Got it!" he exclaimed. "Continuing south for another one."
====BtVS====
Within the rebel temple-fortress, Leia listened intently. She seemed simultaneou
sly angry and frightened. Finally she turned to Threepio and muttered, "Why is L
uke taking so many chances?" The tall droid didn't reply.
"Watch your back, Luke," Biggs's voice sounded over the speakers, "watch your ba
ck! Fighters above you, coming in."
Leia strained to see what she could only hear. She wasn't alone. "Help him, Arto
o," Threepio was whispering to himself, "and keep holding on."
====BtVS====
Luke continued his dive even as he looked back and spotted the object of Biggs's
concern close on his tail. Reluctantly he pulled up and away from the station s
urface, abandoning his target. His tormentor was good, however, and continued cl
osing on him.
"I can't shake him," he reported.
"Hang on Luke, I'm coming!" Biggs sounded off.
"I'm coming, Red Five," Anakin called, putting his fighter into a steep dive and
pushing his engines to the fullest. Luke, meanwhile, was continuing to try to s
hake his opponent - and failing.
"Blast it Biggs, where are you?" he muttered to himself, looking around. He look
ed forward in time to see a familiar X-Wing flying straight at him. Instinctivel
y he pushed down on the stick as the X-Wing opened fire and then flew through th
e exploding ball of superheated gas that had been a TIE fighter.
"Thanks, Wedge," Luke said gratefully.
"Good shooting, Wedge," Biggs called out.
"Good shot, Wedge," Anakin said, pulling out of his dive and picking another tar
get, doing his best to push the fear out of his mind.
====BtVS====
On the station, Vader stopped two pilots as they headed for their ships.
"Several fighters have broken off from the main group. Come with me!"
====BtVS====
"Red Leader, this is Blue Leader," he announced into his mike. "We're starting o
ur attack run. The exhaust port is located and marked. No flak, no enemy fighter
s up here-yet. Looks like we'll get at least one smooth run at it."
"I copy, Blue Leader," the voice of his counterpart responded. "We'll try to kee
p them busy down here."
Three Y-wing fighters dropped out of the stars, diving toward the battle-station
surface. At the last possible minute they swerved to dip into a deep artificial
canyon, one of many streaking the northern pole of the Death Star. Metal rampar
ts raced past on three sides of them.
Blue Leader hunted around, noticed the temporary absence of Imperial fighters. H
e adjusted a control and addressed his squadron.
"This is it, boys. Remember, when you think you're close, go in closer before yo
u drop that rock. Switch all power to front deflector screens-never mind what th
ey throw at you from the side. We can't worry about that now."
Imperial crews lining the trench rudely awoke to the fact that their heretofore
ignored section of the station was coming under attack. They reacted speedily an
d soon energy bolts were racing at the attacking ships in a steadily increasing
volume. Occasionally one would explode near one of the onrushing Y-wings, jostli
ng it without real damage.
"A little aggressive, aren't they?" Blue Two reported over his mike.
Blue Leader reacted quietly. "How many guns do you think, Blue Five?"
Blue Five, known casually to most of the rebel pilots as Pops, somehow managed t
o make an estimate of the trench's defenses while simultaneously piloting his fi
ghter through the growing hail of fire. His helmet was battered almost to the po
int of uselessness from the effects of more battles than anyone had a right to s
urvive.
"I'd say about twenty emplacements," he finally decided, "some in the surface an
d some on the towers."
Blue Leader acknowledged the information with a grunt as he pulled his computer-
targeting visor down in front of his face. Explosions continued to rock the figh
ter. "Switch to targeting computers," he declared.
"Blue Two," came one reply, "computer locked in and I'm getting a signal." The y
oung pilot's rising excitement marked his reply.
But the senior pilot among all the rebels, Blue Five, was expectantly cool and c
onfident-though it didn't sound like it from what he murmured half to himself: "
No doubt about it, this is going to be some trick."
Unexpectedly, all defensive fire from the surrounding emplacements ceased. An ee
rie quiet clung to the trench as the surface continued to blur past the skimming
Y-wings.
Blue Two looked around worriedly. "They stopped. Why?"
"I don't like it," growled Blue Leader. But there was nothing to confuse their a
pproach now, no energy bolts to avoid.
It was Pops who was first to properly evaluate this seeming aberration on the en
emy's part. "Stabilize your rear deflectors now. Watch for enemy fighters."
"You pinned it, Pops," Blue Leader admitted, studying a readout. "Here they come
. Three marks at two-ten."
A mechanical voice continued to recite the shrinking distance to their target, b
ut it wasn't shrinking fast enough. "We're sitting ducks down here," he observed
nervously.
"We'll just have to ride it out," the old man told them all. "We can't defend ou
rselves and go for the target at the same time." He fought down old reflexes as
his own screen revealed three TIE fighters in precision formation diving almost
vertically down toward them.
"Three-eight-one-oh-four," Darth Vader announced as he calmly adjusted his contr
ols. The stars whipped past behind him. "I'll take them myself. Cover me."
Blue Two was the first to die, the young pilot never knowing what hit him, never
seeing his executioner. Despite his experience, Blue Leader was on the verge of
panic when he saw his wingman dissolve in flame.
"We're trapped down here. No way to maneuver-trench walls are too close. We've g
ot to loosen it up somehow. Got-"
"Stay on target," admonished an older voice. "Stay on target."
Blue Leader took Pops's words like tonic, but it was all he could do to ignore t
he closing TIE fighters as the two remaining Y-wings continued to streak toward
the target.
Above them, Vader permitted himself a moment of undisciplined pleasure as he rea
djusted his targeting computer. The rebel craft continued to travel a straight,
invasive course. Again Vader touched finger to fire control.
Something screeched in Blue Leader's helmet, and fire started to consume his ins
trumentation. "It's no good," he yelled into his pickup, "I'm hit. I'm hit...!"
A second Y-wing exploded in a ball of vaporized metal, scattering a few solid sh
ards of debris across the trench. This second loss proved too much even for Blue
Five to take. He manipulated controls and his ship commenced rising in a slow c
urve out of the trench. Behind him, the lead Imperial fighter moved to follow.
"Blue Five to Red Leader," he reported. "Aborting run under heavy fire. TIE figh
ters dropped on us out of nowhere. I can't-wait-"
Astern, a silent, remorseless enemy was touching a deadly button once more. The
first bolts struck just as Pops had risen high enough to commence evasive action
. But he had pulled clear a few seconds too late.
One energy beam seared his port engine, igniting gas within. The engine blew apa
rt, taking controls and stabilizing elements with it. Unable to compensate, the
out-of-control Y-wing began a long, graceful plunge toward the station surface.
"Are you all right, Blue Five?" a troubled voice called over the intership syste
m.
"Lost Tiree... lost Dutch," Pops explained slowly, tiredly. "They came from behi
nd-"
====BtVS====
On the Death Star, a young officer approached Tarkin in the main control room.
"We've analyzed their attack Sir and there is a danger. Should we have your shut
tle standing by?"
Tarkin looked at the officer reproachfully. "Evacuate? In our moment of triumph?
I think you overestimate their chances."
And a voice in the background announced, "Rebel base will be in range in five mi
nutes."
====BtVS====
Anakin watched helplessly as Red Leader and his two wingmen flew through the tre
nch, relentlessly pursued by the three TIE fighters. Finally it became too much.
"I'm going to help them," Anakin announced, moving to follow the TIEs.
"No!" Buffy responded. "No, Anakin. They are doing their job, so that we can do
ours."
"It's Vader down there, Buffy! They don't stand a chance!"
"And neither do we if we go in too early!" Buffy retorted sharply. "Just trust m
e, brother!" She looked down as Red Leader was destroyed and Luke, Biggs and Wed
ge took up position for their run. "It's almost time."
====BtVS====
In the rebel base, all Dodonna and Leia could do was watch as the Death Star inc
hed closer and closer to firing range.
"Death Star will be in range in one minute," a voice announced. Leia looked up a
t the elderly general, who stared back resignedly.
"Oh dear," Threepio moaned.
====BtVS====
"Biggs, Wedge, let's close it up!" Luke called out. "We're going in full-throttl
e. That should keep those fighters off of us!"
"Right with you, Boss," Wedge responded
"Luke, at that speed, will you be able to pull out in time?" Biggs asked.
"It'll be just like Beggar's Canyon back home."
The three X-wings blasted through the trench, flying at speeds so fast that ther
e was no way the defense towers could track them. That didn't stop them from try
ing to shoot them, however.
"Watch yourself! Increase to full throttle," Luke ordered.
"What about that tower?" Wedge asked.
"You worry about those fighters. I'll worry about the tower!" Luke retorted, wea
ving as much as he could in the tight confines of the trench. He noticed a disti
nct wobble in his craft. "Artoo,' he called out, "that stabilizer's broken loose
again. See if you can't lock it down."
The towers suddenly fell silent and Biggs started looking around. Sure enough, h
e spotted the three TIE's moving into position behind them.
"Fighters coming in, point three."
Vader calmly target the first fighter and opened fire. His blasts managed to dam
age one of the starboard engines, as well as the stabilizers.
"I'm hit!" Wedge announced. "I can't stay with you!"
"Get clear Wedge, you can't do anymore good back there!" Luke called back.
"Sorry!" Wedge replied, pulling up sharply and exiting the trench.
Vader watched the pilot go impassively. Plenty of time to kill him later, he mus
ed. "Let him go! Stay on the leader," he told his wingmen.
Biggs looked at his display worriedly. "Hurry Luke! They're coming in much faste
r this time," he said, increasing power to his rear deflectors.
Luke ground his teeth in frustration. "Artoo, try and increase the power!"
"Hurry up Luke! Wait-" In a flash, Vader's powerful lasers tore through Biggs' s
hields and his X-wing vaporized into a ball of glowing plasma. Luke shut his eye
s tightly and allowed himself a moment of grief for his old childhood friend, th
en pushed the feelings aside and continued on.
====BtVS====
In the control room on the Rebel base, Leia looked at the board in dread. Only L
uke's fighter remained and he was still being pursued by the three TIEs.
"Death Star will be in range in thirty seconds," a technician announced. Leia to
ok a breath.
Hurry, Luke...
"All right, Anakin. Time to play," Buffy announced. "When we get closer, Vader's
going to sense us coming. So the only thing we can do is shoot in right in fron
t and drift back sharply, allowing them to slam into our ships."
Anakin blinked. "That's got to be the dumbest plan I've ever heard of. I thought
you got past the whole suicidal, flying into ships phase!"
"You wearing your PPG?"
Anakin's frown turned into a fierce grin. "As a matter of fact, I am."
"Then as soon as we fly in front of them, turn it on. Let momentum take care of
the rest."
"Copy that, lucky Thirteen," Anakin said, adjusting his course. "Let's go rack u
p another Sith Lord."
====BtVS====
Wedge's day was going from bad to worse. He was flying on three engines and only
his port stabilizers and as a result he couldn't keep his ship lying in a strai
ght line. It also made it difficult to out run and out maneuver the TIE fighter
that was on his tail. A sinking feeling was beginning to settle in his gut- that
, like so many of his friend here today, he wouldn't make it back alive. Absurdl
y, he wished he had seen that Mandalorian's face or at least learned her name be
fore he took off...
He was pulled out of his musing as, against all possible odds, an old ARC-170 ap
peared in front of him out of nowhere, simply shimmering into existence right be
fore it opened fire with its two main guns. The oversized canons pounded at the
TIE behind him, almost instantly vaporizing it and the ARC flew through the debr
is.
"Looks like you broke your ship, flyboy!" a somewhat familiar voice sounded in h
is headset. After a moment he recognized it as the Mandalorian's voice.
"You know, we keep running into each other," Wedge replied. "Not that I'm compla
ining, mind you..."
"You know, it's a Mandalorian tradition that if a Mandalorian saves your life, t
he person that was saved has to take the saver out to dinner."
"Well, I'm not one to go against traditions... though does this mean you'll actu
ally take the helmet off?"
"If you're lucky," she teased. "It's hard to eat with the helmet on; but not imp
ossible." The ARC pulled alongside Wedge's X-wing. "Follow me back; I'll cover y
ou."
"Copy that," Wedge paused. "If I'm going to take you out to dinner, can I at lea
st learn your name?"
"The name's Joyce," she replied. "Joyce Solo"
====BtVS====
Luke was pushing his X-wing to the limits, but it still wasn't fast enough. He l
ooked through his targeting scope at the exhaust port.
"Still too far," he mumbled.
Use the Force, Luke!
Luke blinked. That was Quinn's voice. He thought to himself. How-
Let go, Luke.
Vader frowned as he adjusted his targeting scope. "The Force is strong with this
one."
Luke, trust me, Quinn's voice sounded. Trusting his feelings, Luke reached over
and switched off his targeting computer.
Anakin smiled. He had heard Qui-Gon's voice through the Force as clearly as Luke
had and he was proud that his son was picking it up so well.
"He's going to make a hell of a Jedi," Anakin stated.
"Not if we don't get those fighters off his tail," Buffy countered. "Punch it, A
ni!"
The two Jedi flew in tandem, pushing their craft down at an 80 degree angle. Ana
kin sent out a brief reassurance to his son, letting him know that they would be
all right.
Vader sensed this and looked up and saw the two X-wings closing in on him. The F
orce called out to him - he knew who was in those fighters.
"Skywalker!"
Vader hit his reverse thrusters, sending his ship speeding backwards while his t
wo wingmen shot forward.
Anakin saw what was happening and cursed, but there was nothing to do now but ho
pe that debris would damage or destroy Vader's ship. Luke's X-wing shot past jus
t as Anakin's and Buffy's flew in behind it and the two Jedi immediately hit the
ir reverse thrusters and yanked up hard on the yolk, then both hit their PPG act
ivators. A flash of light was all that was seen in the cockpits as the nose of t
he two crafts banked sharply and then back as the craft tumbled backwards out of
control. With no room to maneuver, the two pursuing TIEs plowed right into them
and the resulting explosion rocked the station.
Vader managed to pull up enough so that he flew through the upper part of the re
sulting fireball, but several pieces of debris did manage to strike his modified
TIE. None of the damage was serious though, so he immediately took up pursuit o
nce more. He aimed on the fly and opened fire and one of his shots struck a glan
cing blow against Luke's X-wing, slamming into Artoo.
====BtVS====
In the Rebel base, Leia and the rest were still trying to figure out why Luke sw
itched off his targeting computer when she saw the two X-wings flown by her fath
er and Aunt crash wildly into two of the pursuing TIEs.
"No!" she cried out, though it was more of an instinctual reaction. Somehow, she
just knew that neither of the two Jedi were dead. Her confusion soon turned to
dread as the third TIE rejoined the pursuit and opened fire.
"I've just lost Artoo!" Luke exclaimed over the com, even as the voice in the ba
ckground called out.
"The Death Star has cleared the planet! The Death Star has cleared the Planet!"
====BtVS====
Tarkin stoop impassively on the bridge of the battle station as the display fina
lly cleared.
"Rebel base in range," a technician announced.
"Very well. You may fire when ready," he replied.
====BtVS====
The X-wing was at its top speed, but the damage it had sustained was slowing it
down enough that Vader's TIE was able to catch up. He smiled evilly as his targe
ting computer finally locked on to the Rebel ship.
"I have you now..." he said- and then his ship was rocked viciously. "What!" he
exclaimed, looking around. Much to his astonishment, coming out of the sun's gla
re above him was the battered old Corellian YT-1300 that he had let escape from
this very station.
"Yahoo!" Han exclaimed, letting loose with another barrage from the lower quads.
The blasts punched through the TIE's shields and took out its port engine, caus
ing the ship to veer wildly out of the trench and away from the battle.
"You're all clear, kid!" Han shouted over his mic. "Now let's blow this thing an
d go home!"
Luke was nearly at the target shaft. Letting his instincts guide him, he release
d two of his proton torpedoes and yanked up hard on his stick, managing to pull
out just as the torpedoes flew straight down the shaft. Luke's fighter joined th
e Millennium Falcon and the surviving Rebel pilots as they sped away from the do
omed station. A moment later their cockpits automatically dimmed as the flash fr
om the explosion lit up the surrounding space like a second sun, even as their s
hields were buffeted from the energy of the explosion. Finally Luke leaned back
in his seat and sighed in relief.
"Great shot kid! That was one in a million!" Han called out over the com. Luke s
miled as another voice joined the congratulations - a voice not being broadcaste
d through the normal means.
Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.
Episode 4 Chapter 11
Victory
Luke landed his battered X-wing in the large hanger of the Rebel base, now sadly
empty of ships, though filled to the brim with jubilant Rebels. The young pilot
climbed out of his fighter amidst cheers and well-wishes from all of those arou
nd them. Eagerly he searched the room, looking for the one person that truly mat
tered...
"LUKE!"
His sister flung herself into his open arms and the two siblings shared a warm h
ug. "I'm so glad you made it back," she whispered, desperately fighting back tea
rs. "Did father-"
"He's alive. They're both alive. I can feel it," he whispered back Leia stepped
back and held her brother by his shoulders.
"You little space monkey," she said softly, using their Aunt's nickname for him.
Luke couldn't help but chuckle.
"Hey!"
The two turned and eagerly greeted the newly-arrived Han Solo and Chewbacca. Luk
e grabbed the smuggler in a manly hug.
"I knew you'd come back! I just knew it!"
"Well, I wasn't going to let you get all the credit and take all the reward!" Ha
n shot back warmly.
"I knew there was more to you than money!" Leia added, giving Han a hug as well.
The three were about to carry on when Artoo was pulled out of the ship's socket
and lowered to the ground. The little Astromech was a mess - one of Vader's gla
ncing blows had impacted him right on the side of his body where the head joined
the main torso and wires and various lubrication fluids dripped down the side o
f his blackened body.
"Oh, no! Artoo!" Threepio cried. He turned to the nearest technician and in a pl
eading voice begged, "You must repair him! Sir, if any of my spare parts will he
lp, I'll gladly donate them!"
"He'll be alright," Luke assured Threepio, leaving the droids in the care of the
techs as he, his sister and his friends made their way out of the hanger.
====BtVS====
Wedge looked up at his battered ship and sighed. It was reparable, but she'd be
grounded for weeks before she'd be fully operational. And he doubted that the Re
bellion would have that much time, especially since they just destroyed the Empe
ror's new toy.
"If you're worried about how we'll get to dinner, don't worry. I'll drive."
Wedge turned and saw the masked Mandalorian in her red and silver armor standing
behind him. Then much to his surprise, she lifted the helmet off - and revealed
the beautiful young woman behind it. Her blue eyes twinkled with mirth at his e
xpression.
"See anything you like?" she asked teasingly, catching him off guard. She was so
...normal, he supposed. He had expected an old battle-axe, worn down and hard fr
om years of the Mandalorian life, not this beautiful young woman that stood befo
re him. Joyce's grin widened. "Face it, tiger. You just hit the jackpot."
Wedge couldn't help but return the grin. "I guess I have." He paused for a momen
t, considering. "Do you like Corellian food?"
"As long as you're a better cook than my brother, then yes," she replied. "I do.
"
====BtVS====
EARTH
====BtVS====
"I'm sure they're alright, Padmé. They have survived this long, after all."
Padmé and Giles were walking through the deserted halls of the Council, the elder
Watcher trying to reassure the former Senator of their loved ones well-being.
"Even before she disappeared, Buffy was always getting herself and her friends i
nto trouble. But she always got them out and in one piece. Just you wait- any mi
nute now they'll come flying back-"
Suddenly the wall in front of them exploded outwards as two figures were hurtled
through it. They both slammed into the opposite wall and crumpled to the floor,
both gasping and moaning. As the dust settled, Giles could finally make out the
prone forms of Anakin and Buffy.
"Or, they'll come in for a hard landing..." he amended, moving to his Slayer's s
ide even as Padmé kneeled beside Anakin.
"Ani? Oh Force, are you alright?"
Anakin looked up at his wife, a small trickle of blood running down his forehead
from his hairline.
"I'm wonderful," he deadpanned. "Thanks to my sister's brilliant plan." He cough
ed for a few moments before muttering, "Let's ram them. Brilliant plan..."
"It worked," Buffy said defensively. "I've ported back dozens of times from movi
ng ships. This has never happened!"
"Big ships like the Falcon have inertial compensators dialed all the way up so p
assengers can't feel anything," Anakin explained. "Fighters usually have them di
aled down somewhat, so the pilot can feel what they are doing. That momentum mus
t have carried over..."
Buffy stared incredulously at her brother. "You tell me this NOW?"
Anakin stared back. "Silly me. I thought you already knew and planned accordingl
y!"
"Now, now, children behave," Giles commanded. "Both of you are going to the infi
rmary right now and we both would like an explanation as we go."
"Fine," Anakin agreed, wincing as he stood up. "But I want to get back as soon a
s possible to reassure Luke and Leia that we're all right."
Buffy, helped along by Giles, entered the infirmary after her brother and saw a
sight that at once relieved and terrified her-
Obi-Wan, alive but pale, sitting up on a hospital bed, a discarded magazine in h
is lap and his eyes were locked on hers.
"Oh," Buffy sighed and pulled away from her watcher. "I'll be just a minute," sh
e whispered to him. He nodded and stepped over to Dr. Soren's side as Buffy slow
ly made her way to Obi-Wan's bed. "Hello, there."
Obi-Wan looked her over critically. "Well, apparently I wasn't the only one havi
ng fun today." He gently took her hand that hung limply at her side. "Are you al
right?"
"I'm fine," Buffy lied, torn between pulling her hand away or else returning the
squeeze. She settled for just leaving it where it was. "Look, about what happen
ed before we left..."
"Yes, that..." Obi-Wan blushed. "I apologize if I embarrassed you-"
"It wasn't that!" Buffy quickly assured him. "It's just..." she struggled to fin
d the right words. "I haven't loved anybody since Jacen. I haven't allowed mysel
f to feel for anyone since Jacen. And I certainly haven't kissed anyone since Ja
cen. I just don't know if I'm ready..."
"Believe it or not, Buffy, I know what you are going through," Obi-Wan interrupt
ed firmly. " I, too have had a hard time getting close to anybody since the deat
h of Siri..." he trailed off at the memory of his first love, the girl and fello
w Jedi he had not been willing to risk everything for - and only realized too la
te what a terrible choice that had been. "You were lucky, Buffy. You had over a
year with Jacen, a year to be with him, to love him. All I had with Siri was a f
ew stolen moments when we were Padawans and a bunch of unresolved feelings that
never truly got any closure by the time she was killed." He looked into her eyes
, bright with unshed tears. "I don't want to make the same mistakes again."
"No, you want to make all new ones," she quipped, pulling her hand free to wipe
the tears away. She looked down at him and gave him a small smile. "This won't b
e easy."
"Nothing worthwhile ever is," he replied. "But I'm willing to try if you are."
The stood there for a few minutes, each thinking their own thoughts, before fina
lly Buffy replaced her hand in Obi-Wan's and squeezed it.
====BtVS====
"You know," Han solo mused as he adjusted his utility vest for the umpteenth tim
e, "if you had told me a week ago that I'd be getting a medal from the Alliance,
I'd have called you a liar. Or shot you. Whichever came first."
"Please - you would have called them a liar," Joyce rebuked, her smirk visible f
or all to see as she carried her helmet under one arm. "Everybody knows you neve
r shoot first."
"Hey!"
Chewie let out a guffaw of laughter and Luke couldn't help but join along. The f
our of them were standing outside of the grand old throne room of the temple, aw
aiting the door to open so that they may be given the Award of Merit, the highes
t award possible from the Alliance - and once the highest award given by the Old
Republic.
"The damn things were always to big and clunky for my taste," a familiar voice s
aid from the shadows. "But hey, you earned it."
Luke smiled as his father stepped out of the shadows. He looked a bit bruised an
d banged up, but he was alive and that was all that mattered.
"What happened?" he asked as he rushed over to give his father a hug. Anakin did
his best to hide his wince.
"A slight miscalculation on your Aunt's part. One that I won't be letting her li
ve down for quite some time." He stepped back and held his son at arm's length,
getting a good look at him. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay and let yo
u know that we were fine." He smiled. "I also wanted to let you know that you'll
be seeing a lot more of us. And by us, I mean your mother, too."
"Is it safe enough?" Luke asked worriedly. Anakin chuckled.
"No, but there's no use hiding anymore. By now, the Emperor has already learned
that Buffy is still alive and the new Vader probably sensed my presence during t
he battle. Besides," he added, looking past his son to the Solo clan who still s
tood together, joking and laughing, "Buffy wants to see more of her daughter."
Luke looked back at Joyce and suddenly it clicked. "That's why she called me cou
sin! We're related!" A sudden realization hit him. "Does that mean that Han-"
"No," Anakin said. "Buffy would have been his stepmother, but she never got to m
arry his father. Joyce is the only one you're related to." He looked at his son.
"Why?"
"I think Han's got a thing for Leia," he said, almost reluctantly. "If we were r
elated, I didn't want them to end up...doing anything, you know? It'd be like ki
ssing your brother... kind of gross, you know? Father?" Luke asked him, but Anak
in was suddenly very interested in examining Han like a bug. "Father? Are you in
there?" Luke asked, waving a hand in front of Anakin's face. The Jedi started a
nd then smiled.
"I'm here. But I think it's time for you to go," Anakin hugged his son once more
. "May the Force be with you. And with Leia as well." Luke stepped back and gave
his father a smile before moving to join his friends. Anakin smiled and activat
ed the PPG, whisking him back to Earth.
Luke stepped up next to Han and looked at the smuggler briefly before looking th
rough the now open doors. The throne room was filed to capacity with Rebel troop
s, all standing in formation in their dress uniforms. At the far end was Leia an
d General Dodonna with several other important Alliance leaders; a newly-polishe
d See-Threepio stood next to the repaired Artoo-Deetoo off to the side. Luke loo
ked back to Han once more, who was clearly looking at Leia.
"That's my sister you're ogling," Luke remarked. Han looked sharply to the young
pilot.
"Your sister, huh?" he repeated. Luke nodded earnestly. Han's thoughtful look di
ssolved into a grin.
"Good," he said, in a tone that clearly meant less competition for me.
Luke shook his head and glanced to Joyce, her brown hair pulled back in a tight
ponytail. "Let's go get awarded, shall we Cuz?"
Joyce smiled back. "Let's," she replied and the four strode down the aisle, walk
ing tall. The Empire might be there tomorrow, but today they were kings and nobo
dy could ruin their moment.
Fin.
====BtVS====
To be continued in Star Wars Episode V: Trials of the Empire
There will be one last chapter for an epilogue where I will set up several impor
tant arcs for the next Episode. I'll get that out as soon as I can.
Episode 4 Epilogue
Fallout
====BtVS====
"Skywalker, you say?"
"Yes, my Master. It was undoubtedly him. And the girl."
Darth Vader kneeled in the throne room of the Emperor's palace on Imperial City,
the planet formerly known as Coruscant. Much had changed since the Jedi had bee
n forced into exile on this planet - the Temple was ruined and deserted (Palpati
ne's plans to turn it into a Sith museum thwarted with the theft of all of the a
rtifacts a year ago); the Senate dome now stood abandoned while 500 Republica, o
nce the main residence of all of the senators on the city planet, had been torn
down to make way for the Emperor's new palace. It was here that the Emperor now
spent most of his time overseeing his galaxy and it was here that his trusted ag
ents reported to him.
"Lord Halcyon had already reported to me that the thrice-accursed sister still l
ived. Are you sure you felt the brother as well?"
"Yes, my Master," Vader replied. "I remember him from my days at the Temple; his
Force signature was unique. I have no doubt that he still lives."
"If he still lives," the Emperor surmised, "then perhaps his wife did as well. A
nd if she was alive, their children would be alive. But why haven't I sensed the
m? Any of them?"
"Before I slew Jinn, I struck down Kenobi," Vader replied. "As he lay there, Jin
n activated some device on his belt hat whisked him away through some kind of en
ergy vortex."
"Yes....there were reports of something similar when the Jedi that robbed my Tem
ple escaped from Mara Jade," Palpatine replied.
"I believe they hide somewhere beyond our sight," Vader concluded. "The only way
to reach them would be to capture one of them and turn them."
"Do you believe it could be done?" Palpatine queried. Vader smiled nastily.
"Oh, yes... it can be done. Anakin would not stand a chance against me in combat
and together we could turn him. But if Buffy comes - her hate for me will be he
r undoing. And we have the perfect bait."
"Oh?" Palpatine asked curiously. "And what might that be?"
"Her children," Vader replied simply. "I have already set event in motion that w
ill bring them to me."
====BtVS====
Cutie the bomb
Met her at a beauty salon
With a baby Louis Vuitton
Under her under arm
She said I can tell you rock
I can tell by ya charm
Far as girls you got a flock
I can tell by ya charm and ya arm
but I'm lookin for the one
have you seen her
My psychic told me she'ya have a ass like Serena
Trina, Jennifer Lopez, four kids
An I gotta take all they bad ass to show-biz
Ok get ya kids but then they got they friends
I Pulled up in the Benz, they all got up in
We all went to din and then I had to pay
If you fuckin' with this girl then you betta be paid
You know why
Take too much to touch her
From what I heard she got a baby by Busta
My best friend say she use to fuck wit Usher
I dont care what none of ya'll say I still love her
(she steal me money)
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
But she aint messin wit no broke niggas (she steal me money)
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
but she aint messin wit no broke niggas (I gotta leave)
get down girl go head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl go head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl go head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl go head...
"What the hell are we listening to?" Buffy complained as they sat at their table
in the dimly-lit club. Faith had made it a point to take the girls out at least
once a month to The Tower, the local nightclub, for some well-deserved R & R. T
onight was the first time since Buffy had returned that the senior Slayer had de
cided to finally accept Faith's invitation to join them, as the Jedi didn't much
care for nightclubs.
Accept for Obi-Wan and Anakin and more recently Aayla, something that Xander was
eternally grateful for. The Jedi Master was now on the dance floor herself with
Xander, her true nature hidden under one of Tara's glamours, moving like the se
xual predator Twi'leks were known to be.
"It's called music, Buffy," Willow responded, taking a sip of her drink. The Jed
i Master scoffed.
"Please, this isn't music. We never listened to this kind of crap back when we w
ere clubbing. And what the hell is Dawn doing out there - giving Zett a lap danc
e?"
"I think he'd need to be sitting down for that, Buffy," Willow smirked. "And I r
eally don't think anything is down for him, right now."
"That's what I mean! She's practically having sex with him on the dance floor!"
Willow couldn't hold it in anymore, she burst out laughing. Buffy frowned at her
friend.
"What's so funny?"
"You!" Willow exclaimed. "You sound like my mother! Gods, Buffy... we used to li
sten to this exact same music! And as for Dawn's dancing," she looked out to the
floor and watched Dawn gyrate around a very happy Zett, "please. You did worse
when you came back to Sunnydale before your junior year. I'm sure Xander and Ang
el would agree..."
"That's not the point!" Buffy pouted. "She's...a Jedi! Yeah, she's a Jedi, and a
Jedi should be better behaved!"
"Aayla Secura says hello."
"You two having fun?" a new voice asked and the two looked up to see Anakin esco
rting Padmé over to their table.
"I was just commenting on how stuffy and old Buffy's gotten," Willow stated. Ana
kin chuckled. "As well as her taste in dancing."
"I've been saying that for years. And I don't see what problems she would have w
ith the dancing- she used to sneak out of the Temple every Friday night to hit t
he clubs on Coruscant." he said glibly, seemingly oblivious to Buffy's death gla
re.
Willow smiled uncertainly; she and Anakin had a new understanding, but she and P
admé did not.
"Willow, might I speak with you privately?" Padmé asked.
Yet.
"O-of course," she stammered. The witch rose and followed the Watcher out of the
club. As she left, Obi-Wan came and took her now-deserted seat. He looked out a
t the dance floor, then back to Buffy.
"Would you care to dance, Buffy?"
Anakin choked back his laughter as Buffy shot the Jedi Master a withering look.
"Anakin told me he was going to be training you," Padmé said without preamble. She
stood stiffly outside the club, her arms crossed in front of her. Willow shifte
d nervously in front of her, but answered in a strong voice.
"Yes, he is," she replied. "I understand if you aren't happy with the arrangemen
ts, but the fact is I have this power and have no idea how to use it. What's mor
e, I have a daughter out there who is being led down the same path as I was and
I will do everything in my power to save her."
"I understand that," Padmé said. "To be honest, I hated the idea... at first," she
added quietly. "But Anakin is right, if you want to live your life, you need to
know how to properly harness the Force. Not just what Dooku taught you..." she
trailed off and moved away a little, seemingly lost in her thoughts. After a few
moments, she spoke. "When I read the letter you left me, I didn't feel sad as m
uch as I felt... betrayed."
"I had no idea Dooku was the one trying to have you killed..."
"Not about that, Willow," Padmé cut in. "My family took you in. Sola and I treated
you as a sister. To us, you were our sister. But it wasn't enough and it hurt t
hat it wasn't. That's what hurt most of all."
Willow was speechless. She had barely spoken three words to her sister all of th
ese years and now she was here opening herself up to Willow. She took a moment t
o gather her thoughts before she responded.
"I was stupid." She nodded her head at Padmé's surprised expression. "It's true. I
was stupid. I was so intent on getting back to the woman I loved, that I comple
tely ignored the fact that I was destroying everything she loved about me. And i
n the process, I destroyed our relationship as well." She took a shuddering brea
th. "My own family was always very distant with me. They were psychologists - fo
r them, raising me was a clinical exercise. I never really knew what a loving fa
mily was like until yours took me in. And I never realized what I was missing un
til I lost it."
The two were silent for a time, each thinking about what the other had said. Aft
er a time, Padmé finally spoke.
"Anakin has forgiven you for what you did to him. And after talking with him, he
made me realize that even if you hadn't been involved, the odds were that I wou
ld have been separated from my children anyway. And the fact is...I miss you." S
he turned to face Willow, whose eyes were glistening with tears. "I miss the fri
endship we once had, Willow. I miss my verbal sparring partner, who always kept
me on my toes. I want reconciliation. It will take time; this can't happen overn
ight. But I think that, now, I am ready to try..." she is cut off by an emotiona
l Willow throwing her arms around her and pulling the former Senator in for a hu
g. Instinctively Padmé stiffened, before finally melting into the hug with her lon
g lost sister.
====BtVS====
The young Mandalorian warrior entered the seedy bar on Nar Shadda and instantly
spotted her quarry. She quickly made her way to the table and sat down across fr
om the man, making no attempt to draw her weapon. There was no need; a fight was
n't what she was there for.
"I hear you're looking for information about the Separatist occupation of Corell
ia," the man said. The Mandalorian nodded.
"What do you have for me, Karrde?"
Talon Karrde leaned forward across the table. "I have to say, I'm curious. Who c
ares about an invasion that ended over twenty years ago?"
"I care," she replied vehemently. She reached into her belt and pulled out a cre
dit chip, then slid it across to Karrde. "You'll find your payment on that chip.
Now, you have my information?"
Karrde picked up the chip and fed it into his reader. Verifying the correct amou
nt on the chip, he pulled his own chip out of his waistcoat and presented it to
the warrior. "This was recovered recently from unknown sources, but I've verifie
d its authenticity. It's a security recording from one of the detention cities t
hat shows who was in charge of the operation-"
"Massacre," she corrected. Karrde nodded in agreement. The young warrior shakily
picked up the chip and inserted it into the reader on her wrist gauntlet. At on
ce the image appeared in small window in her helmet's 360 degree viewer. The sce
ne it showed was one of devastation - burning buildings, collapsed duracreet and
mangled bodies lay everywhere, but that wasn't the sight that chilled her blood
. No, the sight that really chilled her was the familiar figure she spied across
the way from the camera.
"Commander, have you wiped out the resistance leadership?"
"Yes, sir," the droid replied. "We believe there are additional cells operating
in the area. We are cleansing the camp as we speak."
"Change of plan, Commander. You are to initiate the scorched planet procedure. T
he order comes directly from Darth Traya. Leave none alive. And commander, if yo
u come across the Skywalker girl, try to capture her alive. I have special plans
for her."
It was the man who had taken her under his wing, whom had taught her everything
she knew. The man who had indoctrinated her into the Mandalorian society.
The Mand'alor.
Boba Fett.
The man who had become a father figure to her was the man responsible for killin
g her father, for taking away her childhood.
Without a word, Joyce Solo stood and walked out of the bar back to Prometheus, h
er mind in a whirl. Everything she thought she knew, everything she thought she
was, was a lie. As Joyce climbed into the cockpit and powered up her vessel, the
only thing she was sure of was that Boba Fett was going to pay.
No matter what the cost.
Fin
Star Wars
Episode V
Trials of the Empire
====BtVS====
It's been three years since the destruction of the Death Star over Yavin IV. Hun
ted by the Empire and it's agents, Darth Vader, former Jedi Master turned Sith A
pprentice Nejaa Halcyon, and the Emperor's Hand Mara Jade, the Rebellion settled
on the ice planet of Hoth. While they established their secret base, Luke Skywa
lker, Leia Naberrie and Joyce Solo, children of the Skywalker siblings, have beg
un their training in the Jedi arts.
Meanwhile on Earth, the Jedi Council has stepped up their training of the Padawa
ns, along with strengthening their ties to the Watchers Council, in preparation
for their return across the barrier. Padawan Dawn Summers nears the end of her t
raining and prepares to enter the Trials, while her boyfriend Zett Jukassa faces
 trials of his own.
Anakin Skywalker, meanwhile, has taken Willow Rosenberg, once the Dark Lady Tray
a, as his apprentice in an effort to train her in the Jedi arts- skills Willow h
opes to use to save her daughter, Mara Jade. But her resolve against the Dark Si
de will be tested with a reunion with her family and her placement with a new en
emy.
As the Rebel Alliance are relentlessly pursued by the Empire, the Skywalker chil
dren will face their own trials- for Luke, the knowledge of what his father did
under the control of Darth Traya; for Leia, the loss of her one true love; and f
or Joyce, the Mandalorian battles the Dark Side and her own demons as she hunts
down the man who murdered her father and stole her childhood- the man who took h
er as his own daughter, Boba Fett
And all the while, Darth Vader plots to finally bring a Skywalker over to the Da
rk Side, and sets his sights on an old enemy- Jedi Master Buffy Skywalker-Summer
s. Can Buffy resist the pull of the Dark Side going up against the one man who a
lways managed to bring out her darkest emotions, even when he was a Jedi?
Disclaimer: Star Wars and its characters are owned by George Lucas and Lucas Fil
ms. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Mut
ant Enemy. I own neither.
====BtVS====
Dramatis Personae
Buffy Skywalker; Jedi Master, Senior Slayer (female human)Willow Rosenberg-Naber
rie; Force-Sensitive Witch (female human)Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Master (human ma
le)Padmé Skywalker (female human)Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master (human male)Aayla Sec
ura; Jedi Master (female Twi'lek)Bol Chatak; Jedi Master (male Zabrak)Roan Shryn
e; Jedi Master (human male)Ydra Kilwallen; Jedi Master (female Mirialan)Teryl Si
bwarra; Jedi Master (Female Kuat)Zett Jukassa; Jedi Knight (human male)Serra Ket
o; Jedi Knight (human female)Olee Starstone; Jedi Padawan (female human)Dawn Sum
mers; Jedi Padawan (female human)Luke kywalker; Jedi Apprentice (male human)Leia
Naberrie; Jedi Apprentice (female human)Han Solo; Captain, Millennium Falcon (h
uman male)Chewbacca; co-pilot, Millennium Falcon (male Wookie)Joyce Solo; Mandal
orian Jedi Apprentice (female human)Boba Fett; Mandalorian Bounty Hunter (human
male)Qui-Gon Jin; Apparition (male human)Darth Vader (Jorus C'baoth); Sith Lord
(male human)Nejaa Halcyon; Master Hand (human male)Mara Jade; Emperor's Hand (fe
male human)Wedge Antilles; Rebel Pilot (male human)
Lord Nigel Ambrose-Bellairs; Head, Watcher's Council (male human)
Xander Harris; Wather's Council Represenative (male human)
Rupert Giles; Senior Watcher (male human)
Faith Lehane; Senior Slayer (female human)
Wesley Whyndam-Pryce; Watcher (male human)
Winefred Burkle; Council Tech Specialist (female human)
Spike; Council Operative (male vampire)
Angel; Council Operative (male vampire)
See-Threepio; Droid
Artoo-Deetoo; Droid
====BtVS====
It was a weary Joyce Solo that made her way through the ice caverns of he Rebel
base on Hoth. Three hours of patrol around the system in the Prometheus was a lo
t, even for someone who had the enhanced stamina of both a Jedi and a Slayer. An
d three hours is a long time to think, and as usual her mind had wandered to the
holo she had received from Talon Karrde and what it meant.
Boba Fett had killed her father.
Boba Fett, the one who had taken her under his wing. The one who had introduced
her to the Mandalorian culture.
The one who had taken her as a daughter.
The one who she had to kill.
Vengeance was an ugly word and one that the Jedi frowned upon. A Jedi doesn't ta
ke vengeance, her mother had said. A Jedi strives for justice.
She sighed as she entered her private quarters. Wearily she pulled off her helme
t, then the rest of her armor. Placing it net to her bed, she quickly shed the r
est of her clothes in preparation fro a well-deserved shower. As she walked past
her dresser, she stopped for a moment and looked to the small holoprojectors si
tting there. After a moments hesitation she switched it on and the blue image fl
ared to life, showing the now-familiar sight of her mother and father with Han a
nd her. She was nestled safely in her father's arms with a small smile on her fa
ce.
"Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum Jacen Solo," she said quiet
ly, looking sadly at the shimmering image of her father. So intent was she on th
e image that she didn't hear the door to her quarters open, or the footsteps app
roach her from behind. It wasn't until strong arms wrapped around her waist that
she realized she wasn't alone.
"How was patrol?" the man asked as Joyce leaned lovingly back into the embrace.
She titled her head back and kissed him softly.
"Three hours alone in a small, cramped space is too much, Wedge," she said. "I w
ish you could have flown second seat with me."
"I wanted to, but they needed me here, working on the speeders." He kissed her s
houlder softly. "Plus, I'm not sure Han would approve."
Joyce snorted softly. "There's probably a lot about this he wouldn't approve, hu
sband."
After Yavin IV, Joyce and Wedge became nearly inseparable, much to Han's chagrin
. After nearly two years together the couple had finally realized how much they
loved each other. On the night Wedge had proposed, Joyce had performed the Manda
lorian ceremony that bound the two in marriage. Both had decided to keep it secr
et, lest her brother freak out. Of course, they both refused to think about how
he'd react when they finally told him.
Or how her mother would react, for that matter.
"So, tell me what else is bothering you," Wedge said softly, taking notice in he
r stiffened shoulders. "Baby, I wish you would talk to me."
"There's nothing to say."
Wedge sighed. "It's this thing with Fett, isn't it? You've been hunting him for
three years, Joyce!" he exclaimed as she stalked away from him. "This obsession
of your can't be healthy!"
"He killed my father!" she exclaimed. "He deserves to die!"
"He deserves justice, Joyce." He moved back to her and gently took her by the sh
oulders. "Vengeance won't bring your father back. And I don't want to loose you.
"
"I can take care of a bounty hunter on my own, Wedge."
"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it," he shot back. "You're a Je
di-"
"Half-Jedi."
"The point is, I've heard what happens to them when they let vengeance take over
," he argued. "I don't want that to happen to you."
Joyce sighed. "It won't. I promise you, it won't. I just- " she was cut off by t
he sounds of arguing outside her door.
"Han!"
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"I thought you had decided to stay."
"That bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind."
"But we still need you," she said.
"We need?" he asked.
"Yes."
"What about you need?"
"Me? I don't know what you mean."
"No, you probably don't."
"And what precisely am I supposed to know?"
"You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me."
"Well, yes, you've been a great help to us. You're a natural leader-"
"No, Your Worship. That's not it."
"You're imagining things."
"Am I? I think you were afraid I was going to leave you without a goodbye kiss?"
"I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee."
"I can arrange that. He could use a good kiss!"
The couple looked at each other, then broke out laughing. "Those two just need t
o have sex and get it over with," Joyce finally managed. "My brother is an idiot
."
"Stubborn, too," Wedge put in. "Kinda like his sister."
Joyce smiled at her husband. "Come on, I still need that shower," she said, saun
tering away from him towards the 'fresher. "You can do my back."
Wedge watched as his very naked wife walked into the fresher and sighed. He knew
she was deflecting his concerns, just as she always did. And it worried him tha
t she would take off one night and not come back- or worse, come back like Vader
. He comforted himself in the knowledge that he wouldn't allow her to slip that
far and neither would her family.
"You coming, flyboy? Or am I doing this all alone tonight.?" Joyce's voice calle
d out from the 'fresher. Smiling to himself, he started to remove his flight sui
te and head towards the fresher, stopping only long enough to turn off their com
receivers.
====BtVS====
EARTH
Dawn moved quietly through the ruined building, stepping carefully among the rub
ble. Though the surrounding seemed vaguely familiar, the young Padawan had no id
ea where she was, nor what she was supposed to be doing, and the feeling was lea
ving her a little put out with her Master and sister Buffy.
"'Trust me', she says. 'All part of your training', she says. 'Consider it a par
t of your trials', she says," she muttered to herself. "Why must all Jedi be suc
h vague, Power-That-Be type beings? Just love?give me a straight answer, for the
" She ducked under of god a fallen beam and finally spotted the proverbial ligh
t at the end of the tunnel. She paused for a moment to bend down and pick up a b
roken length of wood before continuing down the hall. Buffy had insisted that sh
e come in here unarmed, but with all of the Vampire activity around Leeds she wa
sn't about to risk it, no matter how well protected Buffy said Tara had made thi
s place. As she neared the end of the tunnel she let out a sigh of relief, even
as she felt the anticipation build. She knew whatever test Buffy had set up woul
d be at the end of the tunnel- now she just had to pass it.
"No problem," she said to herself. "Buffy can't throw anything at me that I can'
t pa-" Her breath caught as she finally saw her surroundings, a familiar sight t
hat had haunted many a nightmare over the past year. She was in the same burned
out opera house that her team had been decimated in, the same theater that her b
est friend had been savagely murdered by the vampire Tomlisov
And standing on the ruined stage across from Dawn was the bloodied form of Vi.
"Hello, killer," she spat at the speechless Padawan.
====BtVS====
Outside the theater, Buffy sat in silence, reaching out with her senses to try a
nd determine how her apprentice was doing. She gritted her teeth when she felt h
er sister's emotions suddenly reach a fever pitch.
"Hello, cutie," a voice said from the shadows behind the Jedi. Buffy smiled slig
htly.
"Evening, Spike. Fancy running into you here."
"Yeah, well, the local pub was having a Clash marathon. Thought I'd check it out
," the blonde vampire replied, sitting down next to Buffy. "What's going on in t
here?"
"I'm testing Dawn."
"By making her come back here?" Spike shook his head. "Not your best idea, Buffy
."
"It's almost time for her to face her Trials, Spike."
"So?"
Buffy sighed. "When a Jedi faces their Trials, it's more than just a test of str
ength or skill in the Force," Buffy explained. "One of the biggest parts of the
Trials is the Jedi's ability to withstand the temptation of the Dark Side. Obi-W
an nearly gave in on Naboo, but pulled himself together and helped me defeat Mau
l. I've been tempted several times, but always managed to resist. And " She Anak
in?sighed. "Well, he's one of the very lucky few to come back from being immerse
d in it, albeit against his will."
"So what's that got to do with the Nibblet?"
"Well, Dawn's also tasted the Dark Side- in this very building, nonetheless. And
the events that happened here have haunted her, despite how far she's come. She
needs to face it, come to terms with it, and put it behind her if she has any h
ope of becoming a full Jedi."
"So, what? You brought her back here for closure?" Spike asked. Buffy tilted her
head, then nodded.
"In a way. This place is ripe with the Dark Side. Tonight, Dawn will face it." S
he sighed. "I just hope she's strong enough."
====BtVS====
"What are you?" Dawn demanded, staring at horror at the bloody apparition in fro
nt of her. The ghoul's face took on a shocked expression.
"You mean, you don't recognize me? Me, your supposed best friend? Your Slayer? Y
ou remember, the Slayer you got killed?"
"You are NOT Vi! Vi's dead!"
"Yeah, you saw to that," Vi spat. "My friend, my Watcher- who couldn't do her fr
eaking job! Too busy making googly eye's at the Jedi to do you job and watch my
back!"
"That wasn't what happened!" Dawn shot back. "We made mistakes! We all made mist
akes!"
"Oh, sure! Blame it on me, the one who got a sword through her heart!" Vi scoffe
d. "Face it, D, you just weren't very good at your job. Hell, if you hadn't had
so many connections, you never would have been a Watcher."
"Shut up," Dawn growled, any pretense of composure finally fading away.
"You were a terrible Watcher. If you'd been any good, don't you think you'd have
gotten your sister back before she hit menopause?"
"Shut up!"
"If you'd been any good, I'd still be there. Face it, Dawn, Tomlisov may have st
abbed me, but you were the one to kill me. Just like first?you'll kill your next
Slayer- or Jedi, whichever comes "
"Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!" Dawn shouted, finally snapping and calling on the F
orce to rip up the remains of the stage and whip it at the form of her former fr
iend that disappeared. With a scream born of rage and pain Dawn let loose, the w
hirlwind of energy that she had gathered around herself ripping at the interior
of the old opera house.
====BtVS====
Outside the building, the Slayer and the Vampire turned towards the building as
several explosions seemed to rock the building, sending debris flying everywhere
. Spike instinctively dropped to the ground, but Buffy rose and stood her ground
, using the Force to shield her from the debris. As things settled down Spike pi
cked up his head and stared at the remains of the opera house.
"What in the bloody hell was that?!" he exclaimed, climbing to his feet and dust
ing his black leather coat off. "Was that a part of your test?"
"Not exactly." Buffy sighed. "That was Dawn."
Spike looked at the Slayer closely. "And I take it from your doom and gloom expr
ession that she didn't pass?" Buffy shook her head.
"No, she didn't." She sighed again. "Something's coming, Spike. Something big. A
nd Dawn NEEDS to be ready. We all need to be ready." She looked on as Dawn made
her way out of the rubble towards them. She was a mess, her black shirt and pant
s were torn and covered with dust and blood, her short hair almost white from th
e collapsed plaster. But what worried Buffy the most was the look in her sisters
eyes, a look she hadn't often seen since she had first came back from the disas
trous patrol. It was a look of horror tinged with defeat, and maybe just a bit o
f fear. And Buffy knew that Dawn had not found the closure she was hoping she wo
uld; instead, this exercise had merely reopened old wounds that had never truly
healed.
"Are you okay, Lil' Bit?" Spike asked, moving to put an arm around Dawn. The Pad
awan shrugged him off and, without even a glance towards Buffy, moved past them
towards the car. Spike shook his head.
"Zett's going to have a handful tonight, that's for sure," he remarked. "Remind
me to give him a heads up when we get back so he doesn't take anything she does
personally."
Buffy looked on as her sister stiffly climbed into their car and closed the door
, never once looking in her direction. She had no doubts that Dawn would be avoi
ding her for the next few days or at least try to. But Buffy knew, deep down, th
at something was coming. And that in the next few weeks, all of them would be fa
cing trials of some kind or another.
She only hoped they were strong enough to pass them.
Episode 5 Chapter 2
Flight from Hoth
====BtVS====
EARTH
====BtVS====
Zett looked up as a quiet and distraught Dawn made her way back into the Council
buildings. Sensing her pain, he shot up from the chair he had occupied in the l
obby and headed towards his love.
"Dawn! What's-" he stopped short as she stormed right past him and towards the d
orms. Concerned he turned to follow, but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoul
der. He looked over his shoulder to see Buffy standing there with a grave look o
n her face. "Master, what-"
"Come with me, Zett."
"But Dawn-"
"-is a Jedi. As are you," Buffy retorted harshly. Zett blanched and unconsciousl
y straightened. Buffy sighed and her voice softened. "You'll have a chance to co
mfort her later. For now, I need you to meet with me and the rest of the Council
."
====BtVS====
It was thirty minutes later when a shell-shocked Zett made his way into the priv
ate quarters he shared with Dawn. He found her sitting by the small fireplace, s
taring alternately into the flames and the photo in her hands. As he moved close
r, he finally recognized the picture - himself, Dawn, Vi, Rona, Molly and Bella
standing down by the lake in happier times. He noted with sadness that the pictu
re was taken mere days before Vi's death as he moved behind her and placed a han
d on her shoulder.
"Buffy told me what happened tonight. That she took you back to the theater," he
said quietly.
"Did she tell you what I did?"
"She said you lost control. Dawn," He moved around the chair to kneel in front o
f her. "That theater is steeped in the Dark Side. It's not surprising that you t
apped into that!"
"I failed her," Dawn whispered, so quietly that it took Zett a moment to underst
and what she said.
"What?"
"I failed her, Zett," Dawn said, tears running down her cheek. "Vi was my Slayer
, my responsibility, and I failed her. I led us into that hell and she didn't wa
lk out. It's my fault that she's dead..."
"No, Dawn. It's not your fault. Look at me," he reached up and gently turned her
head so that she was looking at him. "We all made mistakes that night. All of u
s - including Vi. We were younger, more arrogant, more sure that nothing could h
urt us - you remember how it was, Dawn! How many Slayers have died since you inc
orporated Jedi into the teams?"
Dawn sighed. "Only about six."
"Exactly! And our team hadn't suffered any significant injuries, nothing life-th
reatening - we felt invincible! And when you feel invincible-"
"Is when accidents happen, I know Zett," Dawn replied wearily. "Still, she was m
y best friend - if I had only tried harder, been faster..."
"We can spend our whole lives on 'what ifs', Dawn. But nothing will bring our lo
ved ones back. The only thing we can do, the ONLY thing, is accept what has happ
ened and move on and believe that when we leave this life well see our friends i
n the next one."
"Do you think she blames me?" she asked in a small voice. Zett sighed and stood,
pulling Dawn up with him and embracing her.
"No, I don't," he replied. "Vi was a Slayer and she knew the risks. Wherever she
is, I know she doesn't blame you for what happened. Force, she's probably looki
ng down at you right now, wanting to smack you for even thinking that!" Dawn let
out a watery chuckle and Zett relaxed his embrace a bit. "Come on, Dawn. Let's
get some dinner and we can talk about your Trials. What'd you say?"
Dawn looked lovingly into her boyfriends eyes and smiled. "I say I love you. And
yes, dinner sounds great."
"Great," Zett said, giving her a small peck on the lips. "You're buying."
"Jerk."
====BtVS====
HOTH
An incessant pounding woke Joyce from her restless sleep. Groggily she looked at
the chrono by her bead and saw that it was only 0100 hours. Groaning she climbe
d out of bed, shivering in the cold room as she threw on a heavy robe and her bo
ots and stalked to the door. She slapped the controls at the side and the door s
lid open, revealing a distraught looking Leia standing behind it.
"Okay, so what did my idiot brother do now?" she asked after a moment.
"Luke never came back after his patrol and Han went out to look for him."
Joyce groaned. "Aiya! Fine, I'll fire up Prometheus and start doing sweeps..."
"You can't."
Joyce looked at her cousin through narrowed eyes. "Why not?"
"Firstly, because your ships engines would freeze after a few minutes," Leia exp
lained. "We're having enough trouble adapting the speeders to the cold."
"Prometheus could handle it," Joyce argued.
"And secondly, the shield doors are closed." At Joyce's look of indignation, Lei
a pressed on. "I had to close them, Joyce. If I didn't, we all would have frozen
to death! We would have lost the base."
"To hell with the base, that's my brother out there!"
"Damnit, my brother is out there, too!" Leia shouted back. The two women stood i
n an awkward silence for a few moments. Finally Joyce reached out and placed her
hand on Leia's arm.
"I'm sorry, Leia I know this can't be easy for you," she sighed. "I don't have a
lot of family left, so I worry."
"I understand," Leia replied. "I'm going to the command center to wait for news.
Why don't you join me?"
"Sure. Just let me get some clothes on." She moved back into her room as Leia sh
ook her head.
"How can you sleep in an ICE CAVE in the nude?"
Joyce smirked as she reached for the door control. "I have my ways," she said as
she closed the doors.
====BtVS====
It was barely 0600 hours in the morning when Wedge, who had taken over prepping
the snow speeders, declared them ready to fly. Despite the still below-zero weat
her, Leia decided to take the risk and opened the blast doors, allowing the squa
d of speeders out. Wedge took point, pushing his small ship to the limits trying
to find his friends.
My brother-in-law, he reminded himself. In reality, it was more like his brother
s-in-law; and that was something he wouldn't trade for anything. He had told the
squad when they lifted off that he refused to leave them lost out in the wintry
world - they would either bring them back to recover or bring back their bodies
to give a proper burial.
A beeping noise brought him out of his grim thoughts and he checked his scanners
. There was something up ahead, only about three clicks away...
'Good morning!' a voice sounded over the com, 'Nice of you to show up!' Wedge sm
iled a he spotted the camp from the air. He clicked on his mike and opened a cha
nnel back to the control center.
"Control, this is Rogue Two. I've found them. Repeat, I've found them!" Wedge ba
nked around for a landing by the frigid camp as Han waved from the frozen tundra
below.
====BtVS====
The next few hours were a flurry of activity as Han and Luke were flown back to
Echo Base. Han was in good shape despite the night in the sub-zero temperatures.
Luke was another story - on top of a case of hypothermia, his face was lacerate
d, he had six fractured rib and a plethora of bruises that marred his body. As s
oon as he was brought into the base, he was transferred straight into a bacta ta
nk, where he remained immersed for several hours.
By the time Buffy arrived at the base the next day, Luke had only been out of th
e tank for a few hours and was resting comfortably in a medbay bed, surrounded b
y his friends. She entered the medbay quietly, observing her children as they ba
ntered with each other.
"That's two you owe me, junior," Han was saying to Luke and then he turned and g
ave the princess a wide, devilish grin. "Well, your Worship," he said mockingly,
"it looks like you arranged to keep me close by for a while longer."
"I had nothing to do with it," Leia said hotly, annoyed at Han's vanity. "Genera
l Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for any ships to leave the system until the gene
rators are operational."
"That makes a good story. But I think you just can't bear to let me out of your
sight."
"I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brains," she retorted, causing
Chewbacca to let out a small Wookie laugh. Joyce finally noticed her mother and
sidled up next to her.
"About time you showed up," she said quietly. Buffy shrugged apologetically.
"Sorry I missed the fun. I was preparing Dawn for her Trials." She frowned at th
e slightly disgusted look that passed over her daughter's face. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Laugh it up, fuzz ball," Han was saying good-naturedly. "You didn't see us alon
e in the south passage. She expressed her true feeling for me," Han continued, d
elighting in the rosy flush that appeared on the princess's cheeks.
Joyce smirked at Leia's outraged expression and the smirk widened into a grin as
Han moved farther away from the irate princess.
"Why, you low-down, stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder..." she s
puttered in fury.
Han looked insulted. "Who's scruffy-looking?"
"You are, fly-boy." Wedge said, leaning against the wall. "We would have told yo
u sooner, but we didn't want to upset you."
Luke nodded. "He's right."
Han ignored the jibes as he moved to stand next to Luke. "I must have hit pretty
close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, kid," he said, looking at
Leia. Luke grinned.
"Yeah, pretty close," he said playfully. Leia's eyes narrowed at the two.
"Well I guess you don't understand everything about women then, do you?" she sai
d, before turning, grabbing Wedge by the face and pulling him into a long, passi
onate kiss. After a moment she backed off. "Thank you or bringing him back, Capt
ain," she said, then turned and left the room, oblivious to the stares from ever
ybody in the room.
Wedge stood there for a few moments, stunned, before his wife's glare brought hi
m back to reality. Flushing a deep crimson he muttered his excuses and left the
bay, desperately trying to avoid the death-glare Joyce was sending his way.
"Well, that was fun," Buffy said, speaking up at last. She moved and gave her ne
ar-son a long hug. "I'm glad you're alright, Han," she said and then looked to L
uke. "Both of you. Your parents send their love, Luke. Anakin is a bit busy righ
t now, but Padmé said that she'd see you when you got to where you were going."
"Going?" Han asked confusedly. "Where's Luke going?"
"Dagobah," he replied, staring intently at his Aunt. "But how did you..."
"Force vision, same as you," she explained. "Qui-Gon was one of the first to dis
cover how to maintain his consciousness in the Force, and his resurrection and s
econd death helped him to refine his talent."
"Meaning he visited you, too," Luke surmised. Buffy nodded.
"He did indeed. Gave me some news," she turned to Joyce. "I know I haven't had m
uch time to devote to your training..."
"Yeah, you've been busy with the wonder twin," Joyce growled. "How is Twiggy, an
yway?"
"Be nice, Joyce. She's your Aunt."
"No, she's my clone," she ground out. "Anything above that is incidental."
Buffy sighed. She had noticed the growing resentment between her sister and daug
hter - it was hardly one-sided, with Dawn being just as vocal against Joyce as J
oyce was against Dawn. Buffy could only guess it was a result of their numerous
physical similarities, as both Dawn and Joyce were 'made' from Buffy, in a sense
.
Xander just chalked it up to the same matter not being able to occupy the same p
oint in space and time.
"This is no time for your childish rivalries," Buffy scolded sternly. "Truthfull
y, there are times when I felt that I didn't do as good a job training Dawn as a
nother Master would have, simply because she is my sister. That's why I haven't
been training you as much and that's why I've asked another Master to finish you
r training." She handed Joyce a small data chip. "Take Prometheus to Naboo. Ther
e is a small cottage near the Lake Country that a friend and I shared ownership
in - it's the perfect place to train without distraction. The coordinates are on
the chip."
"What about the Rebellion?" Joyce asked, overwhelmed. "I have responsibilities h
ere, Mother! I can't just leave-"
"Isn't that what you and Han were going to do?" Buffy replied, causing the two s
iblings to shift uncomfortably. She reached out and put a hand on her daughter's
shoulder. "I know this is a lot to ask of you, honey. And I know that I'll be a
sking more of you than I ever had before. But things are rapidly coming to a hea
d, and soon you are going to be tested. You need to be ready - I need you to be
ready. Please?"
Joyce looked to her brother, than turned back to her mother and sighed. "Alright
, fine. I'll go." She drew herself up. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get my th
ings together." With a squeeze to Luke's shoulder and a peck on her brother's ch
eek, Joyce turned and left.
"I need to go, too. Got to get the Falcon ready to take off." He looked to Luke.
"Take it easy, Kid. Come on, Chewie."
Han and Chewie left the medbay. Buffy stared after them for a moment and then tu
rned to her nephew. "So, does he know that Joyce and Wedge are married? For that
matter, does Leia know?"
Luke chuckled. "At this point, I think everybody knows except Han and everybody
knows that everybody knows except Joyce and Wedge." He looked at his Aunt curiou
sly. "I doubt you crossed over just to give us our marching orders. What gives?"
Buffy sighed. "Right about now, the Alliance will be detecting the Imperial Flee
t entering the system. Vader's coming for you all. This base will evacuate and e
veryone will scatter."
"Do you get your visions in Technicolor or something?"
Buffy laughed lightly. "I see flashes of what's going to happen. I saw an attack
, I saw ships lifting off and I saw Leia on the Falcon. I'll be traveling with h
er to complete her training - next to Joyce she's had the least amount so far. I
'll be seeing to that." An alarm sounded through the base and Luke jumped up fro
m the bed and started searching for his clothes. "Luke," Buffy said, drawing the
young Jedi's attention, "Do what Qui-Gon said. Go to Dagobah - Yoda will train
you well. And whatever you do, do NOT underestimate him." She smiled slightly. "
He's stronger than he looks."
Luke nodded. "And Mother will be there?"
"She'll visit. She promised she would. Anakin wants to, but he's a bit busy with
his new apprentice - they're on Naboo right now."
Luke raised an eyebrow as he pulled on his flight suite. "Does Joyce know this?"
Buffy's silence told Luke everything.
====BtVS====
Pilots scrambled throughout the hangar deck as alarms blared throughout the base
. A distant rumbling could be heard as Imperial AT-AT walkers were landed on the
planet's surface beyond the energy shield; soon the frantic crews could feel th
e ground as the massive troop carriers started to lumber towards their target. W
edge rushed into the hangar towards his waiting snow speeder, calling out assign
ments to the other Rogue pilots. He glanced towards the rear of the hanger where
Han and Chewie were frantically trying to put the broken down Falcon back toget
her. Near it he spied Joyce loading up her old ARC-130. Frowning, he changed dir
ection and ran up to his wife.
"I thought you weren't leaving with him," he stated in a somewhat hurt tone. Joy
ce sighed as she finished loading her supplies and then turned to face him.
"I'm not. But I am leaving." She dropped her voice as she moved closer to Wedge.
"Mother wants me to continue my Jedi training. She's sending me to Naboo to lea
rn from some Master." She looked at him wistfully. "I don't really want to go, b
ut it's important to her..."
Wedge smiled and kissed her softly on the top of her head. "I understand. Just m
ake sure you come back to me."
"Always," she replied, giving him a quick kiss on the lips before turning back t
o her ship.
====BtVS====
The battle was as short as it was vicious.
The snow speeders proved no match for the armored AT-ATs, who managed to down ne
arly half of them before Luke finally managed to destroy one. Nonetheless the tr
ansports managed to destroy the bases' shield generators and Imperial troops soo
n were flooding the base.
Luckily the Rebels had almost completely abandoned the base; their transports ha
d already taken off, being protected by a pair of fighters and fire form the gro
und-based Ion cannon. By the time the Storm Troopers arrived, only a few ships r
emained, nestled into a hidden landing field on the south ridge of the base, whe
re both Luke and Wedge made their way to their waiting X-Wings. The two took off
, following the rest of the remaining fleet into orbit before they parted ways a
s Luke set course to the Dagobah system. Joyce had already fled the base in the
Prometheus, activating the cloaking generator and slipping past the entire Imper
ial Navy - buzzing several ships in the process before finally entering hyperspa
ce towards Naboo. Han, Leia, Chewie, Buffy and Threepio were the last to leave,
flying the crippled Millennium Falcon out of the hanger bay, vainly trying to av
oid being captured by the Empire.
And on the planet of Naboo, in the cabin named Serenity, Anakin Skywalker and Ob
i-Wan Kenobi sat and chatted, while Anakin's apprentice, Willow Rosenberg-Naberr
ie, meditated outside.
Episode 5 Chapter 3
Great Expectations
====BtVS====
Disclaimer: See chapter 1
A/N: My thanks to my editors Fallenstar2 and Winterd, for without their help non
e of this would be possible. WEll, it would be possible, just not as good.
Further updates are rather sketchy, as I am preparing to move out of the old par
ent's house and into a place of my own. I also want to write a few chapters so I
can start regular updates once again.
====BtVS====
Once upon a time Naboo was a small, relatively unimportant world. Their ships, w
hile aesthetically pleasing, were consistently outperformed by the ships of Core
llia or Kuat. Their art, while beautiful, was nothing that wasn't found on hundr
eds of other worlds in the galaxy. They had no real exports and very little trad
e altogether and existed on importing most of its goods - a fact that the Trade
Federation tried to use to its advantage nearly forty years ago when it blockade
d the planet.
Of course what they didn't realize was that Naboo had two great natural resource
s - the young Queen Amidala and the elderly Senator Palpatine - two people who w
ould be a bane of their existence for the next few decades
After the failed blockade and even during the Clone Wars, Naboo remained a peace
ful planet that seemed far removed from the continuing turmoil. When the Old Rep
ublic fell and the Empire rose though, Naboo's status rose as well. While Palpat
ine held no love for anyone or anything, he always felt a connection to his home
world. Naboo became a favored retreat for the new Emperor and his favored few. T
he lake country, once a place of tranquility, soon filled with roving Storm Troo
pers and fat officers who used the palatial homes for parties and scenes of utte
r debauchery. The economy flourished with the import of all of the credits the o
fficers and soldiers brought; artisans worked twice as had to fill the demands a
nd soon found their pockets flush. After a brief insurgency the local government
was brought in line and soon everyone was singing the praises of the Empire and
their Emperor, Palpatine. Nobody lamented the fact that they now lived under a
puppet government. Nobody shed a tear as the Gungans, who only a few years ago h
ad been valued and beloved members of their society, were shunned, enslaved and
shipped off world to work as slaves. Naboo, once a peaceful and tolerant world,
had become yet another crown jewel of the Empire.
Except in one small corner of the planet, in a slightly mountainous area of the
Lake Country, in a small estate named Serenity, where two Jedi Masters prepared
to teach their pupils in the hopes of overthrowing the corrupt galactic governme
nt.
It began quietly enough. Three people suddenly burst forth into existence in a f
lash of purple and white light at Serenity and began preparing the estate for th
e days to come.
The fourth arrived only days later.
====BtVS====
The stillness of space was broken by the sudden arrival of a battered old ARC-13
0 fighter, which just as suddenly vanished under its cloaking field. The time be
tween hyperspace reversion and cloaking was so small that Naboo's automated Air
traffic control system catalogued the arrival as a rouge gravimetric disturbance
and promptly filed away the information in its vast database where it would mor
e than likely never see the light of day again. Likewise, the atmospheric distur
bance caused by Prometheus' entry into the atmosphere was cataloged as a small m
eteorite entering the atmosphere and, once it was clear that its trajectory woul
d take it away from any populated area; that too was filed away. The Prometheus
flew cloaked all the way to its destination, decloaking only once it had set dow
n in Serenity's small hanger. The cockpit canopy rose and the lone passenger got
out.
Joyce Solo had arrived on Naboo.
====BtVS====
"Tai-kong suo-yo duh shing-chiou sai-jin wuh duh pee-goo," Buffy muttered as she
stared at the field of asteroids before her. "What is it with men and flying th
rough asteroid fields?"
Buffy stood behind Leia, who herself was seated behind Han on the bridge of the
Millennium Falcon. Just as she had seen in her vision, she and Leia, along with
Chewie, Han and Threepio, had been forced to flee Hoth on her old ship.
Of course, her vision had failed to tell her that the hyperdrive was non-functio
nal. Stupid vision.
"Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximat
ely 3,720 to 1!" Threepio stated in a panic.
"Never tell me the odds!" Han shot back, deftly maneuvering the sleek ship betwe
en the asteroids. The Falcon shuddered as TIE Fighter blasts struck a glancing b
low on the rear shields. Or perhaps an asteroid impacted the ship. Buffy couldn'
t tell anymore.
"We stay out here any longer and we're going to get pulverized!" Leia exclaimed
at another near miss.
"I won't argue with that," Han mumbled as he looked around the field. "I'm going
to move us closer to one of the big one," he announced suddenly, much to Threep
io's dismay. "Yeah, that looks like a good one."
"Han, what in the wide, wide world of sports do you think you're doing?" Buffy e
xclaimed as Han dropped to the deck, still being pursued by two TIE. He maneuver
ed the ship, deftly slipping between a narrow canyon by flipping the Falcon on i
ts side. The flat ship passed through without a scratch; its pursuers erupted in
to twin balls of plasma. Han, ignoring all around (and beside him), brought the
ship up and into a loop and then finally down into a large crater on the surface
of the asteroid.
"Sneaky," Buffy commented as the forward floods came on, illuminating the large,
seemingly endless cavern. "A nice, quiet place to put down for repairs. Your fa
ther would be proud."
Han smiled slightly at that; then rose quickly from his chair. "All right, I bou
ght us a little time. Let's get this ship fixed so we can meet back up with the
fleet."
====BtVS====
"Hello, there."
Joyce gave a slight bow to the elder Jedi Master. "Master Kenobi. Why am I not s
urprised to find you here to hold my leash?"
Obi-Wan scowled slightly. "You are as snarky as your mother, Joyce. We'll have t
o work on that."
"What, Jedi can't be snarky? However did mom survive?"
"Your mother is the exception to the rule," Obi-Wan replied. "Now, I want to lay
some ground rules out for you. This is sacred ground, Joyce. So there will be N
O VIOLENCE, no matter what kind of personal animosities you may find here. I hav
e come to train you in the ways of the Jedi. This will be hard, Joyce - very har
d, especially for you. You will need to learn how to control your anger and let
go of your hate, lest you fall to the Dark Side."
"I'm not angry, Master," Joyce replied evenly. "I'm a happy shiny person. See my
smile?"
"You're wearing a helmet."
"Who else is here, Master?" Joyce's voice was cold. "I couldn't help but notice
the theme of your little pep talk. Control my anger? Let go of my hate?" She rem
oved her helmet and let it drop to the ground, then moved to stand nose to nose
with Kenobi. "She's here, isn't she? The Sith bitch?"
"We'll also have to watch that temper of yours." Obi-Wan remarked dryly. "Willow
is Anakin's apprentice and is here at both his and Buffy's requ-" Obi-Wan was c
ut off by a sudden shove from Joyce that sent him sprawling back out into the op
en field between the hanger and the house. As he lay dazed on the ground, Joyce
stalked past. Ignoring his pleas to stop, Joyce marched up the stairs and into t
he villa proper-
When suddenly the air around her seemed to congeal and solidify around her. Joyc
e was suddenly unable to move and found herself face to face with the one person
in the galaxy she hated more than Boba Fett.
"Hello, Joyce," Willow said, calmly sipping a class of tea from her seat facing
the door. "Let's talk."
====BtVS====
Luke sighed as he plugged Artoo into the portable generator he had managed to sa
lvage from his X-Wing. After Qui-Gon's mysterious message and the short but fier
ce battle on Hoth, Luke had flown across the galaxy with Artoo in his X-Wing to
the swamp planet of Dagobah to complete his training under the tutelage of Maste
r Yoda.
Of course, Qui-Gon had failed to mention that there really wasn't a way to bring
his X-Wing in for a safe landing, nor had he described what Yoda looked like. S
o now his ship lay sinking in the swamp and he sat with Artoo, eating emergency
rations and wondering how he was going to find the reclusive Jedi Master.
"Why are Jedi always so vague, Artoo?" he wondered aloud. "All he said was 'go t
o Dagobah'. He could have given me a description, an address, a com frequency -
but did he? No. Because he's a Jedi and apparently Jedi have to be so vague..."
"You will find, in our nature it is," an aged voice said from behind Luke. Start
led, the young man swung around and drew his blaster. He looked at the intruder
- he was small, only a bit over three feet, green, with long, pointed ears and a
 nearly bald head. He leaned on a small walking stick and was apparently unarmed
, though Luke had learned a long time ago that looks could be deceiving. Just lo
ok at his Aunt Buffy.
"Away with your weapon, I mean you no harm. Tell me, why are you here?" the smal
l alien asked.
"I'm-" Luke trailed of, suddenly remembering his Aunt's advice. 'Do not underest
imate him - he's stronger than he looks.' Realization hit and he smiled. "Master
Yoda, I presume?"
Yoda nodded in satisfaction. "Very good, young Skywalker. Been anticipating your
arrival for some time, I have. Much to teach you, I have."
"I look forward to learning from you, Master," Luke replied. He hesitated for a
moment and then asked the question that had been burning in his mind. "Is my mot
her here?"
"Not yet, Luke," Yoda replied. "In time, she will come. But for now, let us eat
and prepare for the days ahead." Yoda turned around and slowly limped off into t
he forest.
Luke sighed once more and rose. "You stay here for now, Artoo," he told the smal
l droid. "Finish recharging; then come find us." He grabbed his equipment belt a
nd fastened it around his waist, slipped the blaster back into the holster, then
clipped the lightsaber to his belt. "I have a feeling we won't be that far away
," he said quietly as he made to follow the small alien. Jedi.
====BtVS====
The former Jedi Master known as Jorus C'baoth, now known universally as Darth Va
der, Dark Lord of the Sith, stood on the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer Exec
utor as it orbited the planet Hoth. He was deep in thought, stroking his white,
neatly trimmed beard as he stared at the icy planet below.
"Lord Vader?" a soft voice sounded behind him, rousing the Sith Lord from his th
oughts. He turned to see Mara Jade standing behind him, her arms crossed in fron
t of her.
"What is it?" he demanded, angry at having been interrupted. But if she was inti
midated by the Dark Lord, she didn't show it.
"Sir, Admiral Piett reports that all of the Rebels have escaped."
"Thanks to Admiral Ozzel's incompetence," Vader growled. "What else?"
"Well, there was one ship that escaped from the planet, but didn't make the jump
into hyperspace - the Millennium Falcon."
"Is that so?"
"And here's one better - Skywalker was on board the ship."
Vader's breath hitched. "You are certain?"
"Master Halcyon was quite certain," Mara replied. "He also may have sensed one o
f the children, but he was a bit...fixated... on the elder Skywalker."
"Very well. Have Piett order the fleet to pursue the Millennium Falcon at all co
sts."
"They moved into an asteroid field, Lord Vader," Mara remarked. "It will be diff
icult to locate them..."
"Asteroids do not concern me, Hand," Vader growled. "I want that ship, not excus
es."
"Very well, my lord," Mara replied. Then without another word the Emperor's Hand
turned and walked away to find Admiral Piett and give him his new orders. Vader
smiled darkly and turned back towards the window, his thoughts now on the young
er Skywalker sibling and the things he planned to do to her...
====BtVS====
"Let me go!" Joyce growled as Willow calmly sipped her tea.
"Not until we've had a little chat," the witch replied, setting down her cup on
the small end table. "I let you go now; then violence will ensue. And seeing as
I really don't want to explain to your mother why her only daughter is paralyzed
, why don't you be a good girl and listen while I talk."
"I hate you."
"I hate me. So let's explore that," Willow replied, rising and walking over so t
hat she was standing in front of the younger girl. "Many years ago I made a choi
ce. That choice cost your father his life. It also cost thousands of Corellians
their lives as well. And it cost me everything. My friends, my family, my love -
everything. Not a day goes by that I don't regret the choices I made in my yout
h. And not a day goes by that I don't pay for my sins." With a wave of her hand
the air around Joyce dissipated and the young Mandalorian staggered briefly befo
re she straightened out. "If I could bring back your father I would. But I can't
. I can't take back anything I did. And for that, I'm truly sorry."
Joyce stared at the witch in silence. After a moment her hand shot out and grasp
ed Willow tightly around her neck.
"I don't want your apologies, bitch. I just want you to die..." her grip tighten
ed momentarily, and for a moment Willow thought that Joyce really would kill her
. Then the moment passed and her grip relaxed. Her arm finally dropped to her si
de as Willow gasped for breath. "But you know something...I think I want you to
live. I want you to live a nice, long life haunted by your past. I want you to w
ake up screaming every night with the faces of those you killed still in your mi
nds eye." She turned to face Obi-Wan, who had just made his way into the Villa.
"I'll abide by your rules, Jedi. I'll respect this sacred ground and let her liv
e." She closed the distance between hr and Willow. "But don't think for a minute
that I'll train with her or interact with her in any way." With that, Joyce tur
ned and stalked off into the villa to search for her room. Willow rubbed her sor
e neck while Obi-Wan sighed in relief.
"Well, that went better than I expected." Willow rasped out, causing Obi-Wan to
let out a nervous chuckle.
At that moment Anakin came into the room from the kitchen, taking a bite out of
the chicken leg he held in one hand and a drink held in the other. He looked up
at the two - one nursing a bruised neck, the other unconsciously rubbing his che
st.
"What'd I miss?" he asked in confusion.
====BtVS====
"Han, what have you done to my ship?" Buffy complained, looking at the wreck tha
t used to be the engine room. Equipment that she remembered in pristine conditio
n was worn down from hard use. Old grease covered several parts, while others li
ttered the floor.
Han scowled slightly. "It's not your ship, sister. It's mine."
"You can have it. I think I know why you can't go to hyperspace, son. Your engin
e room's a fraking mess."
Han sighed. "Yeah, well you try to do proper maintenance while running with the
Rebellion."
"Your father managed to keep this ship maintained while running a rebellion," Bu
ffy countered.
"Yeah, and look where it got him!" Buffy's eyes narrowed as Han let out a frustr
ated sigh. "Sorry. I'm just a bit frustrated right now."
"Leia could probably help you with that," Buffy replied absently and, realizing
what she had said, blushed. "Just don't tell Anakin I said that."
"And I'll pretend I didn't hear that. The last thing I want is sex advice from m
y almost-mother." Buffy grinned and Han couldn't help but return it. "I'm going
to go find out what Threepio's found out, then take credit for it. Want to come?
"
"Nah, I need to head to Auxiliary Control to get some parts for the sublights he
re." The two parted ways - Han heading for the main hold and Buffy to Auxiliary
Control. She reached it just as Leia was entering.
"Hello, Aunt Buffy."
"Leia," Buffy replied warmly. "How are you holding up?"
"Wonderfully," she sighed. "Aunt Buffy, I don't know how you expect to train me
here..."
"Don't worry about it," Buffy replied, placing a comforting hand on her niece's
shoulder. "We'll find the time. It may not be the most complete training, but I
will teach you what you need to know, I promise you."
"This may be the only time I'll have to learn," Leia mused. "Mon Mothma keeps me
pretty busy, helping her to run the Alliance. I barely have time to do my exerc
ises now."
"Don't worry about it, Leia. Like I said, we'll find the time." Buffy smiled at
the young woman. "You have power like your father, Leia, but you have wisdom and
compassion like your mother. You'll be a great addition to the Jedi Council one
day - or a great Chancellor."
"I think the title of Chancellor dies with the Old Republic," Leia smiled slight
ly. "How about Chief of State?"
"It's got a nice ring to it," Buffy replied wryly. "But for now, let's settle on
the title of 'ships mechanic' and get this old bird flying again. What do you s
ay?"
"Sounds like a plan," Leia replied, picking up a welder. "Let's get to work."
====BtVS====
Luke sat on the floor in Yoda's small hut, a bowl of - something - in his hand.
Cautiously he tasted it and tried to hide his grimace as he forced it down. "Goo
d stuff you got here. Remind me to get the recipe before I leave."
"Harumph," Yoda grunted, seating himself down on the edge of his small bed. "You
r Aunt's sarcasm... need that you do not."
"Sorry, Master. She's all I really got to see when I was growing up, aside from
Aunt Beru or Uncle Owen. I didn't get to see my parents that much at all... I us
ed to resent them for that. Well, my father mostly."
"Understand now why they did what they did?" Yoda pushed gently. Luke nodded.
"Yeah, I understand now. Its better they stayed away than we all ended up in the
emperor's hands."
"And that is why wish you to become a Jedi, hmmm?" Yoda pressed on. "To follow i
n your father's footsteps and become a Jedi Knight?"
"Partly," Luke admitted. "It's just - the Jedi used to be guardians of the galax
y. They used to maintain peace and justice in the Old Republic. That's something
we haven't had in too long..."
"Wish to serve, do you?" Luke nodded and Yoda smiled. "A fine Jedi, you will mak
e. Now, eat! Much have we to discuss before your training we can begin....
====BtVS====
Earth
Zett stared at Dawn and inwardly sighed. Ever since her visit to the old theater
she had been sullen and withdrawn, to the point where even some of the Masters
were starting to talk. For what seemed to be the fifth time that week he found h
imself sitting across from her in the quarters as she stared pensively into the
fireplace.
"Things are starting to pick up now," he remarked, vainly trying to start a conv
ersation. "With both Masters Skywalker and Master Kenobi across the barrier teac
hing their apprentices and over half of the remaining Council training the Padaw
ans who are preparing for their trials, it's starting to feel like an empty hous
e around here." Dawn continued to stare. "Also, I have another supply run across
the barrier tomorrow, so I'll be gone for a few days." Still nothing. "Spike wa
s just dancing down the hallway wearing a pink tutu and singing 'I'm an Oscar-Me
yer Weiner'."
Dawn looked up and blinked. "What?"
Zett smiled softly. "I thought that would get your attention." He leaned in and
his face turned somber. "Dawn, what's troubling you?"
"I don't know why I'm doing this, Zett. I don't have a reason anymore."
Zett blinked. "What?"
"When Buffy and Willow were taken from us, for a while I felt like I didn't have
a reason to go on. It was only after Buffy insisted me in my dreams that I foun
d my reason - I was determined to do whatever it took to bring her back. And I d
id. And then I wanted to keep my Slayers safe and make Buffy proud...so I traine
d. And I learned. I worked my ass off to be the best Jedi I could be.
"But now one of my Slayers is dead and I'm no longer a watcher. Buffy has Joyce
now to be proud of. And every time I touch the force, I can always feel it in th
e back of my mind - the darkness is there, just begging to be touched. And I'm t
errified that, when the time comes, I won't be able to stop myself."
"Dawn, we've talked about this. What happened at the theater-"
"Is only part of it, Zett. I've been thinking about this for a while now - even
before the theater." Dawn stood and moved over to the mantle, lifting her lights
taff from its stand. Almost in resignation she turned and presented the weapon t
o him. "I'm just not fit to carry this."
Zett stared at the lightstaff for a few moments before reluctantly taking it fro
m his lover. "Dawn..."
"I've made up my mind, Zett..."
The Jedi placed his hand over her mouth, cutting her off. "Now you listen. I wil
l take this and I will hold on to it for you - but I won't keep it. Not until yo
u do one thing for me." Dawn looked at him expectantly. "I know you've been diss
atisfied recently. I've felt it, even if I haven't commented on it. And maybe yo
u're right - maybe it's because you feel like you don't have a reason. So here's
what I want you to do: you know Llyn Ogwen?"
"Yeah," Dawn nodded. "That's where newbie Slayers go for their vision qu- oh, no
." she groaned. "You want me to go on a vision quest?"
"I want you to take a week and get out of here. No Jedi, no Slayers, no training
- take a week out there, relax, meditate and try to find your reason again. If
you come back in a week and you still want to quit, then I'll respect that and I
'll take this," he lifted the lightstaff, "off of your hands permanently. If you
change your mind, nobody needs to know you wanted to quit. Well? What do you sa
y?"
Dawn considered her boyfriend for a few minutes, mulling over his offer. A holid
ay does sound good...
"All right, fine," she finally replied. "I'll go pack some things. But I'll be b
ack in a week - and baring any miracles, you'll still be holding on to that." Sh
e indicated the lightstaff, then turned and walked into the bedroom to pack. Zet
t sighed, returning the staff to the fireplace mantel.
"Not a miracle, my love," he whispered, "just the will of the Force."
Episode 5 Chapter 4
Training and Visions
====BtVS====
Disclaimer: I own nothing, George and Joss do. I'm just playing in their univers
es.
Special thanks to my editors Fallenstar2 and Winterd
====BtVS====
Dawn pulled her SUV into the small designated parking area just off the A5 road
and stared at the sight before her. Just outside her windshield was the small la
ke of Llyn Ogwen and beyond it were the mountain ranges of the Carneddau and the
Glyderau. All in all it was a magnificent site, but it left Dawn with a feeling
of trepidation. Though she wouldn't admit it to Zett the thought of a vision qu
est scared Dawn. She really didn't want to see what her future held.
"The things we do for love," she muttered under her breath. Sighing in defeat sh
e grabbed her pack from the back seat and climbed out of the car. Locking her ve
hicle, she adjusted the pack on her shoulders and headed off around the lake tow
ards the mountains beyond it.
====BtVS====
Joyce stood in the meadow in front of Serenity as Obi-Wan led her through her da
ily exercises. Today it was honing her reflexes using the force and to that end
she was clad in the simple tunic of a Padawan learner and had only a training sa
ber for defense.
"You realize this is pointless, right?" she asked her Master as she eyed the rem
ote he had released into the air before her. "In a real fight, I'd just shoot th
e damn thing."
"And if you were disarmed?" Obi-Wan asked pointedly. Joyce snorted.
"I don't get disarmed," she replied archly as she blocked another shot. "I was t
rained by the Mandalore. If you got disarmed, you got hurt. I learned very early
not to let that happen. Besides - I'm still practicing with a weapon. What happ
ens when I lose my lightsaber?"
"I thought you didn't get disarmed." Obi-Wan pointed out.
"Touché."
"Using the lightsaber will help you focus on letting the Force flow through you.
 When you become proficient with the weapon, we'll try it with-"
Finally tiring of the training, Joyce reached out with the Force and grabbed ont
o the remote, then yanked it onto the waiting tip of the lightsaber, impaling it
.
"-out," Obi-Wan finished. "Well, that was one way to do it. Very good."
Joyce let out an annoyed sigh as she shut down her saber. "I can't do anything t
o piss you off, can I?"
"Part of being a Jedi is finding alternatives to every situation. You merely fou
nd an alternative to this one. Though you should have practiced a bit more patie
nce."
"I'm not a very patient person, Kenobi."
"I've noticed," the Jedi replied. "You have a very good grasp of fighting skills
."
"Like I said, I was trained by the Mandalore himself," Joyce replied, picking up
her canteen and taking a swig of water. "He was big on training me to fight, es
pecially after he saw how quickly I learned and how good I could get."
"That's probably due to your mother. She's told you about her being a Slayer?" J
oyce nodded in the affirmative, so Obi-Wan continued. "She's told me there have
been cases of Slayers having children in the past, but those cases are rare and
the child rarely ever got the chance to grow up. The few who did, at least those
who were female, tended to take on some of the aspects of the Slayer themselves
. You got some of the strength and speed of the Slayer, along with the inherent
fighting abilities. Your mother had a hard time when she trained at the Temple b
ecause of her slayer abilities..."
"Why?" Joyce interrupted, surprised at the revelation. "I would think that a Sla
yer's abilities would be a benefit to Jedi training."
"You would think so, wouldn't you?" the Jedi replied wanly. "What you must reali
ze Joyce is that Buffy was a Slayer for many years and fought many battles befor
e coming to us. As a Slayer, she regularly used her emotions to fuel her, to dri
ve her to do what she had to do to protect her planet. And as a Slayer, that was
fine. But as a Jedi, when you feel the Force and have access to its awesome pow
ers, your emotions can quickly corrupt you and turn you to the Dark Side.
"Many Masters worked with Buffy over the years to help her bring her emotions in
to check - Master Windu, Yoda and Cin Drallig, among others. It took years - and
a few close calls - but she finally achieved that balance. And now I will try a
nd teach you how to achieve that same balance within yourself."
"You said she had close calls. How bad did mom slip up?" Joyce asked.
"Pretty bad,"Obi-Wan admitted. "Out of all of the Masters who tried to teach her
patience, one thought that she merely needed to learn humility."
"Oh, I bet that went well," Joyce muttered sarcastically. Kenobi chuckled.
"About as well as you could expect."
"Who was it?"
Obi-Wan's gaze darkened. "He was a Jedi by the name of Jorus C'baoth. Very power
ful and very much respected by many at the Temple. Shortly after Buffy and Anaki
n arrived, he took the rank of Master-"
"I thought you had to be promoted," Joyce interrupted.
"Jorus had very high opinions of himself. And he was successful enough on his mi
ssions that the Council decided to allow it. Anyways, a few years into her stay
Master C'baoth decided to try his hand at training Buffy when Mace had been call
ed away on urgent business. He spent the entire day basically telling her that s
he wasn't good enough, that she was doing everything wrong, that she wasn't powe
rful enough to be a Jedi; he would have her perform very difficult tasks with th
e Force, years beyond her current training at the time and then do them himself
while telling her she was weak. In the end, Buffy just snapped. She became the S
layer and beat Jorus to within an inch of his life - but then she started tappin
g into the Force and she started to choke him. It took everything Anakin and I h
ad to get her away from him.
"In the end, Buffy truly regretted what happened that day. But she has always sa
id that someone learned humility that day and it wasn't her."
Joyce eyed the Jedi master."So, do you think I could snap like that?" she asked.
 Obi-Wan looked back at her evenly.
"Joyce, I'm shocked you haven't yet."
Joyce laughed dryly. "Well, there's something to be said for honesty. I guess I'
m less like my mother than you thought... must be something of my father left."
Shaking off the thoughts, she offered, "Well, in the interest of not ending up l
ike the evil bitch of the west, what do I have to do?"
Obi-Wan took a seat on the lawn and indicated to Joyce to do the same. "Well, le
t us start with some basic meditation..."
====BtVS====
"Hanging off the back of a Star Destroyer," Buffy mused as the Falcon made its w
ay slowly through the depths of space. "I never would have thought of that - bec
ause it was absolutely insane."
"It worked, didn't it?" Han retorted defensively. Buffy grinned.
"Yeah, it did," she replied warmly. The two were in the engine compartment of th
e Falcon, looking over the broken hyperdrive and coming to the realization that
they weren't going to fix it any time soon, not on their own. "And now we got th
ree weeks to kill before we get to Cloud City. Are we stocked for a trip that lo
ng?"
"It'll be tight," Han admitted. "And we'll be chowing down military rations for
the most part. But we'll make it."
"Excellent," Buffy replied, rising. "In the meantime, I think I'll go find Leia.
No time like the present to start training."
"She just left Aux Control", Han replied. "She shouldn't be too hard to find."
Buffy smiled and left the young pilot, making her way though the familiar corrid
ors of the Millennium Falcon. Awash in memories, she nearly walked right past he
r quarry, who had secluded herself in the forward viewing room.
"Something vexing thee, Leia?" the elder Jedi asked as she stepped into the room
. Beyond the transparisteel, the stars flew by as the ship made its way towards
Bespin.
"Huh?" the former Senator asked distractedly and then shook her head. "No, it's
nothing." Buffy waited patiently and as rewarded just a few moments later when L
eia spoke again. "It's just - have you ever had feelings for someone and you kno
w that the someone is just - wrong and bad and just not the type you should be i
nterested in, but then you still are because there's just something..."
"You're talking about falling for the bad boy," Buffy reasoned. Leia shook her h
ead and the Jedi couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I've been there. Once or twice..
.or four times," she added wryly. "Huh. But you'd be surprised how some of those
same bad boys turned out to be decent guys, once you got past that, shall we sa
y, scruffy exterior?" Buffy chuckled at Leia's wince. "Han's father was the same
way when I met him right up to that attitude. Trust me, it's all bravado. I'm s
ure he's not at bad as he tries to pretend he is."
"He's arrogant, pig-headed, stubborn..." Leia sighed. "I sure know how to pick '
em, don't I?"
Buffy smiled warmly at her niece. "Nothing a little meditation won't clear up. C
ome on, It's time I caught you up on your training. I think we'll begin with bas
ic meditation and then go over what you've been practicing on your own..."
====BtVS====
Luke was panting, nearly out of breath in this, the latest of his endurance test
s. His Jedi taskmaster had ordered him out on a marathon run through the dense g
rowth of his planet's jungle. Not only had Yoda sent Luke on the exhausting run,
but he had invited himself along for the ride. As the Jedi-in-training puffed a
nd sweated his way on his rugged race, the little Jedi Master observed his progr
ess from a pouch strapped to Luke's back.
Yoda shook his head and muttered to himself disparagingly about the youth's lack
of endurance.
By the time they returned to the clearing where Artoo Detoo was patiently waitin
g, Luke's exhaustion had nearly overcome him. As he stumbled into the clearing,
Yoda had yet another test planned for him.
Before Luke had caught his breath, the little Jedi on his back tossed a metal ba
r in front of Luke's eyes. In an instant Luke ignited his laser sword and swung
frantically at the bar. But he was not fast enough and the bar fell-untouched-on
to the ground with a thud. Luke collapsed on the wet earth in complete exhaustio
n. "I can't," he moaned, "... too tired."
Yoda, who showed no sign of sympathy, retorted, "It would be in seven pieces, we
re you a Jedi."
But Luke knew that he was not a Jedi-not yet, anyway. And the rigorous training
program devised by Yoda had left him nearly out of breath. "I thought I was in g
ood shape," he gasped.
"Yes, but by what standard, ask I?" the little instructor quizzed. "Forget your
old measures. Unlearn, unlearn!"
Luke truly felt ready to unlearn all his old ways and willing to free himself to
learn all this Jedi Master had to teach. It was rigorous training, but as time
passed, Luke's strength and abilities increased and even his skeptical little ma
ster began to see hope. But it was not easy. Yoda spent long hours lecturing his
student about the ways of the Jedi. As they sat under the trees near Yoda's lit
tle house, Luke listened intently to all the master's tales and lessons. And as
Luke listened, Yoda chewed on his Gimer Stick, a short twig with three small bra
nches at the far end.
And there were physical tests of all kinds. In particular, Luke was working hard
to perfect his leap. Once he felt ready to show Yoda his improvement. As the ma
ster sat on a log next to a wide pond, he heard the loud rustling of someone app
roaching through the vegetation. Suddenly Luke appeared on the other side of the
pond, coming toward the water at a run. As he approached the shore, he made a r
unning leap toward Yoda, rising high above the water as he hurtled himself throu
gh the air. But he fell short of the other side and landed in the water with a l
oud splash, completely soaking Yoda.
Yoda's green lips turned down in disappointment.
Two weeks into his training Luke sat in a small clearing, his legs crossed benea
th him and his hands on his knees. His eyes were closed as he reached out with t
he Force to levitate the small and medium sized stones that Yoda had placed arou
nd him.
"Good, good," Yoda murmured quietly. "With a calm mind comes control. Remember,
let the Force flow though you."
"Did my father do these same exercises?" Luke asked and he raised the stones eve
n higher.
"More or less," Yoda replied. "A different era for a different kind of Jedi, it
was. Training started much earlier for most. For your father, different it was."
"How so?"
"Much older he was when to the temple he was brought. Qui-Gon was determined to
train him, despite the dangers we thought involved. But powerful in the Force he
was and trained by Obi-Wan we allowed."
"Master," Luke asked hesitantly, gently lowering the stones to the ground as he
opened his eyes to look upon the Jedi. "What happened to all of the Jedi? I've h
eard bits and pieces, but I still don't truly know what happened."
Yoda sighed. "Complicated, that is..."
"The galaxy was deceived by a lie, Luke," a new voice answered, "and the Jedi pa
id the heaviest price of all."
"Mother!" Luke exclaimed, rushing over to his mother and giving her a fierce hug
. "I'm so glad you're here!"
Padmè returned the hug eagerly, relishing the contact with her son. "I am, too. Bu
t I'm afraid I'm not here for a reunion." She pulled away and looked at her grow
n son and felt the familiar pang of regret. "It's time you knew the full truth o
f why we've lived apart, of what happened to the Jedi - and what happened to you
r father."
====BtVS====
Dawn sighed as she absently threw another woodchip into the fire. She had been s
itting here for several hours, tending to the fire and attempting to center hers
elf with meditation.
At that last task, she had been failing miserably.
"Okay, alright, I'm ready!" she called out in a bored tone to nobody. "Any time,
 really! Vision me up so I can go home and...mope. Or something more constructiv
e than sitting by this damn fire waiting for a vision to pop into my head."
"Yeah, because moping is far more important than the fate of the world," a famil
iar voice called out. Dawn slowly looked up across the fire to see the visage of
her dead friend smiling back at her.
"Hello, Watcher-mine," Vi said, grinning broadly. "Long time, no see."
Episode 5 Chapter 5
Ghosts of the Past
====BtVS====
Dawn stared in fearful shock at the apparition that sat across the fire from her
. Vi just smirked back.
"Well, here's a sight I never thought I'd see. Dawn Summers: speechless."
"You... you're dead."
"You don't say," Vi deadpanned.
"It's a trick," Dawn muttered to herself her eyes shut tight and her head shakin
g, "It's another illusion of the dark side, just go away, go away, go away..."
"This isn't the Dark Side, Dawnie. And it's not quite your imagination, either."
"Then what are you!" Dawn demanded. "What do you want?"
Vi rolled her eyes and sighed. "You came here to have a vision quest," she expla
ined patiently. "I'm part of your vision."
Dawn sighed and flopped down beside the fire. "Great. So I'm seeing dead people
again. Okay, Casper: vision me away!
Vi moved around the fire and sat down cross-legged in front of her old Watcher.
"The first thing you have to understand is that, while I'm basically a force-gho
st, I am Vi. I'm the essence of your friend that passed into the Force when she
died. Accordingly, I have all of her - i.e. my - thoughts and feelings and emoti
ons. So please believe me when I say - my death is not your fault."
"Yes it was," Dawn protested quietly.
"No, it wasn't," Vi replied, shaking her head emphatically. "Dawn, we were all y
oung and stupid. And Slayers... well, we tend to be reckless. A little too reckl
ess, sometimes." Vi laughed mirthlessly. "We went so long without any serious in
juries, without any casualties, that we began to think we were immortal. We all
got careless and, as a result, I died.
"It wasn't just you - yes, you were my Watcher. But you weren't my mother. You t
rained me how to survive, how to fight, how to defend - but I chose to disregard
all of that in order to get the kill. You didn't choose how I died, Dawn. I did
."
"I should have...should have done more...should have done something..." Dawn sob
bed. "All this power and I couldn't do anything...."
"And that brings me to point number two - you have a lot of power, Dawn, and it
scares you. It scares you a lot. On top of that you've been blaming yourself for
my death and now you're competing for Buffy's affections against Joyce. All of
those dark feelings are twisting you up inside, giving the Dark Side a conduit t
o flow through. You have to shut that conduit down, Dawn. You're too important r
ight now to be giving into the Dark Side."
"And how do I do that?" Dawn demanded angrily. "Just wave my hand and those feel
ing will just go away? You can tell me all you want that I wasn't responsible fo
r your death - and maybe, on some level, I believe that. But it still doesn't ch
ange the fact that I lost my best friend that night! And Joyce!" Dawn threw her
hand up as she let out a disgusted snort. "Oh, just let me get started on that p
iece of work, with her Mandalorian code and her abandonment issues..."
"You don't have abandonment issues?" Vi asked calmly, shutting Dawn up with the
observation. "Your father? Ran off with the secretary and never heard from again
. Your mother? Dead, just when everyone thought the worst was behind her. And Bu
ffy? Sacrifices herself for you - and when you finally get her back, she's just
too busy to be anything more than you Jedi Master, really."
"But she's had more than enough time for Joyce!" Dawn snarled back. Vi winced sl
ightly at the dark energy seeping out of Dawn.
"Joyce is her daughter, Dawn. She missed her entire childhood. Would you really
begrudge her time with her own da-" Understanding bloomed in the former Slayer's
 mind. "Ah. Joyce is her daughter - but in a way, so are you."
"I worked so hard...so hard... to get her back," Dawn said quietly, her anger sl
owly deflating. "She's the only family I have left. She basically is my mother -
I was made from her. I just want..."
"Dawn, she loves you!" Vi exclaimed. "And she is so proud of you - you can see i
t every time she looks at you. She's proud of what you've accomplished - both as
a Watcher and as a Jedi. And as much as she loves Joyce - she loves you just as
much."
Dawn let Vi's words flow over her, though her, washing away the pain she had bee
n carrying ever since that night when her friend had been taken from her; the re
sentment that had built up ever since Buffy's daughter had turned up alive and p
sychotic; the hurt of the cold, almost analytical way that Buffy had been treati
ng her over the past few months. Vi sensed this and smiled.
"That's right, Dawn. Let it go. Let it all go. Those feelings can only hurt you
now. It's time for you, Dawn. Time to step up and take your place among the Jedi
."
Dawn sniffled and wiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. "What do
you mean, Vi?"
Vi smiled grimly. "I said this was a vision quest, Dawn. Here's the vision." Gen
tly she laid her hand upon Dawn's forehead-
And Dawn's world exploded.
====BtVS====
"Anakin was a powerful Jedi, Luke," Padmè began. The trio was seated in the yard j
ust in front of Yoda's dwelling. Luke sat cross-legged across from his mother, l
istening intently to the story he had wanted to hear all of his life- the story
of why his father couldn't be with him.
"Anakin was powerful and skilled, but not always...appreciated... by the Jedi Or
der. He started years later than most Padawans - brought in by Qui-Gon Jin, a Je
di that was known to be rebellious. Obi-Wan took over his training after Qui-Gon
was killed. And while he excelled in his training, his self-control was decided
ly lacking."
"Impetuous, he was," Yoda added. "Reckless, irresponsible. Took chances when log
ical thinking would have gotten the job done. Not smiled upon by us was this."
"As he grew older, Anakin began to feel - stifled - by the Order. He felt that h
is way of doing things was the right way and the Council was too old and stuffy
to see that. These views were encouraged by the then-Chancellor Palpatine, thoug
h nobody realized it at the time.
"I knew the Chancellor regularly visited with the Jedi - Anakin in particular,"
Padmè continued. "I never told him, but I also took an interest in his progress. I
suppose I was always drawn to him, even back then. Anakin later told me that Pa
lpatine took on the role of an Uncle to him - always listening to his problems,
giving him advice, teaching him about the subtleties of politics, things like th
at. Palpatine treated him with respect, with love. Over the years he began to tr
ust him more than the Council, which had only seemed to regard him with suspicio
n and mistrust.
"Eventually my life came into danger and Obi-Wan and Anakin came back into my li
fe to protect me. Despite my common sense telling me that we couldn't be togethe
r, we fell in love and were married. And that's when things started falling apar
t.
"We were at war and Anakin spent much of his time on the front. The few times he
was rotated home, we spent as much time together as we could without arousing a
nyone's suspicions. But Anakin never liked hiding our marriage. He wanted people
to know how much he loved me, even if it cost him his life as a Jedi. I, howeve
r, knew that the Jedi needed him for the war. But he chaffed under their restric
tions, their codes..."
"And Palpatine was there to encourage it, right?" Luke guessed. Padmè nodded.
"None of us saw it - or rather, none of us wanted to see it. Anakin was perilous
ly close to falling to the Dark Side before Buffy finally realized what was goin
g on and talked some sense into him."
"So he stood up to Palpatine and had to hide as a result," Luke deduced, but his
 face fell at the look on his mother's face.
"Anakin tried to stand up to him - but Palpatine had an ace up his sleeve - a Si
th Lady named Darth Traya - who had once been my sister, Willow. She had fallen
years ago, seduced by the power of the Dark Side and the promise of a way home.
She was scared and confused and terribly homesick... Palpatine and Tyranus took
advantage of her weakened state and convinced her to join them. And once the Dar
k Side took hold, the good person that had been Willow was buried deep down. Pal
patine used Traya to mentally enslave Anakin and turn him into the monster known
as Darth Vader."
Luke blinked. "Darth... but, Vader wiped out the Jedi! He's been terrorizing the
galaxy for the past twenty years! How could my father-"
"The Darth Vader you know of is actually the clone of a former Jedi Master, Joru
s C'baoth. But Anakin was the first Vader. He led the assault on the Jedi Temple
. He ended the war by killing the Separatists leaders. He became what Palpatine
had wanted - an unstoppable killing machine, fully immersed in the dark side. Bu
t Palpatine didn't count on how...resilient... Buffy could be - or the fact that
her family had finally found a way to bring her back. With their help she defea
ted Traya and ended her spell.
"Anakin was broken, in many ways. It took a long time for him to really heal fro
m the wounds Palpatine and Traya had inflicted on his soul. But one thing we had
realized from the first moment he was free was that Palpatine would not rest un
til Anakin Skywalker was his apprentice once more - and if not him, then his chi
ldren. And then I had a Force vision that showed me how important you and your s
ister would be to the future of this realm. So we made the decision to split you
up, to hide you from the Emperor. And then we made the decision to hide in the
one place where he would never find us - across the barrier, on Earth."
"This is why we've stayed hidden all of these years, Luke. This is why we missed
your childhood, Leia's childhood. And this is why you two have been hidden away
in the far corners of the galaxy - and why your training now is so important. T
he Emperor wants a Skywalker for his apprentice - and if he can't have Anakin, h
e'll take you - or Leia."
====BtVS====
Joyce sat in the living room of Serenity, meditating. Of all of the Jedi exercis
es her new Master forced upon her, this was the one she loved the most. It was t
he one time that she could truly find some peace - both in herself and in the wo
rld around her.
Until that damnable presence made itself known...
"Let me ask you a question, young Solo," Willow started, taking a seat in the co
uch in front of the young Mandalorian. "Why do you hate me so much?"
"Besides the fact that you're ruining my concentration?" she growled in return,
"the fact that you had my father murdered isn't enough?"
"Darth Traya ordered his death, along with the death of every person on Corellia
." Willow countered. "I, however, am not Darth Traya."
Joyce opened her eyes and looked coldly at the witch. "Just because your hair go
t lighter and your voice got higher doesn't mean you're not a murdering bitch."
"And what does that make Fett?" Joyce was silent at her reply. "That's right, Jo
yce. I know why you really agreed to do this training. You want to be strong eno
ugh to go after the man that actually pulled the trigger."
"I'm doing this because my mother wanted me to and I didn't feel like hearing he
r nagging me for months on end."
"No, you're doing this because he taught you everything you know, so you need an
edge. Let me give you some advice - you're bordering dangerously close on the D
ark Side, Joyce. And the minute you use the Force to exact your revenge from Fet
t, from myself, from Palpatine - that's the minute you become Darth Traya." Will
ow rose and headed out of the room. "Think about that," she said as she left.
Joyce's meditations were far less peaceful for the rest of the day.
====BtVS====
Everywhere she looked, she saw blood.
And where there wasn't blood, there were bodies. Dozens. Hundreds. All with the
tell-tale scorch marks of a lightsaber blade.
The Council buildings were a smoldering ruin. Limbs, heads, torsos scattered aro
und everywhere she looked. Over there, by the remains of the Memorial Wall was..
.
ZETT!!!
His lifeless body lie slumped over, leaning back against the wall, his lifeless
eyes staring emptily at the ground. His right hand was missing - she saw it seve
ral feet away, the ruined lightsaber still smoldering in the severed hand. All a
round him, the destroyed bodies of Storm Troopers littered the ground. From the
looks of it he fought bravely, fighting a holding action that was as futile as i
t was final. Lying next to him, she found the reason he had fought so bravely as
she stared into her own lifeless eyes.
Dawn found she couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think...then she felt i
t. A presence, more powerful and malevolent than any she had ever felt before. M
ore than Glory, more than the fleeting feeling so the Emperor...
She looked up.
Not two meters away she stood. Clothed in black, form-fitting armor a long black
cape draped over her shoulders and billowing behind her. Her long, blond hair w
as tied behind her in a neat ponytail, a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding
her. And her eyes...
They glowed a malevolent red.
Buffy Summers had returned to Earth, with a vengeance.
And the Jedi, finally, were no more.
Dawn gasped as Vi pulled her hand away, and looked at her friend in shock and fe
ar. "Vi...what..."
"That was what will happen, Dawn, if things continue on their present course. Pa
lpatine will get what he's always wanted - a Skywalker for an apprentice. And sh
e will paint the galaxy red with the blood of the Jedi and her own family. And y
ou must save her."
"Me?! Why? How?"
"The Jedi Council won't act for their own reasons. Joyce and Willow will be faci
ng their own demons. The only leaves you, Dawn." Vi smiled and put her hand on D
awn's cheek. "You found the power to save her once, Dawn. Now you'll have to fin
d that power once more." Vi leaned in and kissed Dawn gently on the forehead. "G
ood luck, Watcher-mine. And may the Force be with you."
Dawn gasped once more as she bolted awake. She was lying on the ground in front
of the dying fire, her coat pulled tightly around her protecting her from the co
ld.
A dream, she thought. It was all a dream.
Or a vision....
She could feel Vi's hand on her cheek - the light, feather touch of her lips on
her forehead. She remembered the vivid vision of death and destruction Vi had gi
ven her...of Buffy, the next Dark Lord of the Sith.
"No," Dawn vowed, and tapping into the Force- and her own, inner power- a light
green light played over Dawn's body -
And she disappeared.
Episode 5 chapter 5
Cloud City Confidential
====BtVS====
"Tara, may I speak to you for a moment?"
"Of course, Zett."
The Jedi and the witch made their way through the expansive grounds around the l
ake outside of the Council headquarters. It was a slightly overcast day and both
wore their own cloaks to keep out the chill of the early autumn air. The young
witch looked over at the Jedi. "I'd ask what's on your mind, but we both know wh
at - or who - it is."
Zett nodded. "Dawn."
"Are you worried she won't find what she's looking for? Or are you worried that
she will and the Order won't be it?"
Zett shrugged. "A little of both, really. She's been so torn up recently.... eve
r since Vi died. I just don't know how to help her, especially if this holiday d
oesn't do anything."
Tara stopped and put a comforting hand on the Jedi's shoulder. "You've helped he
r tremendously by just being there. That's what she needs right now - love."
Zett chuckled. "Love wasn't something that was taught to us in the old Order. I'
m just making this up as I go."
"That's all love really is, Zett. There's nothing planned or plotted about it -
it's all just making it up as you go. That's-" Tara was suddenly interrupted by
a piercing wail that sounded over the entire compound. She looked up and gasped
in shock as the wards around the compound shimmered violently, then started crac
king. All of the Jedi on the ground activated their lightsabers in preparation o
f attack as the wards finally fell, the luminous dome of mystical energy shatter
ing above and around them.
And, in a flash of light, Dawn appeared, dirty and disheveled.
"Buffy..." she croaked, before the strain of her teleportation finally took hold
on her and she collapsed into darkness, her last sight Zett rushing towards her
.
====BtVS====
"No, I don't have a landing permit," Han said calmly into the mic. "I'm tryin' t
o reach Lando Calrissian..." Han was brought up short as several laser bursts we
re fired at the Corellian freighter. "Whoa, whoa! Wait a minute!"
"You will not deviate from your present course," a menacing voice called back.
"I thought you said you knew this guy?" Leia asked. Han shot her a look.
"I do!" Chewie growled at Han and the smuggler shrugged. "Well, that was a long
time ago."
Buffy shook her head in amusement, thinking on how much like his father Han real
ly was.
"Permission granted to land on platform 327," the voice growled again, and Han l
et out a subtle sigh of relief.
"See? No problem."
The Falcon banked gracefully between the towers of the floating city, before gen
tly putting down on the landing pad. Han cut the engines and put all systems on
stand-by. "He'll help us," Han reassured them. "We go way back."
"Who's worried?" Leia asked redundantly as the group made their way down the ram
p to the empty landing pad.
"Humph! No one to greet us!" Threepio groused, seemingly put out by the sleight.
Buffy shook her head at the droid's antics and wondered again what Ani had been
thinking when he had initially programmed it.
Leia looked around nervously. "I don't like this."
"What's to like?" Buffy replied. "Just remember to keep your senses open and you
r safety off."
"Will you two relax!" Han complained. "Everything will be fine! Trust me!" he mo
tioned to Chewie, "Hey, keep an eye out, will ya?" The large Wookie growled in a
ffirmation.
Suddenly the door at the far end of the platform rose and out walked several peo
ple - most of them armed. At the head of the column was a cyborg and a tall, mus
tachioed black man in a powder blue uniform, adorned with a long, flowing cape.
"Look out, here comes Batman," Buffy said quietly under her breath. "I mean seri
ously, a cape?"
"Those are considered stylish on a lot of Core worlds," Leia replied
"Hey, Lando!" Han said jovially, throwing his arms out in welcome - and to show
he wasn't holding any weapons.
"Why you slimy, double-crossing, no good swindler!" Landor replied, unsmiling. "
You've got a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled."
Han merely pointed to himself, his expression saying: Who, me?
Lando slowly walked up to a wary Han, his expression - a veteran Sabbac player e
xpression - giving away nothing. After a moment, he feigned throwing a punch, th
en wrapped his arms around Han, giving the man a warm, brotherly hug.
"Haha! You old space pirate! So good to see you! It's been years!" he said rapid
ly and, much to Han's relief, Lando's cyborg companion turned and ordered the gu
ards away. "What are you doing here?"
"Ah, repairs," Han replied, motioning to the Falcon. Lando adopted a stern expre
ssion once more, though his tone was jesting.
"Repairs? What have you done to my ship?"
"Hey, she's my ship!" Han replied casually. "I won her fair and square."
"And I still have the original ownership documents, so technically she's still m
ine," Buffy chimed in, extending her hand to Lando. "Buffy Summers."
Lando eyed her casually as he took her hand and kissed the top of it. "Charmed,
I'm sure," he replied smoothly. "I must say, seeing how old the Falcon is, you m
ust age mighty gracefully."
"I moisturize."
"And hello, what do we have here?" he said, eyeing Leia. "Hello, I'm Lando Calri
ssian. I'm the administrator of this facility. And you are..."
"Leia," she responded simply. Lando smiled and kissed her hand as well.
"Welcome Leia," he replied, before turning his glance to Chewbacca. "And hello t
o you, Chewie. Still flying around with this loser?" Chewy growled good-naturedl
y in response. "Well, shall I give you all the tour?"
The group made their way across the narrow bridge towards the city. "So what kin
d of repairs do you need?"
"Hyperdrive."
"I'll get my people on it right away. You know, that ship save my life more time
s than I can count," he stated to the rest of the group. "She's the fastest hunk
of junk in the galaxy."
The group made their way into the city, with Lando pointing out odd sights to th
em.
"How's your mining operation going?" Han asked Lando.
"Not as well as I'd like," Calrissian answered. "We're a small outpost and not v
ery self-sufficient. I've had supply problems of every kind and..." The administ
rator noticed Han's amused grin. "What's so funny?"
"You." Then Han chuckled. "Sounding so responsible."
Lando looked at his old friend reflectively. "Seeing you sure brings back a few
memories." He shook his head, smiling. "Yes, I'm responsible these days. It's th
e price of success. And you know what, Han? You were right all along. It's overr
ated."
Both burst out laughing, causing a head or two to turn as the group moved throug
h the city walkways.
Threepio lagged a bit behind, fascinated by the various alien sights. As he pass
ed a doorway it opened and out walked another protocol droid.
"Oh, so nice to see a familiar face!" Threepio exclaimed.
"Echuta!" the other droid snarked, ignoring Threepio and moving past him.
"How rude!" he exclaimed. He started to walk on, but then heard a familiar beepi
ng sound coming from inside. "Oh! An R2 unit. I wonder..." Threepio entered the
room, looking around for his friend. "Hello..."
"Who are you?"
"Oh!" Threepio exclaimed in shock and fear. "Oh, I'm so terribly sorry...p-pleas
e don't get up... NO!"
The last sound heard before the door slammed shut was the sound of a blaster bol
t blowing apart the golden droid. Chewie missed this, however, as he came back t
o look for the wayward droid. Seeing nothing, the Wookie shrugged and walked awa
y.
====BtVS====
"Oy....what a headache..." Dawn groaned as she pulled herself up. Dimly she felt
a steadying hand on her arm.
"Easy, Dawn. You're not quite well yet," Zett said quietly.
"What happened?"
"You teleported from the retreat. You smashed through the wards - they are compl
etely down now. Giles has the coven frantically trying to get them back up."
"I do anything else?" the young Jedi groggily asked.
Zett nodded. "You mentioned your sister. Dawn, what happened? Did you have a vis
ion?"
Dawn's breath hitched as the vision - the nightmare - cam flooding back to her.
"Yeah," she finally replied. "Yeah, it was. Zett, I need you to get the Council
together. I need to speak to them, like yesterday."
Zett leaned in and touched her face concernedly. "What is it, Dawn? What did you
see?"
"The end of all things."
====BtVS====
"This is not a good idea."
Willow and Anakin had taken the day away from Serenity, choosing to go back to h
er parents' house for a long overdue visit.
Well, Anakin had decided to go. Willow wasn't as anxious.
Well, she was anxious...
"I mean, seriously. I know they took me in and loved me like a daughter - but th
en I went schizo and tried to kill their real daughter..."
"That wasn't you," Anakin countered. "That was Darth Traya. If Padmé could forgive
you, so can they."
"It's different for parents..."
"Would you forgive Mara for what she has done?" Anakin asked, glancing over at h
is pupil. Willow let out an exasperated sigh.
"Of course I will, but that's hardly the same. I mean, I've never even met the g
irl."
The walked in silence for a while more, until they finally reached the house. "O
h, boy..."
"Control your emotions, Willow," Anakin cautioned. Willow scoffed.
"Hi, pot? This is kettle. You're black!"
Anakin sighed. "Okay, I deserved that."
"Well, well. The prodigal daughter returns."
The two stopped and Willow's breath hitched as the familiar voice hit her ears.
The redhead looked up to see Sola calmly gazing down at the two of them.
"Hello, Sola."
"Willow."
She was older than Willow remembered - but then again, she had spent the past tw
enty years in the reality's time back on earth. New worry lines lined her face a
round her moth and eyes and her once dark hair was now predominately grey. But t
he Naberrie fire still burned fiercely in her eyes - the same eyes that held a c
old, almost analytical gaze over her now.
"I'm back!" she said lamely. "Uh...how are your kids?"
"Grown up. You, however, look like you haven't aged a day since the last time I
saw you. On the holonet, if I remember. You were leading an invasion on some pla
net or other." She smiled wanly. "Good times?"
Willow shook her head "Dark times," she replied sadly. "Are mom and dad...?"
"Still alive?" Sola finished. "Yes, no thanks to what you put them through..."
"Sola," Anakin interrupted. "Willow had gone through some...trying times. She ha
s made mistakes - but she is paying for them. But right now, we really need to s
ee your parents. Are they in?"
Sola looked at Anakin and then back at Willow. Finally, she sighed in defeat.
"Yes, they are," she said. "Come on in; I'll go get them."
====BtVS====
It only took an hour, but soon the entire Council - minus the three that were ac
ross the barrier at the moment - had convened at Zett's request to hear Dawn spe
ak. Zett himself stood behind his love, standing at attention as she relayed her
vision to the Jedi Masters. Finally she finished and the Master's briefly conve
ned with one another. Finally they finished and Roan looked to Dawn.
"We thank you for bringing this to our attention, Padawan. Rest assure that Mast
er Summers is aware of the dangers lurking across the barrier and will be able t
o deal with any threat that comes her way. You are dismissed."
Dawn blinked. It was the only response she could think of, really. Here she was,
telling them about approaching doom and they were just going to summarily dismi
ss her? "I'm sorry?" she finally said.
"You're dismissed," Roan repeated, a little more forcefully. Zett gently reached
out and took Dawn by the arm, but the girl shrugged him off.
"I'm dismissed? Just like that? I come here and tell you that Buffy is going to
turn to the Dark Side unless someone goes over and pulls her out - that would be
not handling the problem, by the way - and you just tell me to run along?"
"Really Padawan, that's enough..." Aayla started, but was cut off by the angry s
tudent.
"THE HELL IT'S ENOUGH!" Dawn screamed. "I didn't bust my ass for three years try
ing to get her back, just to lose her because of your inaction! Someone needs to
go get her out - or at least help her... "
"YOU ARE DISMISSED, Padawan!" Roan repeated forcefully, coming to his feet. "Buf
fy knows the risks and she knows what she is doing. And I remind you that our de
cision regarding unauthorized travel is still in effect. That is all."
The Master sat back down and turned to talk to Master Chatak. Dawn growled in fr
ustration, but gave a short, sloppy bow, then turned and stalked out of the room
, Zett right behind her. When the doors closed, Roan sighed and slouched back in
to his chair.
"If Buffy was anything like Dawn is now when she was a Padawan, I have a new fou
nd respect for Master Windu, may he be with the Force."
"Perhaps we should call this off," Master Kilwallen said, looking at her colleag
ues. Master Sibwarra shook her head.
"No. I firmly believe that Buffy can handle her part. Though it disturbs me that
she didn't tell us about Vader's involvement."
"She might now have known," Aayla pointed out. "Nevertheless, Buffy told us to l
et things play out as they would and I believe that we should."
"And if Master Summers falls?" Teryl asked. Roan snorted in amusement.
"Are you kidding? Dawn's probably getting a PPG as we speak."
====BtVS====
The Naberrie household was unusually quiet, considering the number of people sit
ting in one room at the moment. Willow could not take her eyes off of the two pe
ople she had come to call parents. Jobal, despite looking frail and thin, still
displayed the sense of power only the matriarch of a family could exude. Her thi
n, bony hands were clasped tightly in her lap as she looked back at her prodigal
daughter. Ruwee had fared worse over the years - age had caught up to him final
ly and he was confined to a hoverchair. But despite how frail his body had becom
e, his mind was still sharp and his eyes clear.
Willow sighed, finally tearing her gaze away from the only true parents she had
ever had and gazing down at her hands. "I don't know what to say."
"You could start with an apology," Ruwee said simply. Willow laughed bitterly.
"Yeah, that'd be good. 'Gee, mom and dad, so sorry I got suckered by an evil, ma
nipulative bastard into trying to take over the galaxy and to try and kill your
real daughter. My bad.' What a great way to start..."
"I was thinking more along the lines of 'Gee mom and dad, so sorry I haven't vis
ited in over twenty years', but I guess we can start with that other one first."
Willow gaped at her father. "You're angry that I didn't visit?"
"Willow," Jobal started, leaning forward slightly and taking her estranged daugh
ter's hand in hers, "when we first saw what you had become - yes, we were shocke
d and angry. We took you in, gave you a home, cared for you...Padmé and Sola were
like true sisters to you and you to them. Suddenly you were doing all of these h
orrible things..." she sighed. "After it was all over, when Ani and Padmé came to
visit Leia and Padmé talked about how you two were speaking once more, how she had
forgiven you...when she explained why... we forgave you then, too."
"We've just been waiting for you to come back so we could tell you," Sola said s
oftly, a sad smile on her face. "Took you long enough."
Willow looked at the three with tears in her eyes. "I'm so, so very sorry...you
can't begin to imagine..." Sobbing, the woman collapsed into her mother's arms.
Sola moved behind her and wrapped her arms around her sister, leaning her head a
gainst her back as tears of joy fell from her eyes as well. Ruwee laid a hand on
his middle daughter's knee.
"Welcome home, Willow." He said quietly. "Welcome home."
Anakin smiled and quietly excused himself, not wanting to intrude any further on
the family moment.
====BtVS====
Three hours had passed since the Falcon had touched down at Cloud City. And whil
e the work on the ship was almost completed and the group was quite comfortable
in the luxury suites that Lando had provided, it didn't stop the worry they felt
at the fact that Threepio was still missing. A fact that Leia was bringing up y
et again.
"He's been gone too long to have gotten lost!" she argued.
Han grasped her by the shoulders and planted a light kiss on her forehead. "I'm
sure he's fine, Leia. And Chewie will bring him back any second. Relax!"
Leia sighed. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "It's just something about this place.
..setting me on edge..."
"I feel it, too," Buffy said, fidgeting with her new clothes that Lando had prov
ided for the ladies. Han was out of luck in that department at least, it seemed,
as he was stuck with the same grubby clothes. "Something's... decidedly odd."
"Odd in a bad way?" Han asked. Buffy sighed in frustration and rolled her neck,
working out the kinks. "I really don't know."
At that moment Chewie came in, carrying a crate filed with scorched, golden droi
d pieces.
"Threepio!" Leia exclaimed, glancing in dismay at the disassembled droid. "Oh, w
hat a mess!"
"What happened?" Buffy asked, sifting through the pieces. Chewie mewled a senten
ce and Leia looked at him in confusion.
"You found him in a junk pile?" she repeated.
"Lando's got people who can fix him," he pointed out before he wilted slightly u
nder Leia's glare.
"No thanks," she replied firmly. "He may be charming, but I still don't trust hi
m."
"Well I don't trust him either, but he's still my friend," Han pointed out.
Before anymore arguments could be made, the door chimed and slid open, revealing
the debonair figure of Lando Calrissian behind it.
"Sorry, am I interrupting anything?"
"Not really," the princess said distantly.
Lando grinned, ignoring the coldness direct at him. "My dear, you truly belong h
ere with us among the clouds."
She smiled icily. "Thanks."
"Would you care to join me for a little refreshment? Everyone's invited, of cour
se," Lando said.
Leia took Lando's proffered arm and, as the group moved toward the door, Calriss
ian glimpsed the box of golden robot parts. "Having problems with your droid?" h
e asked.
"No," Han said quickly. "Why?" Lando raised an eyebrow and then looked back at B
uffy, who just shrugged.
"Don't look at me, it's a guy thing. I wouldn't understand."
The group left the apartment, leaving behind the box full of shattered parts of
a protocol droid.
They strolled through the long white corridors, with Leia walking between Han an
d Lando. Buffy and Chewie brought up the rear, exchanging amused glances as Land
o put the moves on the uninterested Leia while Han tried to act nonchalant. As t
hey made their way through the technological wonder of a city, Lando was explain
ing to them the political situation.
"So you see," Lando explained, "we are a free station and do not fall under the
jurisdiction of the Empire."
"You're part of the mining guild then?" Leia asked.
"Not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed. Which is advanta
geous to our clients."
Han turned to Calrissian as they neared the dining room. "Lando, aren't you afra
id the Empire might eventually discover this little operation and shut you down?
"
"That's always been the danger," the administrator replied as they stopped in fr
ont of the closed doors of the dining room. "It's loomed like a shadow over ever
ything we've built here. But circumstances have developed which will insure secu
rity. You see, I've made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever."
With that the doors slid open - and Buffy was immediately struck in the head by
a flying object, sending the Jedi Master careening back into the hall where she
fell to the floor, unconscious. The rest of the group stared in horror as the da
rk, bearded man known once as Jorus C'baoth - now known as Darth Vader - calmly
lowered his had as he rose from behind the table, a smirk on his face.
Han didn't think about the fact that this was one of the most powerful Sith Lord
s in the galaxy; didn't think about the fact that he had just taken down his wou
ld-be stepmother with contemptuous ease; didn't think about the fact that Vader
had been killing guys like him for twenty years without breaking a sweat. He did
n't think at all, he just let his instincts take over and quick drew his blaster
, firing off several shots. Vader merely lifted a hand and the bolts splashed ha
rmlessly against an invisible screen of Force energy, then lifted his other hand
to summon the blaster away from the smuggler. Han stared in shock as his weapon
flew through the air of its own volition into the outstretched hand of the Sith
Lord.
His shock tuned to downright fear as Boba Fett stepped into the room from the an
techamber behind Vader, his blaster trained on the remains of the group.
"We would be honored, Captain Solo, if you and your friends would join up for di
nner," Vader asked nonchalantly, sitting back down and calmly cutting into his m
eat. He cut a small portion and then gently placed the morsel into his mouth, sm
iling at the taste as she chewed it. "I'd recommend the steak - it's especially
tasty. After all - this should be a meal you enjoy, should it not?"
Han turned to Lando, who looked back with sadness and self-loathing. "They arriv
ed just before you did, I had no choice. I'm sorry," he added.
Han glared at his once best-friend. "I'm sorry, too," he replied, grudgingly mak
ing his way to his seat, even as the guards secured Buffy and hauled her away.
====BtVS====
"Stupid, arrogant, stuck-up jack-asses..." Dawn muttered as she stalked her way
aimlessly through the Council building. "Dooming us all with their inaction... d
idn't they learn anything from the past?"
"Dawn? Would you please calm down?" he glanced at a couple of younglings quickly
scampered out of the way. "You're scaring the straights..."
Dawn abruptly stopped and spun around, facing Zett. "Zett, do you love me?"
"Yes," he replied without hesitation.
"And do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Then I need you to do something for me," she said, taking a breath. "I need you
to get me a PPG..."
Episode 5 Chapter 7
Ripple Effect
====BtVS====
It was with a lighter heart and a wider smile that Willow made her way with Anak
in back up the hill to Serenity.
"Thank you, Anakin," Willow started, glancing over at her mentor. "Thank you for
making me see them. If you hadn't..."
"By the time you did it on your own, it would have been too late, especially wit
h your father," Anakin finished. The witch nodded. "I'm glad you were able to re
connect..."
"It's nice that someone can reconnect with their father," an acidic voice said f
rom above them. Willow and Anakin stopped and looked up, seeing Joyce perched in
an overhanging branch of a nearby tree. The young half-slayer looked pointedly
at Willow. "Wouldn't you agree, Traya?"
Willow sighed. "You know, Joyce...I've tried talking to you. I've tried co-exist
ing with you. I've even gone so far as to ignore you. But this ends now."
Joyce snarled as she leapt down from the tree, her hand on her lightsaber hilt e
ven as she landed. "You wanna go, old woman?"
"Willow..."
"It's okay, Anakin," she interrupted, her eyes never leaving the angry young wom
an before her. "This won't take long. Yes, Joyce, I gave the orders that killed
your father. I gave the orders that killed a lot of fathers. I'm sorry for it. I
apologize for it. But you can only blame me for so long before it becomes less
about the death of your father and more about the crappy childhood you had - not
because of what I did, but because of the choices you made. You ran away, you j
oined the Mandalorians, you became a bitter, resentful warrior. Would you have i
f your father was still here? Probably not. But in all likelihood, your father w
ould have been killed by the Emperor's men anyways for just being the kind of pe
rson he was - a good, freedom-loving person. So while you're thinking about that
, get the hell off my back." Without further comment, Willow turned and walked c
almly back up to he house, leaving the fuming girl and her astonished mentor beh
ind.
====BtVS====
Slowly, ever so slowly, Buffy returned to consciousness - and then wished she ha
dn't. Even in her groggy state she could feel the effects of the Force-suppressi
ng drugs in her system, could feel the restraints cutting into her wrists and an
kles that bound her to the cold, hard table that was propped up in the corner of
the cold, dark cell. And as her vision returned to her, she could instantly rec
ognize the black-clad figure before her.
"Oh, great. The great would-be Master, Jorus C'baoth."
Vader smiled sinisterly at the bound Jedi. "Master Skywalker-Summers, I missed y
ou. It's been so long since we've talked, hasn't it? I must say you aged gracefu
lly."
"I eat right, exercise, say my prayers and take my vitamins. To what do I owe th
is severe displeasure?"
Vader chuckled. "My dear Buffy... You haven't changed a bit. You never learned t
o respect your betters..."
"What exactly made you better?" Buffy shot back. "You had power? Big deal - so d
oes Anakin. You named yourself a Master? Please. The Council only allowed it bec
ause your arrogance amused them." Her voice dropped to a stage whisper. "And jus
t between you and me - a group of men that uptight needed all the amusement they
could get."
"I named myself Master because they refused to do so," Vader snarled back. "They
were jealous of my power..."
"No, they were embarrassed by your attitude, you no-talent hAAAAACK!" Buffy scre
amed as Vader let loose a powerful blast of Sith lightening, which only hurt wor
se as it passed through her and onto the metal table, electrifying the table bri
efly and doubling the damage.
"You want to talk about embarrassments? How about you? Buffy Summers-Skywalker,
the poor little lost slave girl, who couldn't even pull herself together long en
ough to save Qui-Gon Jinn. The tough-as-nails would-be Jedi, who behind all of t
he stern and bravado is just a lost little slave girl, crying out for her lost f
amily. I'd laugh if it wasn't so pathetic," Vader sneered. "Ah, what the heck. I
'll laugh anyways!" Vader cackled, enjoying it even more as Buffy strained again
st her restraints. "That's it, Skywalker. Hate me! I'll fill you so far up with
your hate and anger, you'll willingly follow us to the dark side! You will call
me Master!"
"I hate your guts, Vader," Buffy scoffed. "But don't think for a moment that I'l
l give into the dark side because of it."
Vader smirked. "Well then, there's always plan B." Suddenly he let loose with an
other blast of lightening, soaking in her screams. "Scream for me, Buffy! Scream
for the Dark Side!"
====BtVS====
Leia paced nervously in her cell, her trepidation building as she felt the pain
that Han, Buffy - and yes, even Lando - were feeling through the Force. Suddenly
she heard the door open and spun around to face her new tormentor.
"Senator Naberrie," Mara Jade said respectfully as she entered the room. "It's n
ice to finally meet you in person."
"We met once before," Leia countered, "But you were too busy getting beaten by L
uke and Buffy to extend a proper greeting."
Mara smiled thinly. "Actually, it was that Mandalorian that gave me the most pro
blems. The other two - not so much." She gestured to the hard bench. "Please, si
t down. There's no need for this to get uncivilized."
Dubiously, the former Senator took her seat and Mara sat down across from her. "
So, what now?" she asked after a moment.
"My name is Mara. The Emperor has entrusted me to certain...duties...which I car
ry out without bias or emotion. Interrogation is one of those duties." Mara cons
idered her for a moment. "Now, I interrogate you," she replied bluntly. "I've be
en told, or rather encouraged, to make this a...hard...interrogation. I'm assumi
ng you can imagine what this entails."
Leis swallowed, but her gaze never wavered. "I can guess."
"I'm supposed to ask about your connection to Skywalker, about the Rebel Allianc
e and especially about Master Skywalker's home. Personally, I have no interest i
n the first two, but the last one intrigues me very much."
"Why?"
Mara's eyes narrowed. "Because I have reason to believe that someone I'm most ea
ger to meet currently resides there," she replied. "So here's the deal. You tell
me what you know - and I'll promise to go easy on you. You understand, of cours
e, that I'll have to do something, lest Lord Vader decides to interrogate you pe
rsonally." The Hand leaned in. "I hear his interrogations can get very...vigorou
s." She leaned forward, her steely eyes fixed on Leia. Putting the Force behind
her voice, she asked once more, "So what's it going to be, Senator? Me? Or Vader
?"
====BtVS====
Darth Vader walked out of the room, rubbing his hands against his chest. He smil
ed at the armored form of Lord Halcyon and his apprentice, Mara Jade.
"Good evening, Hands. How goes the interrogations."
Mara scoffed. "You mean we're supposed to ask questions? I thought you just want
ed to torture them. Send out ripples in the Force and all of that."
"And?"
"And we definitely have ripples," Mara smirked. "The Captain screams like a litt
le bitch. At least the Senator could keep the proverbial stiff upper lip."
"Lord Vader, if I may..." Halcyon started. At Vader's nod, he continued. "If you
have the lady Skywalker, why bother trying to capture Anakin's son?"
Vader shrugged. "Two Skylwalkers are better than one, maybe? I don't question ou
r Lord's orders."
"Nor do I," Halcyon shot back.
"Have you discovered a method of transporting the boy?"
"This facility has a crude Carbonite freezing chamber," Halcyon replied. "The di
rector was most...helpful at describing it to me during our session."
Vader sneered. "Foolish, weak man. He thought he could buy the Emperor's favor b
y cooperating. He must be taught that the Empire is not to be denied anything."
Vader paused to consider for a moment. "I want to test this chamber, to make sur
e it is suitable for young Luke. Bring the Captain down to the chamber. We will
test it on him first."
"And his friends?" Mara asked. Vader's sneer became more pronounced.
"Bring them as well. We shall all watch Solo freeze. After that, all of them are
to be executed in the man courtyard. Including Calrissian."
"As you wish," the two Hands replied, bowing in respect.
Joyce shot up in her bed, sweat rolling down her neck. The nightmare (no, vision
; she was sure of it), was still vivid in her mind.
Mom...Han...oh, Haar'chak!
Reaching a decision, Joyce pulled herself out of the bed, silently dressing hers
elf in her Mandalorian armor. Donning her helmet she stealthily made her way out
of her room-
And ran straight into Obi-Wan.
"And where do you think you're going?" the Jedi Master asked sternly, his arms c
rossed in front of him.
"Mom and Han are in danger," she replied immediately. "I'm going to help."
"And what do you think you can do against a Sith Lord and two of the Emperor's H
ands?"
"Whatever I have to," Joyce's cold voice answered back. Obi-Wan shook his head i
n frustration.
"No. No, Joyce. You cannot go. You're too close to-" Obi-Wan started, but before
he could finish, Joyce reared back and landed a solid head-butt on the Jedi Mas
ter, dropping him instantly. Moving quickly, she stepped around her fallen Maste
r and grabbed her weapons, securing them on herself as she moved out of the hous
e and towards the hangar. Once she arrived, though, she got a very unpleasant su
rprise.
"YOU!"
Willow smirked from the co-pilot's chair. She was already suited up and strapped
in.
"You honestly didn't think I'd miss that disturbance, did you?"
"Get out."
Willow shook her head. "Look. Anakin's in an enchanted sleep that will last abou
t another, oh..." she looked at her watch, "Fifteen minutes. Lord knows how long
Ben will be out with whatever you did to him to get past him. You are going up
against a Sith Lord and his two highly trained henchmen, in what is most obvious
ly a trap. So whether you like it or not, you need me on this."
Joyce scoffed. "Why would the Sith try to trap me? They don't even know about me
."
The redheaded witch rolled her eyes. "You are so much like your mother sometimes
...incredibly dense in the face of all of the facts..."
"My mother is not dense!" the young Mandalorian shot back hotly.
"I was her best friend and when I became a Sith Lord she didn't even notice. Loo
k - they took time, not only to torture Han, but Leia and Buffy as well. Now who
else in this universe is connected in some way to all three of them?"
It took a moment, but the answer finally came to her. "Luke."
Willow nodded. "Exactly. The Emperor knows about Luke now and he wants him. Vade
r wants Buffy because of the past animosity they share - Buffy never respected o
r looked up to C'baoth in any way, shape, or form and he's looking to change tha
t."
"So he has them all tortured, which sends out ripples in the Force..."
"Which gets picked up by the only Jedi they know for sure is still in this galax
y - Luke. He'll surely be on his way - if not now, then within the next few hour
s."
"But they don't know about us. We can take them by surprise..."
"It's gonna take a lot of luck and all the skills you have learned," Willow poin
ted out. "I won't lie to you. I have an agenda here - I mean to have a nice litt
le chat with my wayward daughter. But you and Luke are going to have to hit them
hard and fast - and that's even if we arrive at the same time."
Joyce looked hard at her nemesis. "What does the Force tell you?"
Willow closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, then frowned. "The Force i
s cloudy - more cloudy than it should be. There are other variables at work here
- variables that I can't yet see." She opened her eyes and looked at Joyce. "We
ll? Are we going to go, or not?"
Joyce scowled behind her helmet and then reluctantly climbed aboard Prometheus.
"Fine. Let's go."
====BtVS====
"Luke, you must not go!"
The past few months on Dagobah had been a real eye opener for the young Jedi-in-
training. Learning from Master Yoda - someone both his father and Aunt had told
him so much about - had been both a pleasure and a challenge and a path that he
wished he could continue to follow. But that was before the vision of his sister
, his Aunt, his friend - all suffering in a city in the clouds.
"But they'll all die if I don't."
"You don't know that," Qui-Gon said, his ghostly form appearing between the dimi
nutive Jedi Master and Padmé. "Even Yoda cannot see their fate."
"I can help them!" Luke insisted. Padmé shook her head
"You're not ready yet," his mother said softly. "You still have much to learn."
"I feel the Force," Luke said.
"But you cannot control it," Qui-Gon countered. "This is a dangerous stage for y
ou, Luke. You are now most susceptible to the temptations of the dark side."
"Yes, yes," Yoda added. "To Qui-Gon you listen, young one. The cave. Remember yo
ur failure at the cave!"
Luke remembered the experience at the Cave, a place so full of the Dark Side tha
t it showed you your worst fears. In that cave he had faced the tall, menacing f
igure, cloaked in black and face obscured under shadows. It wasn't until he stru
ck the figure down in anger that the face was revealed - to be his own. Luke sho
ok his head in frustration. "I've learned much since then. And I'll return to fi
nish. I promise that, master."
"It is your abilities the Emperor wants," Qui-Gon told him gravely. "That is why
your friends were made to suffer."
"And that," Luke said, "is why I must go."
"Luke, your father and I sacrificed so much to keep you away from him," Padmé said
sadly. "I don't want to lose you to him now."
"You won't."
"Only a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as his ally, will conquer the
Emperor and his agents," Qui-Gon emphasized. "If you end your training now, if y
ou choose the quick and easy path, you will become an agent of evil and the gala
xy will be plunged deeper into the abyss of hate and despair."
"Stopped they must be," Yoda interjected. "On this all depends."
"Patience!" Qui-Gon emphasized. Luke shook his head
"And sacrifice my family?" the youth asked incredulously.
"If you honor what they fight for," Yoda said, pausing for a moment, "... yes!"
"I cannot help you, Luke," the Qui-Gon said. "If you choose to face Vader, you w
ill do it alone. I cannot interfere."
"I understand," Luke replied calmly. Then, turning to his droid, he said, "Artoo
, fire up the power converters."
Artoo whistled, powering up Luke's X-Wing once more. Luke climbed up the ladder
into the cockpit, which folded back into the ship as he sat down.
"Luke," Qui-Gon advised "Don't give in to hate or anger. They lead to the dark s
ide."
Yoda looked worriedly at his apprentice. "Strong is Vader," he warned ominously.
"Mind what you have learned. Save you, it can!"
"I will, Master Yoda," Luke assured him. "I will. And I'll be back, I promise."
Artoo closed the cockpit and Luke started the engines.
Yoda, Padmé and the ghost of Qui-Gon watched as the sleek craft lifted effortlessl
y from the ground and angled up to the heavens. "Told you, I did," Yoda said sor
rowfully, "Reckless is he. Now things are worse."
"That boy is the future of the Order," Qui-Gon noted sadly.
"Perhaps," Padmé noted sadly. "But he's not alone."
====BtVS====
Dawn moved hurriedly around her room, laying out various pieces of equipment. He
r lightstaff, her sister's blaster, a small vibroblade and her normal black-ops
outfit - along with lock-picks, a small computer splicer... all tools of the tra
de that both her sister and Willow had taught her to use during her training. Af
ter all - she wasn't your average Jedi, so she certainly wasn't going to be trai
ned like one. Silently she stripped and once more donned her black outfit, slipp
ing on the vest and quickly setting each piece of equipment in its place. A soft
knock turned her attention to her door as Zett quickly walked in, PPG in hand.
He started to hand it over to her and then hesitated.
"You know what it means if you take it, don't you?" he asked her, a worried frow
n on his face. Dawn sighed and nodded.
"Yeah, I do." She quickly snatched the portal device from her boyfriend's hand.
She gave it a cursory glance to make sure the destination was correct, then lean
ed in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Well, it's been fun."
Zett smiled sadly. "I'll walk you to the embarkation room."
The two walked in silence the short distance to the embarkation room - the one r
oom where portals could be opened, thanks to the wards. A thought suddenly struc
k Dawn and she looked over to Zett.
"Did the Coven get the wards back up?"
Zett nodded. "All new and improved, from what Tara told me."
Dawn nodded and they continued until they finally reached the room- where Dawn f
ound a surprise waiting for her.
"You didn't think we'd let you go off alone to rescue Buffy, did you, Bit?" Spik
e asked as he casually leaned against Fred's desk. The desk's owner was dressed
for business - combat pants and shirt and a tactical vest laden down with equipm
ent. Around them was the rest of Angel's crew - Gunn, Cordy, Wesley and Angel hi
mself. The Master vampire smirked at Dawn's stunned expression.
"Especially as we weren't allowed to go last time."
"I can't use the Watcher's Council to cover for you, as I'm not authorized as a
Senior Watcher," Wesley noted, checking the ammo in his two .45's. He smiled wan
ly at the girl. "The price for working for a vampire, I'm afraid."
Dawn shook her head. "You guys...you don't know what you're getting into..."
"And you're not going without us," Fred stated. "You'll need our help getting pa
st any guards-" she held up a metal briefcase, "and you'll need a quick getaway,
which I can give you."
"Here's the plan," Gunn said, shifting his homemade axe in his hands, "we take o
ut the goons, you take out the Sith, Fred and Cordy pimp out the Falcon..."
"Easy as pie," Cordy finished. "Which you'll owe me when we get back."
Dawn looked helplessly to Zett, who merely shrugged. "Fred wouldn't give me the
PPG unless Angel and his team went with you. And face it - you'll need back up."
Dawn smiled slightly, then moved in and gave Zett a long, deep kiss. Her smile b
roadened when she pulled back and saw the goofy expression on his face. "Thank y
ou," she said silently, moving into the center of the room. Angel's crew surroun
ded her, making sure to have at least one hand on her shoulders or arms. "We'll
be back before you know it."
"May the Force be with you, my love," he said as she activated the device. A clo
ud of purple and white energy blossomed around the group, which was sucked throu
gh the portal towards destiny.
====BtVS====
There were bars, there were dives, and then there were seedy dumps like this pla
ce. Wedge thought to himself as he strolled through the door to the bar, deep in
the underbelly of Coronet. Spying who he was looking for, Wedge made a beeline
to the table set in the darkened corner of the bar.
"Fancy meeting you here," he said as he slid into the chair across from the man.
Talon Karrde smiled. As always he was immaculately dressed, though his long blac
k hair flowed loosely over his shoulders. He lifted his glass in a mock salute.
"I always did appreciate the finer places in life."
"Jorj pays hat badly, huh?"
"Jorj isn't running the show anymore."
Wedge sat back in his chair and stared at the smuggler before him. "Should I be
offering my congratulations, or my condolences?"
Karrde chuckled."Nothing like that, Captain. Jorj merely went legit."
"Condolences, then," Wedge quipped. Karrde laughed softly as he sipped his drink
. "But I'm sure you didn't contact us to let us know about the reorganization of
your organization."
"No, of course not," Karrde replied, putting down his drink and folding his hand
s in front of him. "And I didn't try to get in touch with the Alliance - I got i
n touch with you."
Wedge's eyes narrowed. "What could you possibly want with me?" he asked bluntly.
"Absolutely nothing," Karrde replied, spreading his hands wide across the table.
"I mean you no harm; this is no trap. This is merely a business move for me. Yo
u see - a few years ago, I got some information for a mutual acquaintance and sh
e's become a bit - shall we say - obsessed?"
"So you're who gave Joyce the info on Fett," Wedge ground out. Karrde nodded.
"I had no idea he significance of the intell I gave her until I met with an irat
e parent about a year later. You see - the parent's company are very good client
s of mine and I like to keep my clients happy. Which made the reason I called yo
u here that much more urgent."
"And what's that?" Wedge asked. Karrde steeped his hands once more as he leaned
across the table.
"A few weeks ago, Lord Vader hired several bounty hunters to find the Millennium
Falcon. From what my sources gathered, one succeeded. And now there's a big Imp
exercise going on, right now, at Cloud City - and Boba Fett himself is said to
be there." Karrde leaned back once more. "I have reason to believe the mother ha
s been captured. And considering who the daughter is..."
"She'll go to her mom's aid, danger be dammed. Stang!" Wedge looked to Karrde. "
What do I owe you?"
Talon smiled."On the house, in anticipation for future business." His smile fade
d as he leaned in once more. "Just bring them home. I'm rather fond of them."
Wedge smiled grimly as he rose. "So am I," he replied as he turned and walked ou
t of the bar. Once outside, he activated his comlink. "Janson? This is Wedge. Ge
t the guys together- we've got an off-the-book mission...
TBC...
Next chapter - It all hits the fan! Fett vs. Joyce! Mara vs. Willow! Angel and C
o. vs. Stormtroopers! Luke vs. Halcyon! Dawn vs. Vader-and what will Obi-Wan and
Anakin do when they wake up? Tune in next time to find out!
Episode 5 Chapter 8
Trials of the Empire
====BtVS====
"My Lord," an Imperial officer stated as he came up to the dark triumvirate, "We
have a small craft approaching - X-Wing class."
"Good," Vader said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He looked over t
o Halcyon and gave him a wicked smile. "Think you can handle him?"
Halcyon bristled. "I can more than handle him..."
"My mother's coming," Mara said suddenly, a look of intense concentration on her
face. "I can feel her coming closer..."
Vader reached out in the Force and then whirled to the officer. "Were there anym
ore ships?"
"No, sir," the officer said nervously. Vader growled and was about to snap his n
eck when Halcyon stepped in.
"Buffy once had a small craft with a functioning cloaking device," he remarked.
"It's possible that she passed it onto her friend."
"Don't worry, I'll deal with her," Mara said, already heading towards the atrium
. Vader turned to Halcyon.
"Something else is coming; something elusive, that even I can't see. I'm going t
o move Skywalker to my ship. Take care of the young one."
"As you wish."
====BtVS====
"Coming in for a landing," Joyce announced, prepping the Prometheus as she lined
up with the nearest landing pad. "I've spotted the Falcon - she's about three p
ads over. No security present. Maybe they haven't been captured yet."
"Or they have and the Empire didn't feel the ship warranted any more security,"
Willow countered. Suddenly she smirked. "My daughter is anxious to meet me."
"How anxious?" Joyce asked.
"You two would get a long wonderfully."
The small fighter touched down silently, still cloaked. "Alright then. You go af
ter your wayward daughter and I'll go after mom and Han. We'll meet back at the
Falcon. Clear?"
"Crystal," Willow replied, hopping out of the cockpit."Let's go to work."
====BtVS====
With a flash of light a sound, the Council strike team appeared in a large, and
thankfully empty, room of Cloud City. Dawn paused for a moment to reach out and
feel for her sister, which she did - and instantly she was worried.
"She's very angry," she told the others, "and very sad. Something bad just happe
ned and her hate is nearly overwhelming. She's slipping..."
"Then you go catch her," Angel said, turning to Fred, who was busy hacking into
the city's computer. "What's the news?"
"Full lockdown in effect," she replied. "No traffic in or out, but the city itse
lf isn't locked. Buffy's being transferred to Vader's personal Star Destroyer -
here, Dawn," she called the young Jedi over to her as she downloaded a set of sc
hematics into a portable data reader. "Here's the route he'll probably take."
"Anything else?"
Fred continued o read and suddenly her face lost all color. "What?" Dawn asked.
"Han Solo is now in the custody of Boba Fett - and he's been frozen in something
called Carbonite. Everyone else is scheduled to be executed in the central squa
re in the next few minutes, as an object lesson in what happens when you defy th
e Empire."
Dawn swore silently to herself. "Fine. Fred, Cordy - head to the Falcon and unpa
ck your surprise. Angel, you and the rest of your team rescue them," she said, i
ndicating the soon to be executed people. "I'll go after Buffy."
"You sure you can do it alone?" Angel asked. Dawn looked back with a grim smile.
"I'll be fine. Now let's move!"
====BtVS====
Leia sighed to herself. This doesn't look good, she thought as she was led with
Lando and Chewie, who still carried the partially reconstructed Threepio on his
back, to the city's center square. A large, open area filled with shops and eate
ries and covered by a large transparistel dome, the city's center for internal c
ommerce would look warm and open on a sunny day. As it was, the rain beat down i
ncessantly on the dome, making the square look dark and oppressive. The three we
re forced to stop in the center of the open area and were pushed to their knees
violently. Chewbacca roared at the mistreatment and despite his bindings the sto
rm troopers leapt back a few feet.
"Look, Princess... I'm sorry about all of this..." Lando started, causing Leia t
o snort in disgust.
"What, for turning us over? Or for getting caught with us anyway?"
"I was doing what I thought I had to, to protect this city and the hundreds of p
eople living here!" he argued. "I had no choice!"
"Sometimes we all have to make a choice, between what is right and what is easy.
" Leia quoted, thinking of something her Aunt had told her once. She never asked
where she heard that from and now, she would never have the chance. Leia felt h
er Aunt slipping further and further into the darkness with growing despair.
An officer, young and with a look of supreme arrogance, stepped forward. "You ha
ve been charged with treason against the Empire and found guilty by your superio
rs," he said importantly, playing to the growing crowd. "As such, the Empire has
seized this city and you three will be put to death, immediately. If you would
like to plead for clemency, you may do so at this time."
"You and your Emperor can both kiss my ass," Leia snarled, channeling her Aunt.
"How's that for a plea?"
The officer sneered. "Well, if that is how you want to be, then so be it. Let th
is be a lesson," he added, raising his voice for all to hear, "to those that wou
ld defy the will of the Emperor!" The officer drew his blaster and placed the ba
rrel flush against the rebel leader's forehead.
A moment later there was a deafening crack and the blood started to flow...
====BtVS====
Luke cautiously made his was through the labyrinth of hallways that made up Clou
d City, Artoo following close behind. He was feeling a familiar presence through
the Force, one he hadn't felt for some time and couldn't quite place. Moving ag
ainst the wall, Luke stopped at a crossroads and looked cautiously around the co
rner.
It was a small sitting area, nestled between four interconnecting hallway. A dec
orative fountain stood in the center, surrounded by plush benches. And standing
right in front of the fountain with her magenta lightsaber already ignited was n
one other than the Emperor's Hand Mara Jade.
"Hey, Farm boy!" Mara called out jovially. "Long time, no see!"
Luke sighed and, screwing up his determination, stepped around the corner and up
holstered his own lightsaber. "Mara," he replied, nodding slightly with respect.
"I don't suppose you want to let me pass, do you?"
"Well, technically I'm supposed to," Mara grinned. "But I've always had a proble
m doing what I was told..."
I feel I should warn you- I've been practicing." Luke ignited his blue blade. "P
lease, I don't want to fight you."
Mara rolled her eyes. "Typical Jedi. Look, you want to get past me? You got to g
o through m-" Mara was cut off as she suddenly flew backwards, crashing through
the fountain before impacting hard against the far wall. She slumped to the floo
r in a daze, her lightsaber rolling out and away from her limp hand.
Luke spun, his lightsaber ready, but lowered it slightly as he saw who it was.
"Run along, now," the voice said from the shadows. "The Hand and I need to have
a little chat." Luke nodded and took off down the corridor, past the fallen sold
ier and towards his family. Mara, on the other hand, finally caught sight of the
voice's owner as she stepped out of the shadows.
"YOU!" Mara snarled.
Willow smiled benignly. "Yes, me. Now, how about you come and give your mother a
kiss?"
With a shriek of rage, Mara called her lightsaber to her even as she leapt, usin
g the Force to clear the wrecked fountain in one easy leap. Willow stood on the
other side, her hands clasped behind her back and staring on in utter calm as Ma
ra's lightsaber swept for her throat...
====BtVS====
Boba Fett checked the crono on his wrist for the seventh time and frowned undern
eath his helmet. He was running ahead of schedule - the pace he was going, he'd
be paid in little under a week. But a feeling had been nagging at the fringes of
his conscience ever since Solo had been put on ice-a feeling that had been grow
ing steadily for the last few minutes.
"Where do you want this?" one of the Imperial officers asked as they made their
way onto the landing pad where Slave I rested. Boba hit a control on his arm and
the elaborate set of security measures on his ship deactivated, even as the rea
r hatch opened.
"Put Captain Solo in the cargo hold," he said as he swept the area for anything
out of the ordinary. The two officers nodded in understanding-
And were, just as quickly, picked off by a high-powered blaster.
Boba ducked and rolled, coming up two feet from where he started facing the door
, where another Mandalorian stood in familiar red and silver armor, a DL-44 blas
ter in her hand.
"Hello, Sprite," Boba said casually, never lowering his rifle, "hear you've been
looking for me. Must not have been looking hard - it wasn't like I was trying t
o disappear."
"Ever the joker," Joyce replied coldly. "Any last jokes before I send you to mee
t your ancestors?"
"Any particular reason you want me dead?" Boba nodded towards the frozen form of
her brother, still hovering over the deck even as the wind and rain lashed at i
t. "Besides the obvious, of course."
"You killed my father."
"Oh, that." Boba shrugged. "Nothing personal. It was just a job. Kind of like th
is is just a job. And you know that I always finish my jobs, Sprite."
"Just as you know that I won't let you take my brother." Joyce dropped the blast
er, unclipping her lightsaber. She held it in her hand for a moment, feeling its
weight. "I promised my mom that I would never use this in anger," she said casu
ally. "So I won't." She tossed the lightsaber aside. "The only weapon I'm going
to use to kill you are my own, bare hands!" With a swiftness that startled even
a veteran like Boba, Joyce leapt towards him, arms outstretched.
Without even thinking, Boba Fett fired.
====BtVS====
"You know, you shouldn't fight this, Buffy," Vader said nonchalantly as he led t
he former slayer down the hall, "It's all a matter of inevitability."
Buffy's resistance had flagged in the past few hours - between the shock therapy
and the constant mental assaults, Buffy was a wreck. She had barely made an eff
ort to defend herself when Vader had attached one of the hated slave collars aro
und her neck once more - even more degrading, this one came with a leash that he
was now using to guide her towards his waiting shuttle.
"It was inevitable that our paths would cross again, my young Jedi! It was inevi
table that you would bow to my will, bow before my power..."
"How about I take a bow and you kiss my ass?" Buffy shot back, regretting it imm
ediately as the collar activated and shocked her to the bones.
"Temper, temper, Skywalker," he snarled as he moved in close, his nose pressing
against her own. "I will teach you respect before all is said and done; this I p
romise you." He spun and walked away, yanking hard on the leash and dragging her
behind him. "You will be my greatest achievement, I think. Oh, yes. Together, w
e will overthrow the Emperor! And then, with your help, we shall pacify that ups
tart order of yours."
"Never," Buffy spat.
"Never say never, my young Jedi," Vader retorted. "They will obey us, or you wil
l destroy them utterly. Your family, your so-called friends; all shall fall at y
our blade. You will bathe n their blood and you will revel in it. That is what i
t is to be Sith - letting go of all of those pesky concerns that shouldn't have
bothered you in the first place." He led them down the hallway, at the end of wh
ich was a door that led to an outside walkway. Vader scowled, but nothing was to
be done about it. In order to thoroughly hide his shuttle, he had deliberately
set down in an out-of-the-way area that saw very little traffic and was exceedin
gly difficult to get to. As such, he would be required to walk through the rain-
soaked outer passage for several meters before reaching his small shuttle. "We w
ill accomplish many great things, my apprentice. Oh, yes. They will memorialize
our names in songs for generations to come..."
With a gesture the door before them slid open. Vader stepped out onto the deck a
nd came to an instant stop, causing Buffy to crash into him. She looked over his
shoulder and gasped at what she saw.
Not two meters away, her Padawan braid blowing wildly in the air, stood Dawn. Th
e fact that she was thoroughly soaked didn't seem to bother her. She stood calml
y, her lightstaff held deactivated in her hand, a small smirk on her lips.
"Get the hell away from my sister, C'Bitch."
====BtVS====
Luke was lost.
There was nothing for it. Every turn, every corner, every door led him farther a
way from his sister and deeper into the bowels of Cloud City. The last turn had
led him down a walkway that surrounded a large, raised dais, above which was sup
ported a crane. The sound of steam and machinery echoed across the cavernous wal
ls. Cautiously he made his way down towards the dais, stopping at the top of the
steep, metal stairs that led down to it.
"The Force is strong with you, young Skywalker," a mechanical voice intoned. Luk
e spun to face Nejaa Halcyon, his black Sith armor gleaming in the minimal light
. "But you are not a Jedi yet."
Luke activated his lightsaber and raised it into a defensive posture. "Maybe not
yet, but I think you'll find I'm full of surprises."
With a snarl, Halcyon activated his own ruby blade and leapt at the young Jedi a
nd the fight was joined.
====BtVS====
Leia could feel the blood dripping down her face and instantly knew two things.
First, she wasn't dead. And secondly-
It wasn't her blood.
The gun dropped away from her forehead and Leia gasped at the large hole in the
Imperial Officer's chest. The officer looked down in hock, as if he couldn't bel
ieve that someone could harm a person in his station...
"I'm sorry," a distinguished voice said from the shadows, "But today's execution
has been canceled due to lack of interest. On our parts, anyway." Wesley steppe
d out of the shadows and opened fire taking down one of the Storm Troopers and c
ausing the rest to scatter. With a snarl, Spike joined the fray, leaping over Le
ia and swinging his sword hard. The blow decapitated the officer and then contin
ued to slice open on trooper from shoulder to hip. Leia found herself knocked to
 the ground by Lando as Angel and Gunn joined the fray, swinging their weapons a
nd dispatching the Storm Troopers with relative ease.
"Princess Nabberie?" Wesley asked helping up the stunned Leia, "I'm Wesley Wyndh
am-Pryce, a friend of your Aunt's. We've come to rescue you..." his voice traile
d as another familiar sound reached his ears - the sound of a lightsaber. Lookin
g around, he spied the last person he had expected to see-
Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Hello, there!" he called out as he finished off the Storm Troopers. "Am I inter
rupting?"
Chewie growled in happiness even as Leia rushed over to give the old Jedi a hug.
"Master Kenobi! Oh, it's so good to see you!"
"No offense to the help," Angel put in, "but aren't you supposed to be with Anak
in teaching Joyce and Willow? Or did the inevitable finally happen?"
"A bit of the latter, actually. Though not in the way you'd expect. Both felt a
tremor in the Force and rushed here to investigate. We simply followed."
"What now?" Lando asked, keeping a fair distance from Chewie as Spike freed him
of his restraints. "If you want to save Han, there may still be a chance. Fett's
parked on the East platform..."
"Fred and Cordy are rigging the Falcon with a surprise," Angel added.
"We'll head there after we rescue Han." She turned and pointed her finger hard i
nto Lando's chest, "Give the evac code. The Empire will probably blast this City
out of the sky now that we've escaped." She turned to the others as Lando ran o
ver to a nearby wall and keyed in a series of codes. "We'll have to move fast to
save Han from Fett," she stated as the alarm started blaring throughout the cit
y. "So move fast, stop for no one and shoot first. Let's go!"
"My kind of lady," Spike noted dryly.
"Sadly enough, she gets that from her mother," Obi-Wan noted fondly as he joined
the others.
====BtVS====
Fett's first, and only, two shots ricocheted off of Joyce's armor, but they didn
't even slow her down. Fueled by nearly twenty years of rage, the girl forgot al
l of her Jedi training and instead let the Slayer take over. She collided with t
he bounty hunter violently, slapping the blaster rifle out of his hands and over
the edge of the platform, where it fell through the gaseous clouds of the plane
t, far out of reach. One, two, three right crosses landed on his helmeted face,
actually doing something Fett had long through impossible - actually breaking th
e helmet's visor. Shattered pieces of the visors plastic rained down on his face
and Fett had to squeeze his eyes shut to avoid getting any in his eyes. Wildly
he landed several blows to her chest and face, but Joyce shrugged them off, inst
ead climbing to her feet and dragging him along with her. Using her own slayer s
trength, Joyce hefted Fett and swung him in a 360 degree arc before letting him
fly into the hull of his ship. The impact damaged his jetpack and with a snarl h
e hit the emergency release clips, letting it fall from his shoulders. Thinking
quickly, he grasped the pack and threw it towards Joyce, then activated his wris
t-mounted flame thrower, causing the fuel and munitions stored on the pack to ex
plode violently and knocking the girl back.
Fett Started to climb into his ship, looking back to the still floating slab the
held Solo and cursed. Knowing he couldn't leave a bounty this easy behind, he s
tarted towards the block of carbonite-
Only to reel back as Joyce's helmet, still smoking, hit him solidly in his now-e
xposed face.
With an inarticulate cry, Joyce leapt towards him again, raining down blows. But
she was still young and acting on anger; Fett was a veteran, who had been fight
ing for nearly forty years. After getting over the shock of the ferocity of her
attack, Fett started to easily block her attacks, turning her strength back agai
nst her. Soon, he was blocking all of her blows, until he finally managed to sei
ze her in a bear hug.
"I don't want to have to kill you, Sprite!" Fett growled in her ear as she strug
gled to free herself. "Give it up!"
"Never!" she shouted, kicking backwards and hitting Fett in a rather sensitive a
rea. Fett dropped to the ground, moaning in pain. Joyce knocked him onto his bac
k and straddled him, pulling out her combat knife and holding it to his throat.
"I want to know," she panted, "Why... why you took me in. Surely you must have k
nown who I was, who my family was! So why? Was it a game? Some sick, twisted jok
e? TELL ME!"
Fett looked her dead in the eye. "Because it's the Mandalorian way."
"Like you give a flying fuck about the Mandalorian way!"
"It's true, I don't," he admitted. "I'm not a very good Mandalore. But your moth
er made me an orphan, just as I made you one. I knew what you were going to go t
hrough, because I went through it, too. And that didn't set right with me." With
a swiftness that surprised even Joyce, Fett withdrew a small dagger and buried
it in her side.
She gasped as she felt him twist the dagger, then felt the blood rush out of the
now gaping wound. With a strangled cry she toppled over onto the soaked pad, gr
asping at the wound and trying to staunch the flow of blood even as Fett rose to
his feet.
"Kind of like this doesn't set right." He wiped the blood off the dagger onto hi
s pants leg and then slipped it back into its hidden holster. "Sorry, Sprite. Yo
u lose."
====BtVS====
Luke's fight with Nejaa Halcyon had led him all throughout the bowels of the cit
y and he was worse for the wear. From getting knocked down the stairs at the fre
ezing chamber, to being battered by Force-flung cases and blasted through a wind
ow, he had taken a tremendous beating.
"You think you can defeat ME!" Halcyon roared, battering Luke down a catwalk tha
t dead-ended in an atmosphere processor. Luke triad vainly to defend himself, bl
ocking the powerful down strokes of the Sith's blade, but was quickly tiring. Fi
nally the inevitable happened and he was knocked down, and scrambled back as Hal
cyon's blade hovered just under his chin.
"Revenge is sweet," the Sith gloated. "Nearly twenty years I've waited to reveng
e my self upon the Skywalker family and now, Finally, I have my chance..."
"Not yet, you don't!" Luke exclaimed, batting away Halcyon's blade and scramblin
g to his feet. He exchanged a few quick blows, finally managing to land a hit on
his armored shoulder. Nejaa roared, more over the fact that Luke had struck a b
low than over any pain he was feeling and renewed his attack with vigor, driving
Luke to the end of the walkway, forcing away his blue blade-
Then slicing his hand off cleanly at the wrist.
Luke howled in pain and stumbled backwards, grasping the stump of his arm in his
one good hand. He took a moment to evaluate his situation and it wasn't good. H
is lightsaber was gone, lost to the depth of Cloud City. He had lost a hand, tho
ugh thankfully the wound hat cauterized, so blood loss wasn't a factor. Not that
it mattered - in a minute, Halcyon would finally avenge his family by killing h
im..."
"That's ENOUGH, Nejaa!"
Luke gasped and Halcyon spun around. Standing only a few feet away was his most
hated nemesis, Anakin Skywalker.
"Well, well. The prodigal Jedi returns," Halcyon sneered, advancing. His red bla
de hummed threateningly in the cavernous space. "How fitting you were here to wi
tness this. You took my hand, Anakin and so I took your son's. But that wasn't a
ll you took from me, was it? My other arm? My legs? My FAMILY!"
"Nejaa, you're an idiot," Anakin stated boldly. "You want to punish me for what
I did to you? Fine. But I never touched your family. Neither did Willow! They ev
en managed to survive the Corellian culling all those years ago! But you never c
hecked, did you?" he needled, moving closer. "You never looked, not really. Why?
Because you didn't want them to see what I did to you? Or because you didn't wa
nt them to see what you let yourself become?"
With an inarticulate roar, Nejaa charged Anakin, whose own lightsaber snapped to
life instantly.
"You always had a temper, Nejaa," Anakin taunted." Worse than my own, sometimes!
"
"And you were always an arrogant snot!" Nejaa shot back, trying desperately to l
and the killing blow. He growled in aggravation at the ease in which Anakin was
parrying his blows. "Now stand still and die!"
"Don't hold back, Hal. Tell me how you really feel."
"You took them from me!"
Anakin sighed and used the Force to push Halcyon away. "Weren't you listening to
me? They're alive! Hell, you even got a grandson in the CSF now!"
"I knew that!" Nejaa panted as he rose unsteadily to his feet. "But you took the
m from me when you turned me into this thing!" The amount o hatred and self-loat
hing in his voice shocked Anakin. "Why couldn't you have just killed me, with th
e rest of our brothers and sisters? Why didn't you end it, instead of leaving me
, burning, bleeding, begging for help WHY!"
"There's not a day that goes by," Anakin said in a pained voice, "that I don't r
egret what happened that day. I stood there, helpless, while one of our greatest
masters was blown out of the Chancellor's office by Palpatine. I was watching e
verything, locked in my own mind, when I led the attack on the Temple with Traya
. When her control was finally broken on Mustafar, I was going to leap into the
river of lava because of what I had done! But I managed to come back, Nejaa. So
could you."
"What?" the Sith asked, dumbstruck.
"I'm giving you a choice here today, Master Halcyon," Anakin stated. "You can la
y down your lightsaber, renounce the Dark Side and come with us, back to where w
e've been. We can help you, Nejaa, I know we can. Or we can continue to fight an
d I can beat you." He deactivated his lightsaber and held his arms open wide. "C
hoose, Nejaa."
For a moment, just a moment, Anakin thought he very might well consider it. But
the moment passed quickly as he felt Nejaa gather the Force around himself.
"How about a third choice!" he snarled, throwing his lightsaber like a javelin t
owards Anakin, even as he spun towards Luke. Anakin deftly ignited his blade and
batted aside the Sith's saber, but watched in horror as Nejaa Force-pushed Luke
off the catwalk into the open metallic cavern below. Not even pausing to think
about it, Anakin leapt over the railing and followed his son down.
Nejaa stared over the railing at the two shrinking figures, before turning and d
ejectedly walking back into the City.
====BtVS====
Mara's lightsaber got very close. But never close enough.
The truly maddening thing, though was the fact that Willow hadn't even activated
her blade; indeed, she hadn't even unclasped her hands from behind her back. In
stead she used the Force to dodge each blow, slipping deftly out of the way each
time the blade came close
"Damn it, stand still or fight me!" Mara shouted. Willow spun out of the way and
in an instant had her own lightsaber in her hand. She had built a new one and w
hile it still retained the curved hilt she had grown accustomed to during her Si
th Lord days, the jewel had been replaced with the purple crystal from Mace Wind
u's lightsaber. It had been a gift of sorts from Buffy, who had given it to her
as a way to redeem herself if she ever had the need to draw her weapon. The purp
le blade snapped to life and she easily blocked her daughter's return blow.
"Sweetie, you have a lot of power and a very nice form. At least, I think you wo
uld if you wouldn't let your anger control you," she said conversationally as sh
e single-handedly blocked Mara's continuing attacks. "But my form is better, my
trainer was above peer and quite frankly you just can't beat me." Mara continued
to rain down blows that Willow blocked with ease. The Hand brought her blade do
wn hard, trying to force Willow's down and away to land a killing stroke. Willow
stared at her sadly, a small smile playing over her lips. "Like I said, you're
good." Suddenly Willow pushed her blade forward slightly, nicking Mara's arm. Ma
ra gasped in shock in pain and her hand went momentarily numb, causing the light
saber to drop out of her unresponsive hand. In the same stroke Willow reversed a
nd cut lightly across Mara's quad, causing the young Hand to collapse to the gro
und in pain. "I'm better."
Willow deactivated her saber and placed it back on her belt, calling Mara's to h
er and stashing it inside her jacket. She then stepped over her daughter and tur
ned to face her, sitting down on one of the plush benches. "Now, perhaps we can
have the mother-daughter bonding thing I've heard so much about. So, any boys in
your life"
Mara looked up at the woman incredulously. "What?"
"No boy then, huh? How about a girl? I'm not judgmental, you know. I was once in
love with a very beautiful blonde..."
"What the hell are you on about, woman?" Mara shouted. "You betray your order, y
ou betray your Master, you abandon me and you have the gall to come here and dec
ide to have a sit down with me? How dare you!"
"Tell me, daughter; what upsets you more? The first two or the last one? Because
let me make one thing plain." She leaned in close to her fallen daughter, "Up u
ntil a few months ago, I didn't even know you existed. My Master that I betrayed
took my own genetic material without my knowledge and used it to create you. Th
is is the same master, by the way, that promised me the power to go home, only t
o then turn me into his own personal magic weapon. Something that he's been tryi
ng to do with you, isn't it?" Mara remained silent, but her eyes revealed the tr
uth. "Ah, yes. He has been trying to get you to tap into your gift, hasn't he? A
nd you could, if you wanted. I can feel the power in you right now, but you've n
ever really used it."
"I have used it..."
"You've dabbled. And you could do so much more, but you haven't. Why, I wonder?"
"Because I don't need magic to be better than you!" she spat.
"Or, you don't want to be the weapon they're training you to be," Willow reasone
d. "I'm not a fool, Mara. When Palpatine first told me his ideals for the Empire
, I was as enthralled as you probably were. But the Empire has been perverted in
to something it shouldn't have been. I helped to start that; you have helped con
tinue it. But you don't have to."
"Is this where you offer to train me?" Mara sneered. Willow chuckled and shook h
er head as she rose from the seat.
"No, not at all. This is merely where I ask you to think about what you've done,
what you are doing and what you will do. And then I ask you to decide if it's y
our Master you should be serving or your Empire. And which one is worth saving,
in the end." Once more she stepped over the girl as she headed towards the exit.
As she reached the entrance to the corridor, she stopped. "And believe me; if I
had known you existed, I would have done everything in my power to take you bac
k home with me," she said over her shoulder then continued down the hall, leavin
g the fuming, contemplative Mara behind.
====BtVS====
Darth Vader took one look at the young girl before him and let out a short laugh
. "What's this? A Padawan? Was this the best your Council could send against me?
"
"Well actually, when they heard a Sith Lord had captured Buffy, they wanted to s
addle up and rescue her themselves." Dawn stated, grinning. "But when they heard
it was you, they figured they could just send me instead."
"You dare mock me?!"
"Please," Dawn replied boldly. "I'm Buffy's sister. I haven't begun to mock you
yet."
Vader smiled cruelly. "You know, I actually wanted to thank you. Seeing you die
will be the thing that finally drives your sister to the Dark Side." With a gest
ure he forced Buffy back up against the now-closed door and stuck her there. Daw
n, to her credit, merely smirked.
"That's assuming you can kill me." She ignited her lightstaff, then held out her
left hand, palm up and gestured to the Sith Lord. "Just bring it, C'Bitch."
Vader snarled and launched himself at the smaller girl, his red blade slashing a
cross her throat. Dawn blocked the blow with ease, then used the other blade's o
wn momentum to help power her lower blades arc towards Vader's chest. Vader bloc
ked, pressing his attack even further, ruthlessly battering Dawn and forcing her
backwards. Yet he became frustrated at his inability to land a blow, along with
the girl's ability to seemingly counter his every move.
Dawn, for her part, trusted in her Vaapad form to overcome Vader's Form 5, knowi
ng that his brute strength would be no mach for her own athleticism. She hopped
around, using her small size and light weight to her advantage to dodge and leap
with astounding ease, using only a fraction of her energy while he tired himsel
f out.
Vader yelled in anger at the way this girl mocked him by her continued existence
. He thrust low, then turned it into an upward arc that sliced cleanly through t
he middle of her lightstaff, then followed through with a high swing that would
have taken off her head had she not spun out of the way. He reversed direction,
heading for her midsection-
And was blocked by one blue blade, even as a second shot out and nicked his chee
k. He stared at the girl in open shock as she grinned back at him.
"What, you didn't think I wouldn't prepare for such an obvious move, did you?" s
he asked, showing the ends of the lightsabers that both held clearly defined loc
king mechanisms. She let out a derisive snort of laughter. "And I thought you we
re a Dark Lord..."
With renewed fury Vader lashed out, battering the girl's defenses. Dawn was on t
he defensive again, a little more desperate as she struggled to use the twin bla
des. While she and Sera had been working on her form three, it was nowhere near
as good as her work with the staff. Dawn promised herself several days of straig
ht training on the sabers, if she made it out alive.
Vader thrust, slashed and battered Dawn's defenses as a helpless Buffy looked on
. He relished the fear and hatred pouring off of her and reveled in knowing that
she would soon be his. With a triumphant cry he knocked one of the blades out o
f Dawn's hand and then brought his blade down hard overhead. Dawn struggled to s
tay on her feet as Vader poured more and more Force energy into his limbs, incre
asing the power of his downward push. His blade, blocked only by her own, was no
w so close to her short hair that it was beginning to singe.
"And so it ends, little girl," he sneered, "You had a valiant defense, I'll admi
t, but it was nothing against my power!"
"What are people," Dawn gasped, trying to hold her blade steady, "going to say a
bout... your power...when they find out you got...punked like a bitch by a...Pad
awan?"
"You can't beat me, you stupid girl!" C'Baoth roared. "You don't have the ball-"
Quickly Dawn let one hand go from her lightsaber and reached out, calling the ot
her half of the lightstaff back into her hand. She ignited it and swung up betwe
en the Sith Lord's legs, cutting his rant off rather abruptly. As the pain grew
his strength lessened so that Dawn could stand tall, holding off his blade, stil
l above her head, with ease.
Dawn looked Vader dead in the eye and shrugged. "Yeah, well who does nowadays?"
she snarked, then in one motion pulled her second blade up as she used the first
to push his away. With two dull thuds, both halves of Jorrus C'Baoth, also know
n as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, fell to the wet catwalk.
Dawn didn't spare the remains a second look as she rushed over to her fallen sis
ter, who had fallen to the ground the moment C'Baoth's concentration had been br
oken - roughly the same moment of his impromptu circumcision. She reconnected he
r lightstaff and slipped it into her back holster, then knelt at her side, shaki
ng her softly.
"Buffy? Come on, Buffy. We got to go now..."
"Dawn? Dawnie?" the Slayer asked weakly, hazy eyes blinking up at her. "Is it yo
u?"
"Yup, live and in living color!" Dawn chirped. "Now, time to get up."
"Vader?"
"He had to split," Dawn held her composure for a moment, before the laughter bub
bled over. "Sorry!" she snorted. "Sorry, bad joke."
Buffy looked at her in confusion, then past her to see the remains of the Sith L
ord. She stared stunned as Dawn used the Force to remove the degrading collar. "
It wasn't supposed to happen like this..." she remarked. Dawn ignored her as she
pulled her sister to her feet.
"We'll worry about that later. Right now, we need to get back to the Falcon. Ang
el and the others will meet us there..."
"Angel?" Buffy looked at her confused. "Where are the other Jedi?"
"Later Buffy," she evaded, dragging her back inside the besieged city. "For righ
t now, let's go."
====BtVS====
"I wish it didn't have to be this way, Sprite," Fett said heavily as he dusted h
imself off. Mentally he took stock of his condition - a few broken ribs, possibl
y a dislocated shoulder and equipment wise he was fragged with a busted helmet,
lost blaster and several of his suit's gadgets damaged beyond repair. "I've alwa
ys tried to teach you to keep your business separate from your personal life, bu
t you never really took to that lesson. Any other circumstance I'd let you lie,
but this is an important bounty for me and I can't risk you frakking it up. So n
ow, I got to finish it." He lifted his forearm blaster and leveled it right at J
oyce's face. Joyce, for her part just starred back with hate in her eyes. "Sorry
, Sprite. End of the line."
"HEY!"
Fett started and spun around - just in time to get knocked to the ground by the
butt of a blaster pistol. Shaking loose the stars he looked up to find himself l
ooking into the eyes of a very upset Rebel pilot.
"Get the hell away from my wife." Wedge growled.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Fett said in amazement. "She actually found someo
ne crazy enough to marry her?"
"You alright, honey?" Wedge asked, his eyes never leaving Fett's.
"Fine, sweetheart." Joyce groaned, dragging herself to her feet. "What the dar'm
anda are you doing here?"
"Heard through the grapevine about Han being captured, figured you be here to sa
ve him. Though you might need a hand."
"Who else came?"
"The rest of the Rogue's are hiding behind Bespin's moon," Wedge replied. "We'll
be able to cover you when-"
Wedge was caught off guard when Fett lashed out with a kick that sent the pilot
stumbling back, where he slipped on the wet deck and landed hard on his back. Jo
yce roared in anger and launched herself at the bounty hunter, grabbing his armo
r at the arm holes and swinging him around, sending him crashing head-first into
his ship. Dazed, he tossed a grenade towards the half-Slayer and then winced as
the device exploded, sending the girl flying to the deck as a portion collapsed
into the gas giant below. His eyes widened as the frozen form of Han Solo, whic
h had been hovering in the blast zone, started to tumble of the pad.
"NO!" he cried staggering forward towards his prize, but he was forced to duck a
nd fall back as Wedge opened fire on him, landing several good shots into his ar
mor. Fett swore and ran up the ramp and into Slave 1, closing the hatch and secu
ring it behind him.
"NO!" Joyce cried, launching herself towards her falling brother. She was too sl
ow, though, and the carbonite slab fell over the edge towards its destruction. L
aying slightly over the edge Joyce reached out her hand towards the slab, direct
ing the Force to raise the object back to safe ground. It stopped in mid-air, sl
owly rose, then began to wobble as Joyce's flagging strength and many injuries b
egan to take its toll.
"No..." she ground out, pouring all her energy into the Force to save her brothe
r. But the carbonite was too heavy, her skill too little and it began to slip on
ce more...
And then it stopped and, mercifully, began to rise.
Joyce blinked as she recognized a familiar Force signature and her head snapped
around to see Willow, standing in the doorway, her arm outstretched and a look o
f intense concentration on her face. With effort the witch brought the slab back
up to the pad even as Fett took off, sending engine backwash across the landing
pad. As Slave 1 finally departed, Willow lay the slab down upon the pad, exhali
ng the breath she had been holding.
"No more Solos are dying while I can help it," she said as she strode forward. "
Your mother is fine. Dawn rescued her. We should leave now." She turned to face
Wedge. "Ah, the husband. Good timing."
"How did you know I was her husband?" Wedge asked warily. Willow smirked.
"Please, there are only two people who don't know you two are married - one's ri
ght there," she pointed to Han, "and the other's about to come through that door
."
At that moment Leia charged onto the landing pad, followed closely by Lando, Che
wie, Obi-Wan and Angel's crew. Leia stopped, skidding slightly on the rainy surf
ace and gasped at what she saw.
"Aunt Willow... Joyce... Wedge?" she gaped. "What are you doing here?"
Willow glanced up, letting the rain fall on her face. "Well, I came for the weat
her..."
"And I came for my wife," Wedge said with a hint of defiance, ignoring the elbow
Joyce planted in his ribs. Leia looked at his in shock.
"WHAT?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, I hate to interrupt," Obi-Wan started, "but this city is
crawling with Imperial troops and the Imperial fleet is undoubtedly on the way h
ere. So let's gather Captain Solo and head over to the Falcon."
"We'll get Han," Leia said as she used the Force to pull the slab towards her.
"I'll meet you in the sky," Joyce said, heading towards the exit. "I'll get the
Promet-"
Suddenly Slave I zoomed overhead zoomed overhead, firing two missiles that strea
ked over the startled group-
And blew up the landing pad two meters away, along with the two craft parked on
it - one X-Wing and the Prometheus. Wiggling its wings in a mock salute, Slave I
zoomed off into space.
"Well, that settles that," Obi-Wan said finally. "Everyone to the Falcon!"
====BtVS====
Anakin fell.
Below him he could feel Luke - feel his pain, feel his fear, as he fell farther
and father towards the lower part of the city. Anakin pulled his arms close to h
is side as and straightened his legs, turning himself into a speeding projectile
, trying to reach his son. As he gained, he saw him being sucked into a refuse c
hute and he used the Force to change his trajectory, entering the tube slightly
behind him. Using the Force to slow his decent, he saw Luke slow to a stop - the
n fall as the ejection chute below him. Anakin slid to a halt at the opening and
looked down, sighing in relief. He reached out his hand.
"Luke! Grab my hand!"
Luke looked up in confusion. "Father?"
The door started to close and Anakin desperately used the Force to hold it open.
"Grab it!"
Luke reached up with his hand and grabbed Anakin's hand and with a grunt of effo
rt, Anakin reached down to his belt and activated his PPG, taking the father and
son back to Earth.
====BtVS====
Leia and her group finally found themselves just a short way from the Falcon's l
anding platform; unfortunately a whole squad of Storm Troopers stood between the
m and freedom. Buffy was taking her frustration out on the Troopers with a blast
er she had liberated, while Dawn easily deflected their bolts back at them with
her reconnected lightstaff. Dawn glanced over at the large group and smirked. "A
bout time you all showed up. Hey, what you doing here?" she asked Willow as her
and Joyce came into view.
"Actually, we came to save them. Looks like you beat us too it," Willow remarked
glibly, activating her own lightsaber to help deflect the bolts.
"What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked the Padawan. "You aren't allowed to cro
ss over!"
"Yeah, yeah. Punish me later... what the hell is that?" she asked as Leia and th
e elder Jedi led the carbonite slab towards the door, deflecting bolts as they w
ent. Artoo rolled ahead of them and plugged into the wall socket to open the doo
r.
"It's Han."
"No, we don't care about the hyperdrive on the Falcon!" Threepio cried from his
carry sack on Chewie's back. "It's fixed! Just open the door you stupid lug!"
Artoo whistled in triumph as the door rose, revealing the Falcon behind it. They
all took off, firing at the Troopers or deflecting their bolts back at them as
they all rushed into the ship. Wedge and Joyce headed straight for the cockpit
Leia and Obi-Wan locked Han down in the cargo hold, resigned to keeping him froz
en until they got away. Buffy got everybody else strapped into the crash couches
before collapsing into one herself, drawing herself into a ball and finally let
ting the tears fall. Dawn sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her sister
, letting the Jedi Master cry into her shoulder. Obi-Wan laid a hand on her shou
lder and took the seat on the other side. Leia and Wes, with Lando in tow, heade
d into the crowded cockpit.
"Punch it!" Joyce shouted. Wedge engaged the repulsorlifts enough to lift and tu
rn the ship enough to clear the city as he pushed the main engines to full throt
tle.
"Hey, Earther!" Joyce snarled at Fred, who was busy splicing wires in an aft con
sole. She pointed to a red button, just ahead of the Hyperdrive lever. "What the
hell is this?"
"Whatever you do, do not push the little red button until I tell you!" she shout
ed back, working frantically. "Why I wanted to get out of the lab, I don't know.
.."
"Don't push the little red button," Joyce repeated. "Great. Thanks, important sa
fety tip.
"What about Luke?" Wedge asked.
"He's gone," Leia replied. "So has father."
"They went back," Fred replied. "I got all of the PPG's tied into a monitor on m
y belt. His went off a few minutes ago."
The Falcon flew on and suddenly the warning lights flared to life as a flight of
TIE fighters came in.
"Angling the deflector dish," Joyce called out.
"Rogues, this is Rogue Two. Red ball, red ball!"
The Falcon shuddered as hit started impacting their shields, then suddenly smoot
hed out as Rogue Squadron flew out of nowhere and scattered the incoming TIE's.
But they were not out of the woods yet - Vader's Super-Star Destroyer loomed in
the distance.
"Hyperdrive coordinates are set-"
"Don't bother!" Fred yelled as she finished her splicing job. She took a reading
on her instrument, then dropped it to the floor and slammed the cover shut. "Ge
t us as far from the planet's gravity well as you can."
"And where do you want to go, exactly?" Joyce asked. "I don't know if you notice
d, but the Executor is right there..."
"Just do it!"
"Listen to her," Willow said as she entered the cramped bridge. Joyce cursed sil
ently in Mandoa as she juked and jived around the Executor's turbolaser blasts,
managed to dodge some while still more glanced off the shields. Wedge looked at
the shield status display in worry.
"We can't keep taking theses hits..."
"Wedge, tell the Rogues to bug out," Fred said. "Joyce, on my mark, push the lit
tle red button."
"Rogues, this is Rogue two. Bug out and I'll see you on the other side." One by
one, the X-Wings broke off their attacks and jumped away. Wedge looked out the c
ockpit windows in dread at the Executor's hull filled the viewports. "We are get
ting awfully close."
"Now!"
Joyce slammed her hand down on the red button and for a moment time seemed to sl
ow and stretch around them. In space, the Millennium Falcon seemed to shimmer an
d then a light played over the hull...
And the Falcon was gone.
On the bridge of the Executor, the two Emperor's hands stared out at the now emp
ty space impassively. A moment later, Mara turned to Nejaa.
"Well, that was something completely different."
====BtVS====
In space around Saturn a light flashed and suddenly the Millennium Falcon appear
ed. Inside the ship the passengers tried desperately not to loose their lunch.
"What the hell was that?" Wedge gasped as he struggled to steady the ship and br
ing it to a stop.
"Ship Portal Generator. Something I was working on for the Prometheus..."
"Don't bother," Joyce said dully. "She's gone."
"I'm sorry..."
"I'll take over flying," Wedge said. "Leia, can you take Joyce to the med couch
and look her over? She looked pretty bad back at the city."
"Certainly." She held out a hand to Joyce. "Come, I'll fix you up."
Joyce snarled in aggravation, then pushed herself up and out of the seat, ignori
ng the pain in her side. "Fine. Let's just get this over with." Joyce stalked pa
st Leia towards the Medical couch and Leia took a moment to look everyone over.
Almost everyone here had suffered in Cloud City, she thought. Lando lost his who
le city, Han was frozen in carbonite - who knows if he will be okay when we thaw
him out; Joyce nearly got killed, Buffy was tortured by that monster, even Will
ow had to confront what could have been. And who knows how bad Luke Is hurt... S
he sighed and headed towards the Medi-couch. I just hope we can pick up the piec
es and pull ourselves together in time to save the galaxy-again.
TBC
Episode 5 Chapter 9
Return of the Jedi
====BtVS====
The next few days on Earth were both hectic and solemn as the survivors of Cloud
City rested and recuperated from their varied wounds. Worse off physically was
Luke, who had to be given a prosthetic hand to replace the one Halcyon had slice
d off in his dual and Han, who suffered mild hibernation sickness once he was th
awed. Psychologically, though, all members of the expedition were worse off, wit
h Buffy locking herself in her room for hours on end, meditating and trying in v
ain to find her center once more. She refused to see anyone, even Dawn and Obi-W
an found themselves shut out. And so, a week after the events on Cloud City, Buf
fy was once again meditating in her room when she felt a familiar presence settl
e across from her.
"I don't want to be disturbed."
"I brought Corellian whiskey," Willow replied, hefting a nice-sized bottle of th
e ale.
Buffy opened her eyes and eyed the bottle warily, then sighed. "Fine, get some g
lasses."
Willow raised an eyebrow, then uncorked the bottle and took a long swig. "Why?"
she asked as she handed the bottle to Buffy, who took a long pull.
"This is fitting, I think," Buffy said. "History repeating itself in some perver
se way."
"Buffer history, I just wanted to get drunk." Willow took the bottle back and to
ok a long drink. "Gyah, this stuff is terrible. Least it'll do the job."
Buffy scoffed. "What do you have to get drunk over?"
"I met my daughter," Willow replied quietly. Buffy took back the bottle and took
a small sip, waiting for her friend to continue. "She's so much like me, it's s
cary. And not just looks - her attitude, it so reminds me of how I was when..."
"When you became Traya?" Buffy finished. Willow nodded as she took a drink. "I n
ever fully appreciated how easy it must have been for you to fall, Will. All the
pain anger you had at being trapped there, away from Tara, away from home... I
was so close, Willow. So close to just letting go, giving in, anything to stop t
he pain..."
"Dawn had a vision, did she tell you?" Buffy shook her head. "Everyone dead. The
Council burning, Imperial Troops expanding into another universe." She held her
finger and thumb a millimeter apart. "That close, Buffy. It came that close. An
d the scary thing? If we had been able to get home, before I fully revealed myse
lf to you in that hanger on Geonosis, the exact same thing would have probably h
appened, by my hand. And now I'm scared that my daughter will make the same mist
ake."
"She won't, you know," Buffy said at length, taking another pull on the bottle.
"Won't what?"
"Won't fall."
Willow looked at her oddly. "What makes you think that?" she asked.
Buffy took another swig, handing the bottle to Willow. "Because you won't let he
r," she replied, then hiccupped.
Both girls giggled.
====BtVS====
"Damnit, Joyce! I want out of here!"
Han Solo sulked in his bed as Joyce fussed over him. He swore she could be more
of a mother hen than Buffy sometimes. "I'm not an invalid!"
Joyce cocked an eyebrow at her brother while Chewi chuckled in the corrner of th
e room. "You were frozen in carbonite, Han. You have hibernation sickness."
"I got thawed out a week ago, I'm fine!" he argued, then turned to his friend. "
And you be quiet, furball."
"You're convalescing on this back asswards planet. You're not fine until I say s
o."
"Is my niece giving you a hard time, Captain Solo?"
Han looked up and his face brightened as he saw Leia enter slightly behind Padmé.
Padmé smiled as she took up station at the end of the bed, while Leia sat on his r
ight and clasped his hand in hers. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"I'm feeling fine, despite what some people think." Joyce threw up her hands as
she let out an exasperated sigh. "And hey, didn't you get stuck in the side? Sho
uldn't you be resting?"
"I healed days ago," Joyce retorted. "Slayer healing. Wonderful thing." She look
ed to Padmé "Have you seen my mother?"
"That's why I'm here, actually." The former queen sighed. "She's taken to lockin
g herself in her room and no one has managed to get through to her. I was hoping
to convince Han to go try and talk to her..."
"Hoping my father's ghost will pull her out of her funk?" he slowly climbed out
of the bed, pointedly ignoring the growls emanating from Joyce. "Yeah, sure. I'l
l give it a try."
Han accepted the helping arm from Leia and ignored Joyce's presence as they ambl
ed down the hall towards Buffy's quarters. "So, what exactly has been happening
while I've been locked up?"
"Well, the Council will meet today and decide what will be done about Dawn," Pad
mé started.
"What do you mean 'done about Dawn'?" Han interrupted. "Didn't she basically sav
e everybody? Why would she be punished?"
"She was ordered a few years ago never to cross over without approval from the C
ouncil or permission from a Master, neither of which she had," Leia explained. "
Even with the mitigating circumstances, it looks like they'll excommunicate her
from the Order."
Han scoffed. "And you want to be one of those people?" he asked Leia. She just s
hrugged and sighed.
"It's complicated."
"It's the family business," Joyce added.
"Besides that, Luke has been spending some quality time with Anakin. Right now t
hey're dueling, trying to get Luke used to his new hand."
"What is it with your family and replacement parts?" Han asked Leia, who merely
shrugged again.
"I still have everything," she said. Han smirked.
"Good to know."
"Pig."
"Fred has continued working on the Falcon, putting a few more goodies in it," Jo
yce added. "She even managed to put an upgraded version of the cloaking device i
n it."
"Why didn't she put it in the Prometheus?" Han asked. Joyce winced and felt tear
s welling up in her eyes.
"Prometheus was destroyed on Cloud City," she replied, the ache of losing the la
st link to her father still strong.
"Sorry," Han said softly, turning and wrapping her sister in a warm hug. "I know
how much she meant to you."
"It's stupid..."
"No, it's not," Han insisted. "I'd feel the same way if the Falcon was lost."
The two separated and then continued walking down the hall. "Other than that, ev
erybody else is just resting and taking stock," Padmé continued. "Lando's planning
on how best to help the Alliance to make up for what he was forced to do to you
, Joyce's husband is trying to figure out how to get a new ship..."
Padmé said that last bit with a smile, ignoring Joyce's fervent shaking of her hea
d, then nearly plowing into Han's back as she stopped dead.
"Her WHAT?"
"Her husband," Padmé said, again patiently. "He lost his X-Wing at Cloud City..."
Han spun and glared at Joyce. "Not LUKE?!" he exclaimed. Joyce's face scrunched
up in disgust.
"Please! He's practically a brother!" She lifted her chin defiantly and stalked
past her brother. "It's Wedge."
"ANTILLIES?!" Han practically screamed. "How long?"
"A little over a year," she replied defiantly as Han sputtered.
"At least he's Corellian," Leia said soothingly. "It could have been another Man
dalorian." Han whirled on her.
"I expect you knew all about this?"
"I only found out last week," Leia argued. "And don't get tetchy with me."
Chewie let out several short barks and growls and Han stared at his best friend.
"You knew? And didn't tell me?" Chewie chortled and Han let out a small harrumph
. "Some friend."
Joyce was about to reply, but the sound of breaking glass startled the small gro
up. "That came from Buffy's room..." Padmé noted and the five ran the rest of the
way. Han got there first and threw open the door-
Only two find Buffy and Willow, flat on their butts, laughing like crazy. The re
mains of Buffy's coffee table lay scattered on the floor; Buffy's lightsaber hil
t lay in the center of the mess of broken glass. Han looked at the two women, th
en at the bottle in their hands.
"Buffy!" Han exclaimed.
"Willow!" Padmé added, staring at her sister in dismay. The two looked at each oth
er and then giggled.
"No, I'm Buffy," Willow slurred, pointing to herself, then at Buffy, "That's Wil
low."
"That's not rot...RIGHT! That's not right!" Buffy exclaimed, looking pleased at
getting the words right. "I can't be Willow! I'm not a redhead!"
"You're not a blonde, either," Willow snickered and Buffy mock-glared at her.
"Watch it..."
"You're drunk?" Joyce stated, amused and disgusted at same time. She looked over
at her brother. "Spirit of our father, indeed."
"Your father!" Buffy exclaimed with a sigh. "Your father was such a great man...
and such a great lay..." she sighed. Han looked stricken and even Joyce, the har
dened Mandalorian, looked queasy.
"Oh, god!" Han exclaimed. "I don't need to know that! I never needed to know tha
t!"
"Where do ya think Joyce came from?" Willow snickered and this time Joyce bolted
down the hall towards the bathroom. Buffy looked at Willow reproachfully.
"That wasn't nice."
"Ah, she earned that," Willow said, pulling herself to her feet. She swayed for
a moment and Han rushed in to steady her. After a moment, Willow looked up at hi
m and he was shocked to see tears in her eyes.
"I really am sorry for what I did -HIC- did to you," she admitted. "If I could g
o back and change one thing, it would be that."
Han awkwardly patted the distraught, drunken former Sith on the back. "That's...
 that's okay, Willow. Really."
"I can't believe you got her drunk, Willow!" Padmé hissed. Willow hiccupped and gi
ggled.
"Least could I do." Willow smiled, then frowned. "Wait, I didn't right that say.
.."
"No more tear!" Buffy exclaimed, jumping to her feet - then nearly falling on fa
ce before Chewie rushed forwards and steadied her. Buffy snuggled into his fur a
nd giggled. "Furby!"
Willow snorted. "Furby!" she agreed.
"This is the Sith Lord that tied to conquer to galaxy?" a returning Joyce stated
. "Hey! Red! What the heck are you doing to my mother?"
"We were celebrating!" Willow replied proudly.
"Yup, see, we decided we liked Corelelelelian ale," she paused and giggled at he
r mispronunciation, "but we also decided it's decidedly evil."
"So then we both decided we were quitting all this hero business and become Dark
Lords of the Scotch!"
Joyce groaned as Leia and Han both coughed back laughter. Buffy suddenly looked
sad as she turned over the now empty bottle. "Aw, we killed it!"
Willow giggled. "Silly! That's what Dark Lords -HIC!- do!" she exclaimed, before
promptly passing out. Buffy stood triumphantly.
"HA! I knew she wash as lightweighhhhh...." She was unconscious before she even
hit the flood. Padmé looked at the two sadly.
"Anakin will never let her live this down," she said.
====BtVS====
Dawn looked herself over in the mirror with a somber expression and, for the nin
eteenth time, smoothed her robes.
"You look fine," Zett said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around he
r. He nuzzled her neck lightly, then looked in her eyes through the mirror. "And
everything is going to be fine. I promise you that."
"Only people who could guarantee that are the Masters, which you ain't," Dawn sa
id lightly, then sighed. "I'm not as upset as I thought I'd be. Disappointed, su
re, but not upset. Buffy's alive and relatively sane; the Council's safe, nobody
else will die today. If the cost of preventing my vision was being kicked out o
f my second Council, then so be it."
Zett smiled. "A couple of months ago and you would have been smoldering about th
is."
"Vi wouldn't want me to dwell." Dawn turned around and gave him a soft kiss on t
he lips. "Shall we go?"
The two walked in companionable silence towards the Council's chambers. Dawn loo
ked out at the waning sun and frowned. "I wonder why they pushed the meeting bac
k?"
Zett bit back a grin. "I heard Willow paid Master Skywalker a visit to, er...che
er her up."
Dawn looked at her boyfriend wryly. "She got her drunk, didn't she?"
"Passed out at Padmé's feet."
Dawn let out a loud laugh that startled several Padawans around her. "Oh, I'm ne
ver going to let her live that down!"
They continued walking, with several of the younger Slayers stopping to wish her
luck. As she approached the Council doors, she found her old squad waiting out
front.
"They kick you out and we'll take them down," Rona joked, pulling Dawn into a ti
ght hug. "And if that doesn't work, we could always use another hand."
Dawn wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thanks, everyone. It means a lot - truly."
"Give 'em hell, Dawn!" Belle said. Dawn gave the girl a confident smile, then tu
rned and walked into the Council chambers. The first thing she noticed was that
it was much darker than it normally was - and soon the reason became obvious.
"Master Skywalker, may I get you a cup of coffee before I get kicked out?" Dawn
teased. Buffy groaned and sank lower into her chair.
"Somebody kill her," Buffy mumbled, causing a ripple of laughter through the Cou
ncil.
"Only if you can point out which one is real," Anakin added, drawing even more s
nickers. "Dark Lord of the Scotch, indeed," he added under his breath.
"If we're quite done?" Master Shryne asked. At the collected nods (very slight,
in Buffy's case), Roan began. "We are here today to decide the fate of Dawn Summ
ers, Padawan, in regards to her status in the Jedi Order. Before we begin, there
are two things. One, for obvious reasons, both Masters' Skywalker will abstain
from voting. Master Kenobi, despite his neophyte relationship with Buffy, will b
e allowed to vote, as I trust in his impartiality. Second, as we are all aware,
one of our seats remains empty. And I believe that now is the time to fill it."
Roan looked directly at Zett and then gestured towards the empty chair. "Take yo
ur seat, Master Jukassa."
Zett bowed, gave a sheepish smile to the stunned Dawn, then moved and took his s
eat in the Council. "For obvious reason, Master Jukassa won't be voting as well.
"
"Hang on!"
"Was there something you wished to say, Padawan?" Master Secura asked, vainly tr
ying to hide her smile and failing miserably.
"Zett's a Master?" she asked. Aayla nodded. "Zett's a Master..." she repeated to
herself, thinking rapidly. In an instant, her head shot up and she looked direc
tly at Roan. "For how long, sir?"
"A little over a week, now," he replied casually. "We asked him to keep it quiet
..."
"Because you knew I'd ask him for a PPG!" Dawn exclaimed loudly, causing Buffy t
o wince. "You knew I'd ask, even after you all turned me..." Dawn's shoulders sa
gged. "It was a test. My trials."
"Dawn..." Anakin started, but was cut off by her glare.
"I told you my vision. I showed you what would happen. Yet you decided to make t
his - THIS - my trials?"
"I'll explain," Buffy said quickly, cutting off Roan. Buffy rose unsteadily to h
er feet and was steadied by Obi-Wan, who got a glare for his efforts. "I thought
long and hard about your trials, Dawn," Buffy started. "I meditated for days. I
n the end, the Force guided me to this event. Unfortunately, the Force doesn't a
lways disclose everything.
"I had no idea how bad it would get," she continued. "I had no idea that C'baoth
...when I saw you standing on that walkway, god..."
Anakin laid a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Nobody was expecting what ha
ppened to happen," he said. "Master Kenobi and I were in on this from the start,
despite where we were; both of us agreed to it as well. If we had known then wh
at we know now, then perhaps we would have sent more across the barrier than a P
adawan and a demon-hunting group. Would we still have triumphed? I don't know. B
ut this does bring to mind a question I have for you Padawan - when you went acr
oss, what did you think would happen?"
"You mean, did I expect to win?" Dawn asked. Anakin nodded. "Yes, I did."
"Explain, please," Master Kilwallen asked.
"When I decided to go, I made a conscience choice to succeed ," Dawn explained.
"In my mind, if I failed, then all that I saw would come to pass. And that was u
nacceptable to me. So I decided that I was going to succeed."
"Or die trying?" Obi-Wan asked; Zett visibly tensed.
"No," Dawn replied calmly. "That wasn't an option either."
"Do, or do not. There is no try," Anakin quoted. "You certainly took that to hea
rt."
"Believe it or not, I took all of my training to heart," Dawn replied. "Unlike y
ou people."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Roan asked with an amused smile.
"Secretly promoting Zett, knowing that I'd ignore what the Council said and beg
him for a PPG anyway. You set me up!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the a
ir. "This is revenge, for me sticking it to you last time..."
"Nonsense," Master Sibwarra said, not even trying to hide her smile. "A Jedi nev
er seeks revenge..."
"Perhaps we should get back to the matters at hand, Masters," Obi-Wan said, risi
ng from his chair. "Today this Council meets to decide if Padawan Dawn Summers i
s ready to advance to the level of Jedi Knight. All those who agree, say 'Aye'."
One after another, all the voting Masters said 'Aye' to an astonished Dawn. As t
he last vote was cast, the Masters all lit their lightsabers. "Padawan, kneel,"
Obi-Wan instructed. Dawn got down to one knee, but looked warily as Buffy approa
ched.
"Uhh... not that I'm not honored that you'd want to be the one, Master," she sai
d nervously, "but I don't trust you to be anywhere near my head with that saber
right now."
Buffy hesitated and then sighed. "Yeah. Wouldn't do well to kill my first Padawa
n right as she graduates."
"I shall do it," Master Kilwallen said. Buffy fell back as the elder Master appr
oached. She paused and gave Dawn an appraising look.
"I never quite agreed with Buffy taking you on, nor have I always been in favor
of you remaining in this Order." She paused, then smiled softly. "Never before h
ave I been so happy to be wrong about my opinions." Ydra lowered her lightsaber
and with a slight flick severed the Padawan braid that hung over Dawn's right ea
r. "By the will of this Council, I now proclaim you a Knight of the Jedi Order.
Rise, Jedi Knight Summers."
Dawn rose, then sent a glare towards Zett that clearly said Later. She bowed in
respect, then smiled.
"Well, if there isn't anything else..."
"There isn't," Buffy assured her.
"Good. 'Cause I've got something to do. Masters." She bowed once more, then turn
ed and walked briskly out of the Council chambers. The Masters could hear the Sl
ayer congratulating their old Watcher and Anakin looked over at Zett with pity i
n his eyes.
"I don't envy you tonight."
"This is all your fault," was all he said before taking his leave, much to the a
musement of the other Masters.
====BtVS====
Several hours later, Dawn approached Joyce down at the Memorial Wall, where she
was paying respects to her father.
"Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum Jacen Solo."
"Am I interrupting?" Dawn asked, coming to a stop behind the other girl.
"Me'copaani? " Joyce asked as she rose, but stopped and stared in amusement at D
awn. "What did you do to your hair?"
Dawn smiled and brushed her now-long hair behind her neck. "Got a promotion."
"Kandosii!" Joyce replied. "So that's the first thing you do? Get your hair done
?"
"Do you know how long Tara's been holding onto that hair-restoration spell for m
e?" Dawn asked. "I was just waiting for that promotion to get rid of that god-aw
ful haircut."
"So what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be celebrating with your boyfrien
d?"
Dawn scowled. "He and I will be having words later. Right now, though, I'm here
about you." She glanced worriedly on her niece. "I heard about what happened on
Cloud City."
"I didn't use my powers..."
"Not your Jedi powers, no," Dawn replied. "But your Slayer powers, yes. You tapp
ed into that darkness that is the Slayer and I know that must have scared you."
"It still wasn't enough," Joyce snarled. "Fett still got away."
"That's because you lacked the proper training."
Joyce just shook her head. "I already told the old man. I don't want any more of
hat new-age Jedi crap. It just doesn't suit me."
"No, I agree," Dawn said, crossing her arms behind her back. "You're too much li
ke your mother, when she was younger. No, you don't need a Master." Dawn smiled.
"What you need is a Watcher."
Joyce looked at her unbelieving, then turned and looked back at the wall to wher
e Dawn's gaze was traveling.
Violet 'Vi' Dames
"Uh, Dawn..." she started. "Two things - one, you quit that Council and two, you
r last Slayer... well, was killed. After that, I was under the impression you di
dn't want that anymore."
"For a while, I didn't," Dawn admitted, still staring at her friend's name. "Vi
was more than my Slayer; she was my best friend here. After she was killed, I wa
s so angry for so long..." she sighed. "The point is, I know how you're feeling,
because I've felt the same thing. I know what it's like to want skira, to let i
t consume you. But I also know how to help, if you'll let me." At Joyce's incred
ulous look, Dawn pressed on. "Look, I know we haven't always gotten on. Part of
it is how similar we look - I see myself every time I look at you and it reminds
me exactly how I came about. And I guess we've both been striving to gain Buffy
's love, in our own ways. But it's time we put that all behind us. If you fall,
Joyce, it would destroy Buffy just as much as it would if I fell, or were killed
. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. So please, let me help you."
"But what about your Watcher's Council?" Joyce asked. "Won't they have something
to say about this?"
"Benefits of being a newly minted Jedi Knight with a Sith Lord under her belt. T
hey'll allow me to take an apprentice." Dawn grinned. "I always love finding way
s around the rules. Cheat to win, you know?"
Joyce chuckled. "Not a very good policy for a Jedi."
"But a pretty good policy for a Slayer." Dawn reached out her hand. "So what do
you say?"
Joyce considered her Aunt for a moment, then stared back at the wall. The two na
mes - Violet 'Vi' Dames and Jacen Solo - stood out to her. Finally, she looked b
ack to Dawn and grasped her hand.
"Vor entye," she replied, shaking her hand.
====BtVS====
"I trust you've learned your lesson?" Anakin said softly as he entered his quart
ers. Willow lay splayed out on the couch, with Padmé tending to her. Willow nodded
weakly. "Good. No more getting my sister drunk. Nor yourself - it's unbefitting
to a Padawan."
"Yes, sir."
"And no more knocking me out to go on adventures!" Anakin added, a smile in his
voice.
"And here I thought I was following your lofty example."
Anakin smirked, then turned to his wife. "Don't keep her up too late. I got a bi
g day planned tomorrow."
"Joy," Willow replied dryly.
Padmé smiled at her husband as he entered their bedroom and closed the door, then
turned back t her sister. "So, how are you really holding up?"
"Well, I finally got to meet my daughter," Willow sighed. "I hope I was able to
talk some sense into her. I want her to break free..."
"Well, once we defeat the Empire, it should be very easy for her to break..." sh
e trailed off as she saw the look on Willow's face. "What?"
"We've talked about this, Padmé. It's not as simple as that."
"I refuse to believe that the Republic that stood for ten thousand years cannot
rise again..." Padmé started, but Willow held up a pained hand.
"The Republic is dead, Padmé," she argued. "It was dying, even before Palpatine to
ok over. It would have died if he hadn't taken over. The Empire appeals to a lot
of worlds and will still appeal to worlds after Palpatine is dead. What you hav
e to do is help others prepare for that eventuality. Contact the old crowd, Padmé.
Make your presence felt. Prepare them, not for a total victory, but for an unea
sy, but working, peace."
"And what will you be doing, Willow?" Padmé asked suspiciously. Willow sighed.
"Making use of my contacts," she replied. "And hopefully preparing a galaxy wher
e my daughter can live in peace.
====BtVS====
"May I join you?"
Obi-Wan stepped out onto the balcony where Buffy stood, looking over the lake as
 night fell. Down below he spied Dawn and Joyce clasping hands, before they both
turned and headed inside. "Wonder what that was all about?"
"I think Dawn found her first apprentice," Buffy said, a smile in her voice. "So
rry."
"Well I'm not," Obi-Wan replied, rubbing his jaw. "That girl packs quite a punch
."
"I'm just glad they've been able to put their differences behind them."
"And how are you holding up?"
Buffy sighed. "Better, now. Willow really helped - don't!" she said sternly at h
is amused look. "It may not have been the best way, but she pulled me out of my
funk. Now I just have to keep myself out."
"You don't have to do it all by yourself," Obi-Wan pointed out. "I'd like to hel
p, too."
Buffy turned towards Obi-Wan and leaned against the balcony. "You know, there wa
s a time... before the war, before Jacen... that I thought that maybe you and I
would end up together, Council be damned. But then Corellia happened... I loved
Jacen," she said, trying to make Obi-Wan understand, "and in a lot of ways, I st
ill do. But I'm starting to think that maybe I'm ready to move on..."
Obi-Wan moved to Buffy and put his hands on her shoulders. "Moving on doesn't me
an forgetting. I shall never forget Siri; but I won't deny my feelings for you a
ny longer. She wouldn't want me to. Just as Jacen would want you to be happy." O
bi-Wan smiled. "I hope I can be the one to make you happy again."
Buffy moved in and wrapped her arms around Obi-Wan and rested her head on his sh
oulder. "Can we take it slow?"
Obi-Wan chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere."
====BtVS====
Han sighed as he looked over the schematics to the Falcon that Fred had given hi
m. She had made a lot of changes to his ship - all of them good, many of them th
ings he wish he'd had when he was smuggling. His father's cloaking device was no
w fully integrated, as well as the Ship Portal Generator. She had also added som
e new weapons, ablative armoring on the hull and a bunch of other things he coul
dn't begin to understand.
"Everything okay, Han?"
Han looked up to see Leia leaning against the doorway, a cocky look on her face
that closely matched the one he usually wore. "Why are you so happy, Princess?"
"Well, I got good news and bad news," she said, pushing off the doorframe and wa
lking into the room. "The good news is that you'll be released tomorrow. The bad
news is that you won't be leaving Earth for a while, at least until we get thin
gs settled with Jabba the Hutt."
"How are we going to do that?"
Leia smirked. "Well, Luke actually came up with an idea," she stated. "It needs
a bit of work, but give us a few weeks and we'll nail it."
"How is Joyce doing?" he asked seriously. Leia sighed and sat on the edge of his
bed.
"Better, I think. She dropped Obi-Wan as a Master and Dawn's taken her on now...
"
"Dawn? Buffy's sister Dawn? Wasn't she just promoted today?"
"I talked to her briefly; she said she was going to be more of a Watcher than a
Jedi Master."
"Whatever keeps her honest," Han replied. "Speaking of which..."
"You will not hurt Wedge. At all. For any reason," she said, her tone brokering
no argument. "Understand?"
Han smirked, then pulled her down to him. "Whatever you say, your Worshipfulness
," he said, before kissing her senseless.
====BtVS====
"My father went through the same thing."
Luke sat down across from Wedge in the crowded commissary. It was after ten, man
y of the teams were preparing to go out on patrols across the country and were c
atching a last meal. More than a few were staring at the two pilots with lust-fi
lled eyes.
"Don't suppose telling them I'm married would do anything?" he asked. Luke shook
his head and Wedge sighed. "What did Anakin do?"
"Got Buffy to put a stop to it," Luke smirked. "In your case, don't hold your br
eath. You married her only daughter, in secret. She won't be very forgiving of t
hat."
"I thought everyone knew?" he groused. Luke laughed outright.
"Everyone did know. But that won't change a thing."
"So what's next, Boss?" Wedge asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Well, first thing first is we settle things with Jabba," Luke said. "Then we pr
epare for the final push. We've gotten some intel from Karrde- Palpatine is buil
ding a new Death Star. My mother and Willow are cooking something up, I know. Bu
t we'll have to start planning on how to take it out before he can make the stat
ion fully operational."
"Do you think we can actually win this thing?" Wedge asked at length. "Do you th
ink we'll know peace in our lifetime?"
"I certainly hope so," Luke replied, lifting his cup in a salute. "To peace."
"To peace," Wedge replied.
====BtVS====
Mara sat in her darkened quarters on the Executor, meditating quietly on what he
r mother had said to her. She was nothing like I expected, Mara thought to herse
lf. If I only knew her, truly knew her...
Her door chimed and Mara pulled herself out of her meditation. "Enter!" she call
ed, then stood at attention as Lord Halcyon entered the room, sealing the door b
ehind him. "Lord Halcyon," she said, bowing. "How may I serve our Emperor?"
"I could feel your distress on the bridge, Hand," Halcyon said simply, walking p
ast her to stare out the viewport behind her. "Rest assured, our Master can feel
it as well."
"My apologies, Lord Halcyon. My mind has been...cluttered, since Cloud City."
"Since your mother, you mean." Halcyon turned to face her. "What did she say tha
t upset you so?"
"I met my mother, that was upsetting enough," Mara snapped, then sighed. "I'm so
rry, Master. It's just... she said that I should ask who I should be serving - t
he Emperor or the Empire. And for the life of me, I just can't figure out the an
swer."
"The Emperor is the Empire," Halcyon said simply.
"And when he dies?" Mara shot back. "Despite everything he's done, he's still no
t immortal. When he dies, I'll bet that the Empire will have very little use for
people like us."
"There will always be a need for people like us," Halcyon replied.
"And if I don't want to be that kind of person?" Mara retorted. "It's been said
that a person is defined by the choices they make. But I've never had the opport
unity to make those choices. Ever since birth, I've been raised on Imperial City
, taught by the finest teachers, guided by the most powerful man in the galaxy,
all towards one goal - to make me the perfect assassin, the perfect warrior - ne
ither Jedi nor Sith, who would follow the command of the Emperor without questio
n or hesitation. And it's worked - his hold over me is so great, I can hear him
across the galaxy. He can compel me to kill anyone, anywhere, any time. But a pe
rson can only go through so much before it starts to get to them."
Halcyon moved in close. "If you find yourself unable to do your job, then you ca
n be replaced..."
"And what of you, Nejaa?" Mara asked. "You chose to become what you are today. B
ut your family is still out there - we both know it! What's stopping you from go
ing to them..."
"Your MOTHER made this choice for me!" Halcyon snarled, his hand shooting up and
grasping Mara by the throat. "She made the choice when she and Anakin mutilated
me and left me for dead!" In anger, he tossed her away and Mara hit the far bul
khead hard. She staggered forward slightly, ready to fight if necessary, but Hal
cyon's shoulders sagged and he fell into a nearby chair. "As for my family - how
could I face them like this? I forsake my Order for revenge - revenge that turn
ed out to be merely superficial. I thought I was avenging their deaths; instead,
 I only wanted to avenge my own disfigurement. Everything I was, everything I fo
ught for, died that day in the temple; all that's left is this bitter husk of a
man. You say that our choices define who we are; this is who I am now."
"But what if it wasn't who you had to be?" Mara asked quietly. "What if you coul
d be more?"
"There is no more," Halcyon replied sadly, rising to his feet and moving to the
door. As he passed through the now open door, he stopped and turned to look at M
ara. "This is all I have left. Though I pray that you can find something more fo
r yourself." With that, he turned and walked out of the room, letting the door c
lose on Mara and leaving her in the darkness once more.
====BtVS====
And so ends Star Wars - Episode V: Trials of the Empire. It's taken me longer th
an I expected, but I finally did it. Coming soon will be Star Wars - Episode VI-
Jedi Rising.
The Nature Boy Presents
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....
Star Wars
Episode 6
Rise of the Jedi
It is a time of turmoil and celebration for the Skywalkers, Solos, Summers and t
he Alliance as a whole. The official wedding of Joyce Solo to Wedge Antilles, th
ough a joyous occasion, is still overshadowed by the threat of the Empire and th
e villainous Jabba the Hutt. News of a new Death Star has filtered to the Rebel
Alliance; the evil Emperor Palpatine has hatched a new plan to ensnare the Skywa
lker and Xander Harris, the heart of the Scoobies, has been missing for several
months.
As the Slayers and Jedi struggle to deal with the multitude of problems, those w
ho have been unable to help will find themselves thrust into the middle of the c
risis. Padmé Skywalker - former Queen and Senator of Naboo, founding member of the
Rebel Alliance, must once again take an active role in rallying the Alliance me
mbers for once final battle; Willow Rosenberg, once the Dark Lady Traya, must on
ce again delve into the Dark Side of her own past if she is to have any hope of
defeating the Emperor and saving her daughter; Luke Skywalker and Leia Nabberie,
in their roles as warrior and leader respectively, must rally their troops to s
top the insidious plans of Palpatine...and one of their own, after years of soul
searching, will finally take their place in battle in a desperate ploy for vict
ory. For victory there must be, for in the shadow of death, new life awaits...
Disclaimer: Star Wars and its characters are owned by George Lucas and Lucas Fil
ms. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Mut
ant Enemy. I own neither.
Dramatis Personae
Buffy Summers-Skywalker; Jedi Master, Senior Slayer (female human)
Willow Rosenberg-Naberrie; Force-Sensitive Witch (female human)
Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Master (human male)
Padmé Skywalker (female human)
Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master (human male)
Aayla Secura; Jedi Master (female Twi'lek)
Bol Chatak; Jedi Master (male Zabrak)
Roan Shryne; Jedi Master (human male)
Ydra Kilwallen; Jedi Master (female Mirialan)
Teryl Sibwarra; Jedi Master (Female Kuat)
Zett Jukassa; Jedi Master (human male)
Serra Keto; Jedi Knight (human female)
Olee Starstone; Jedi Padawan (female human)
Dawn Summers; Jedi Knight (female human)
Luke Skywalker; Jedi Apprentice (male human)
Leia Naberrie; Jedi Apprentice (female human)
Han Solo; Captain, Millennium Falcon (human male)
Chewbacca; co-pilot, Millennium Falcon (male Wookie)
Joyce Antilles; Mandalorian Slayer, Jedi Apprentice (female human)
Boba Fett; Mandalorian Bounty Hunter (human male)
Qui-Gon Jin; Force Apparition (male human)
Talon Karrde; Smuggler, Captain, Wild Karrde (Human male)
Darth Vader (Jorus C'baoth); Sith Lord (male human)
Nejaa Halcyon; Master Hand (human male)
Mara Jade; Emperor's Hand (female human)
Wedge Antilles; Rebel Pilot (male human)
Lord Nigel Ambrose-Bellairs; Head, Watcher's Council (male human)
Xander Harris; Wather's Council Represenative (male human)
Rupert Giles; Senior Watcher (male human)
Faith Lehane; Senior Slayer (female human)
Wesley Whyndam-Pryce; Watcher (male human)
Winefred Burkle; Council Tech Specialist (female human)
Spike; Council Operative (male vampire)
Angel; Council Operative (male vampire)
See-Threepio; Droid
Artoo-Deetoo; Droid
Episode 6 Chapter 1
An Overdue Wedding
"This is all kriffing ridiculous."
Joyce looked at her reflection in the mirror - first one side, then the other. T
he long white wedding gown seemed to gleam in the sunlight. She stared at the fr
illy, lacy thing with undisguised contempt. "Why do I need to wear this blasted
thing? I can barely move in it!"
"You're wearing it to keep your mother happy," Dawn said as she worked on the Ma
ndalorian's hair - not an easy feat. "You know, your mother, who you didn't both
er to tell that you got married in the first place? The one who's still my Maste
r and therefore can make my life miserable to make your life miserable..."
"Yeah, yeah. Like I care about that," Joyce grumbled. "Frankly, she's making my
life miserable just by insisting that we have this blasted ceremony. I mean - wh
at does it matter? Wedge and I are married under Mando law, its official, end of
story!"
Dawn shook her head in mock sympathy. "No one will ever confuse you for a hopele
ss romantic, Joyce." She chuckled as she placed the veil on Joyce's head. "It's
every mother's dream to see their baby girl get married. Just deal with it, then
look forward to the honeymoon."
"Still a war on," Joyce noted. "No honeymoon until it's over."
"Buffy's got a plan," Dawn said and sighed in satisfaction as she stared at Joyc
e's reflection in the long mirror. "Man, I hope I look as good when I get marrie
d."
Joyce smirked. "Well, we do look somewhat alike, so you could probably bet on it
. Still, I m better looking than you..."
"Watch it, buster, or I won't give you any time off to consummate the marriage."
"Already took care of that a long time ago," Joyce said with a broad grin. Dawn
groaned.
"Let's go take care of your make-up - with a minor miracle we may be able to mak
e you look somewhat decent."
"Yes, Master."
"Thanks for doing this for me, Luke. I know you've been busy..."
Wedge fidgeted in his suit, hopelessly fiddling with his bow tie. Once again he
undid the knot and attempted to retie it. "How do you do this kriffing knot..."
"Here, allow me." Luke moved over and tied the tie effortlessly, then smiled imp
ishly. "Benefits of having a Senator for a sister and a former Queen for a mothe
r. You learn how to dress up."
"You go to a lot of balls on Tatooine, did ya?" Han asked from his seat on the b
ed.
"No, but I did visit my grandparents on Naboo more than once." He smiled at the
nervous groom. "And it was no problem. All I've been doing in Quinn's old hut wa
s meditating and building my new lightsaber. Nothing I couldn't take a break fro
m, especially for my wing mate's wedding."
"Now that it's official, and all..." Han grumbled to himself. "Still can't belie
ve she did that..."
"Would you give it a rest already, Han?" Wedge asked in exasperation. "She knew
you'd give her a hard time, so we kept it quiet. We were planning on having this
after the war..."
"But you didn't count on the wrath of Buffy," Han replied, smirking. "Finally ha
d to do it just to shut her up."
"And you get to walk the bride down the isle, so everyone's happy." He glanced a
t the watch on his wrist, staring at the unfamiliar numbers for a few moments be
fore giving up. "Is it time yet?"
"Why are you so anxious? You're already married!" Han exclaimed. Luke nodded.
"Just think of it as reconfirming your vows."
"It was one thing to do it at a Mando ceremony. Short, simple, two witnesses. Th
is time, it's a circus!"
"At least you know almost everybody," Han said.
"And at least now the Slayers will leave you alone, since the 'marriage' will be
official," Luke smirked. Wedge groaned.
"Very funny."
It was a beautiful day for a wedding, especially considering English weather. Th
e wedding tent had been set up on the far side of the lake, close to the forest
and a respectable distance from the memorial wall. The guests - including Padmé's
parents and Luke's uncle and aunt, sat on the left with the rest of the Jedi Ord
er. On the right sat the Slayers, various Council members (Sir Nigel was conspic
uous in his absence - exactly what Joyce had wanted) and the members of Rogue sq
uadron, who had been brought over (to their confusion and amazement), just for t
he occasion.
At the moment, Buffy was busy greeting guests while Willow fidgeted nervously in
her seat. She was seated with her adopted parents and Padmé; Anakin had also deci
ded to forgo sitting with his own Order to sit with his in-laws and relatives. B
uffy greeted the last of the guests as Luke and Wedge made their way down the ai
sle and then took her seat next to Willow.
"Never thought I'd see this day," Buffy said in amazement. "The day when I'd hav
e a daughter and she'd be getting married!"
"Sure did make sure it happened soon enough once the cat got out of the bag, tho
ugh, didn't you?" Willow snickered. She hid it well, but Buffy could feel the sh
ame and nervousness bubbling under the surface and she reached a calming hand ov
er and laid it in her shoulder. She drew back when Willow flinched, only just re
alizing she had laid her mechanical hand on her friend's shoulder instead of her
real one. "Sorry."
"No, that was my bad," Buffy replied.
Willow sighed. "I just feel like I shouldn't be here..."
"If Joyce didn't want you here, you wouldn't be here. Read Ambrose-Bellairs, Lor
d Nigel," Buffy snickered. "You should have seen how red his face got..."
"Not an attitude befitting a Jedi there, sister," Anakin chastised lightly. "You
're a Master, you need to set an example."
"It still rankles me the way he treated the Slayers before Giles and Faith set h
im straight," Buffy complained. "And he's made our lives much more difficult tha
n they should have been."
"Still, as a Master, you should always reach for forgiveness and understanding,"
he paused, but couldn't resist adding, "Of course, in your case you may need a
stepladder..."
Willow giggled nervously and Buffy sighed. "Will, you're welcome here, so be a m
an and suck it up!"
Willow glanced over at Buffy with a wry expression on her face. "I'm gay, not bu
tch."
Joyce peered nervously out from behind the wall where she waited with her brothe
r. She swallowed at the sight of so many people, then scowled.
"For the love of the Force... I became a Mando warrior and this of all things is
scaring me!"
"It's not every day you have a wedding where most of the guests show up armed,"
Han remarked, looking over the Jedi. Joyce snorted.
"Come to a Mando wedding. Then you'll rethink that statement." Han chuckled at t
hat, but she saw him looking at her with misted eyes. "Oh, gods. You're not goin
g to cry, are you?"
"I was just thinking..."
"Don't strain yourself. You still need to walk in a straight line."
"I was just thinking," Han started over again, "how absolutely beautiful you loo
k today. And..."
Joyce frowned as he trailed off. "And what?"
Han choked back a small sob, even as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "And I wa
s thinking how proud dad would be of you today." Joyce smiled and a few tears le
aked out from the corners of her eyes, but before she could say anything, 'Here
comes the bride' played over the speakers. Han smiled and extended his arm. "Sha
ll we?"
The strains of the Wedding March started playing and Wedge straightened his tux
jacket, even as Luke adjusted his dress robes. Wedge looked him over once more i
n amusement. "I can't believe my best man came in a bath robe."
"Be thankful I found one with pockets for the rings, Wedge," Luke replied wryly.
Wedge was about to respond when he spied his bride coming across the lawn towar
ds him and his breath hitched. He had seen her in all manners of get-ups - from
pilot, to warrior, to even naked; but this was the first time he had seen her lo
ok so...feminine. At that moment, Wedge thanked whatever gods were listening for
giving him the heart of the most beautiful creature in the galaxy.
"Luke?"
"Yeah, Wedge?"
"You got the rings, Luke?"
The young Jedi smirked. "What's it worth to you?"
"Wanna die, Luke?"
It was a beautiful ceremony. Master Kenobi proceeded over the wedding; Han gave
the bride away in their father's stead, Dawn stood by Joyce as her maid of honor
.
"Friends, we are here today to perform a sacred act; one that has not been perfo
rmed for a member of this order for many centuries. We are gathered here today t
o join Joyce Solo, Slayer and Jedi Padawan, and Wedge Antilles, Commander of Rog
ue Squadron, in the bonds of matrimony. If anyone here has any cause why this sh
ould not be so, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
There was dead silence as both the bride and groom turned their heads as one and
glared out at the audience. Dawn smirked outright, while Luke tried his best to
maintain his composure.
"Right. Rather thought not," Obi-Wan said. Light laughter flitted up from the as
sembled guests. "Now, marriage is a sacred commitment and one not to be taken li
ghtly. Though, this shouldn't be news to either of you, seeing as you two are al
ready married." The crowd laughed some more. "Now, I have a request from the bri
de and groom for, what they termed, the 'short, short version'; however, I do ha
ve to work with your mother, so this will be a bit drawn out. Joyce, do you wish
to recite your vows?"
Joyce cleared her throat quietly, then looked into her husbands eyes. "I've neve
r been the easiest person to live with, Wedge. And I know that I'm usually not t
he most...feminine...woman out there. I tend to be violent and repress my emotio
ns, something that isn't healthy for either a Jedi or a Slayer. But you have kep
t me grounded these past two years. You've stood by me, protected me, fought wit
h me and besides me - and you never gave up on me. On us. For that I thank you,
and I pledge my love until the day I die."
Obi-Wan nodded at Joyce, then turned to Wedge. "Wedge, do you wish to recite you
r vows?"
Wedge smiled, his eyes never leaving Joyce's. "Ever since that day you saved me,
coming out of the trench run on the Death Star, I knew you and I were destined
to be together. We haven't had the easiest road together... and perhaps we made
some bad decisions along the way. But over two years later, here we are. Surroun
ded by our friends, out family, finally ready to state publicly what we've felt
all along - that we love one another, and that we will be by each other's side u
ntil the day we finally shuffle off this mortal coil. I love you, Joyce Solo, an
d I pledge to live my life and, if necessary, give my life, for you."
Obi-Wan smiled. "Joyce Solo, do you freely bind yourself to Wedge Antilles to be
his companion, partner, aid and comfort for all the days of your life?"
Joyce smiled radiantly. "I do."
Buffy watched the ceremony without seeing her daughter. Instead, on the raised p
latform she saw herself, several years ago, gazing into the handsome face of Jac
en Solo. To her left stood Willow, her long red hair glistening in the sunlight;
Joyce cradled safely in her arms. Next to Jacen stood his friend and former com
mander Thomasen; Han stood slightly behind him, their rings sitting on a small p
illow. Out in the audience her friends and family stood - Anakin and Shmi, Obi-W
an and Mace, Dawn, Xander and Giles.
Mace stood in front of the couple, officiating over the ceremony. "Buffy Summers
-Skywalker, do you freely bind yourself to Jacen Solo to be his companion, partn
er, aid and comfort for all the days of your life?"
Buffy smiled, happy tears filling her eyes. "I do."
Obi-Wan smiled, then turned to Wedge. "And do you, Wedge Antilles, promise to fo
rsake all others, to be Joyce's comfort and confidant, friend, lover and compani
on for your Mortal Days?"
Wedge beamed. "I do."
Mace smiled, then turned to Jacen. "And do you, Jacen Solo, promise to forsake a
ll others, to be Buffy's comfort and confidant, friend, lover and companion for
your Mortal Days?"
Jacen grinned the familiar Solo grin. "I do."
"The rings, please," Obi-Wan asked. Luke quickly fetched them out of his pocket
and handed them to the elder Jedi. Obi-Wan took them, and held them up between h
is thumb and forefinger, one ring in each hand. "The rings are a symbol of your
love, unbroken and shining. They show the galaxy the vows you make here today."
In her mind's eye, Buffy sees Jacen slip the ring onto her finger, even as she s
lips hers onto his. As her daughter does the same, Buffy absently rubs her ring
finger where the band would have been. A tear runs down her cheek and she closes
her eyes to keep the rest from falling. Quietly, to herself, she finally utters
the two words that she has been so reluctant, so fearful to say for so long.
"Goodbye, Jacen."
Next to her, Willow holds back tears of her own and takes a small comfort when P
admé gently squeezes her hand.
Obi-Wan beamed at the couple. "You have exchanged vows and rings. I pronounce yo
u husband and wife. You may-" the elder Jedi stopped abruptly as Joyce flew into
Wedge's arms and the kissed passionately. "Oh, my," he finished. "Ladies and Ge
ntlemen, I present to you the Antilles."
The couple pulled away and beamed at the applauding audience. Then, hand in hand
, the newly re-affirmed husband and wife walked the aisle, leading the processio
n back up to the Council building and the waiting reception.
"I can't thank you enough for hosting the wedding, Buffy," Wedge was saying late
r. All around them couples danced, drank champagne and ate cake cut from a four-
tiered wedding cake - dark chocolate, at Buffy's insistence. Buffy laughed light
ly and waved the thanks aside. "It was no problem. Getting the Rogues here was a
logistical nightmare, but even then..."
"Well, at least we knew there wouldn't be any disruptions. If we had had it acro
ss the barrier and Jabba found out..."
"Yeah, that would have been bad," Joyce remarked. "But that should be cleared up
pretty soon. Dawn and I have been working on a plan..."
"I don't want to know," Buffy interrupted. "Plausible deniability is key in my j
ob."
"Well, we were hoping for your help. Yours and Willow's, believe it or not," Joy
ce paused and looked around for the redhead. "Say, where is she, anyway? I actua
lly invite her to the wedding and she doesn't even stick around to congratulate
me?"
"She wasn't feeling very well, actually," Buffy replied. "She said she needed to
 lay down for a bit."
"And Xander?" Wedge asked. "Any news on him?"
Buffy sighed in exasperation. "No. He left shortly before we got back - told Aay
la that there was a mission he needed to carry out and that he might be gone for
a while. But that was over a month ago and we still haven't heard anything. He
even turned his PPG off so we couldn't track him!"
"How's Master Secura taking it?" Wedge asked.
"Good, all things considered," the Slayer replied. "She knows as well as I do th
at Xander has been worried about their future once we go back. We've talked abou
t it several times... he scared that he won't have a place with us, which is rid
iculous."
"Is it really?" Obi-Wan chimed in. At the look in Buffy's eyes, he held up a han
d to head her off. "Just look at it from his perspective. He's a perfectly norma
l, healthy man surrounded by people who can do amazing things, be it through the
Force or sheer physical feats. He's bound to feel weak and somewhat useless. He
's trying to find a way to be useful to the war, to the Jedi - trying to find hi
s place. Trying to be helpful."
"He can be helpful by getting his butt back here," Buffy groused.
"Well, all you had to do was ask."
Buffy spun and stared in amazement as Xander came to a stopped right behind her.
His hair had grown longer and a beard now adorned his face, which only accentua
ted the eye patch he still wore. He was dressed in pilot's garb - loose fitting
pants, a heavy shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a utility vest worn opened a
bove it. He carried a small knapsack across his back and a blaster pistol was st
rapped to his thigh. The Jedi Master could tell from the look of him that he had
spent several months on a freighter just by looking at him.
Buffy yelled out in joy as she grabbed Xander into a fierce hug. "Wuh duh ma huh
tah duh fong kwong duh wai shung!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been, Xander!
I've been worried sick..."
"Sorry about that," Xander said meekly. "We would have been back sooner, but we
could risk our leads drying up by taking the time to report in. It's been lighte
ning strikes all the way."
"We..." For the first time, she spotted the person behind Xander. "Karrde? What
are you doing here?"
Talon Karrde, smuggler and information broker extraordinaire, smirked at the Sla
yer-come-Jedi. "Well, I was under the impression that I was invited. And I would
n't have missed this - not only was the wedding in another dimension, but I fina
lly got to see a Mandalorian in a dress."
Joyce grinned wryly as Wedge laughed outright. "I know you like to live dangerou
sly Karrde, but don't push your luck."
"Trust me. When you see what we got you for your wedding gift, you'll forget all
about my smart remarks."
Buffy's eyes narrowed. "This mission of yours better not have been about wedding
gifts, Xander. Some serious stuff has gone down in your absence."
"Well, it wasn't," Xander started, pulling out a small, portable holo projector
from the sack, "But, as they say, timing is everything. And it just so happened
I found this at the right time." He switched the projector on, and a small, thre
e dimensional image appeared hovering over his palm. In it was a seemingly endle
ss fleet of old ARC and Jedi starfighters; in the background Buffy could make ou
t several Venator-class Star Destroyers. And in the foreground, nearly out of th
e holo's image, were rows and rows of cloning tanks.
Full cloning tanks, each holding a fully matured clone in the Civil War era armo
r.
"After all, what else do you get for the warrior how has everything except her o
wn personal army?"
TBC...
Aaaaand we're off! The final chapter in the Chosen Saga starts here! Comming soo
n- Where is this frozen army? What do Dawn and Joyce have planned for Jabba? And
what roles will Padme, Willow and Buffy play in building up the troops as we pu
sh towards that final battle? Find out soon!
Episode 6 Ch 2
Return to Kamino
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing - Lucas owns Star Wars, Whedon owns Buffy, Zahn owns K
arrde - well, actually, I own Joyce. Boo-ya!
A/N: Thanks as always to my beta and editors Fallenstar2 and Winterd. As a speci
al treat, I'm already working on the next chapter. I decided to finished this st
ory before working on anything else - while it won't be finished by the end of t
he year, I hope to have it finished by at least February. All in all, look for a
bout 10 chapters.
Of course, more reviews equal faster chapters. And I promise to try and actually
respond to reviews, something I haven't been doing since FF banned responding i
n the stories themselves.
The stillness of space was disturbed briefly as a bright light flashed, revealin
g the smuggling ship Wild Karrde in its wake. The ship sped silently through spa
ce towards the frozen planet in the far side of the system.
"We'll reach the target in about fifteen minutes," Xander announced, sitting bac
k in the pilots chair.
Karrde nodded, turning to his guests. Buffy, Anakin, Willow, Dawn, Obi-Wan and J
oyce had taken over the various stations on the bridge; Olee Starstone, recently
promoted to Master and placed in charge of the Jedi Archives, was present as we
ll, standing next to Buffy. Karrde had given the normal crew leave, allowing the
Jedi and their friends to fill in for the voyage. "Xander has been the most eag
er student I've had in quite a while. It took time to get him up to speed, but o
nce he did..."
"Quite a departure from high school, if I remember correctly," Buffy said dryly.
"Yeah, well your memories are a few years older, so..."
"Watch it!" Buffy teased. "So now that we're almost here, why don't you tell us
exactly what in the Force you've been doing for the past few weeks?"
"It's been a few months for me," Xander said, gesturing at his unshaven face. "H
ow's Aayla been?"
"Worried," Anakin replied. "She had an idea you'd try something like this, but s
till..."
"I couldn't just sit around anymore," Xander explained.
"Xander, you do more than that..." Buffy started, but was cut off by the carpent
er.
"No, I do exactly that," he replied. "I'm not super-strong, I can't move things
with my mind; I can punch bad guys and fix windows. And when the time comes for
the Jedi to come back here - if me and Aayla get married, what would I do? I nee
d to so something to get myself up to speed over here, otherwise I would have ju
st been in the way."
"Of course, he doesn't give himself enough credit," Karrde added. "He's sparred
with most of my crew and always does rather well. Of course, we've been able to
teach him a few new tricks..."
"And now I can at least fly a ship like this, so I'm not completely helpless if
I need to get around," Xander finished.
"All right, so you've been training," Joyce summarized. "Now what's that have to
do with my wedding present?"
"You really should have worded that differently," Dawn groused, rolling her eyes
.
"Well, it comes back to a few things I was reading about in the archives one nig
ht. There were references to a lost fleet of warships, which I thought, 'If they
could be found, could really help in the war effort'. But then I started readin
g more recent reports - stuff Karrde had gotten for us, to keep us up to date wi
th what has been going on - they talked about a lost army, created in the early
days of the Empire by the Kaminoans when they realized just how unnecessary they
had become to the Emperor. Reports stated that they created their own army and
threatened revolt, so the Emperor sent in the 501st."
"Vader's Fist," Olee explained, "his elite squadron, hand-picked by the Dark Lor
d. Figure them to be equivalent to Earth's Marines or the Green Berets."
"Only this squad was led by your friend and mine, Boba Fett."
"Makes sense," Obi-Wan put in, "Seeing as how Boba was created on Kamino, with t
he rest of the clones."
"Well, the Emperor had already started up new cloning facilities closer to home,
so Kamino was no longer needed," Xander continued. "The 501st wiped out Kamino'
s army and the Emperor's star fleet finished the job." He gestured out the canop
y to the frozen planet that was growing before them. "Behold Kamino."
Obi-Wan stared in shock as the planet grew larger. Once a water world that had b
een continually wracked with storms, causing the seas to lash out harshly agains
t the Kaminoan's stilted cities, it was now a barren, frozen wasteland. High win
ds blew and endless stream of ice and snow around the world; once roiling oceans
were now frozen solid. "How..."
"Well, before he had the Death Star, the Emperor had ships," Karrde stated. "Lot
s and lots of ships."
"From what we've been able to piece together, the Emperor called in the entire f
leet and orbital bombarded the planet to such a degree that it was actually knoc
ked off its orbit. The shift caused catastrophic, world-wide climate shifts that
led to the oceans freezing. Everything - and everyone - down there died."
"Then why would we even bother coming, if this army of yours is dead?" Joyce ask
ed.
"Because they aren't dead," Karrde replied, pulling up a diagram of the planet o
n the main screen. "Along the equator I picked up energy readings. Upon further
investigation, we discovered a Kamino cloning complex, still mostly intact, stil
l holding thousands of Clone Troopers - in stasis."
"There are also ships, weapons - everything you need to outfit an army," Xander
finished, but then glanced to Karrde. "Well, almost everything."
"So what are we waiting for?" Willow asked. "Let's go!"
Cold didn't begin to describe it.
The small group made their way through the frozen halls of the Kamino cloning fa
cility, working their way around collapsed halls and ice-coated floors. Several
time the Jedi had to cut open doors, or cut paths through walls, just to get by
obstructions caused by time and the elements.
"Have I mentioned how much I hate the cold?" Buffy asked, not for the first time
, as she stepped around an outcropping of solid ice.
"Only about fifteen times in the last five minutes," Anakin replied glibly.
"Oh, shut up."
"Here we are!" Xander announced, coming to a stop in front of a large set of bla
st doors. "Master Starstone, if you would?"
Olee nodded and moved to the computer terminal, plugging her data pad into the f
rozen interface. After a few moments her pad beeped.
"I'm in," she announced. "It looks like almost all of the cryo-units are still i
ntact and operational. According to this, there are approximately..." she stoppe
d, then looked up at her fellow Masters in shock, "a little over One Hundred Tho
usand troops!"
"That's nearly a sector army!" Anakin cried. "How could Palpatine have missed al
l of these troops?"
"The upper complex was all but destroyed and the planetary shift wiped out any r
emaining life on the planet." Karrde replied. "This complex is actually deep und
er water, hidden from both view and sensors. It's doubtful they even knew it was
here and, if they did, they probably thought it to be destroyed. "
"I'm getting something... there's a message in here," Olee stated. "It's pretty
encrypted..."
"Can you retrieve it?" Willow asked, glancing over the Jedi's shoulder at the pa
d. Olee pulled it to her chest and glared back at the witch.
"That's why they brought me," she replied coolly.
"Down, girl," Buffy teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Olee looked back t
o her pad abashed.
"Sorry, Master."
"Buffy, Olee. Call me Buffy. We're both the same rank, now." Buffy smirked. "Bes
ides, hearing a kid like you call me 'Master' makes me feel old."
"And somewhere in the Force, Master Windu is laughing right now," Olee joked. "H
ere we go..."
Over the door, a long-neglected holo-projector flickered to life, projecting a f
uzzy image of the tall, lithe Kaminoan.
"Greetings," the recording started, the alien's head looking slightly down to wh
ere it had assumed its audience would be standing, "My name is Lama Su; and I am
the last of my people. Over the past few weeks, after the Empire finally ceased
firing on our planet, our climate shifted rapidly into the sub-zero. Our oceans
froze, our aiwha's died, our cites, already weakened by the Empires' attacks, c
ollapsed onto the now frozen wasteland. Only those of us, hidden deep under the
oceans in these bunkers, survived; though the extreme cold and increased pressur
e on the structures by freezing water killed many more. Now, months later, I am
the last survivor.
"The Emperor thinks he destroyed all of the troops we created to fight him. He i
s mistaken. In this center and the other three surviving centers scattered aroun
d this now-dead world, we have amassed a new clone army, one we had hoped to sen
d against the Empire. Alas, we cannot. We only hope, whoever had found these tro
ops, that you have seen the destructiveness, the corruption, the sheer evilness
of the Empire and will put these troops to good use. If the Jedi have found them
, like I had hoped, please be aware that they have been programmed to fight agai
nst the Emperor and his Empire; no trace of Order 66 or any other executive orde
rs remain.
"Please, use these soldiers for the purpose they were created for," the hologram
pleaded as the image began to fade. "The Empire must be destroyed! Don't let ou
r race be forgotten, or our sacrifices be in vain. Please." The image flickered
and faded out.
Olee shook her head as if to clear it, then tapped rapid commands onto her pad.
"I've got the door...opening now."
With a groan and shriek of rusted metal and shattered ice, the massive doors sli
d open to reveal the cavernous structure inside. Lines and lines of cryo tubes s
tretched for meters, all containing fully-grown clone trooper in Clone War-era a
rmor. Rows of old blasters and other gear lay ready in their racks; and at the e
nd of the massive hall were two Venator-class Star Destroyers.
"Those ships are fully armed, fueled and loaded with fighters and troop transpor
ts - old ARC's and Jedi starfighters both," Olee announced, looking at her displ
ay. "According to these readings, the fuel should still be good. We'll need to r
echarge the blaster packs, though.
"How many of those Star Destroyers do we have?" Obi-Wan asked with a frown.
"It says there are two in each complex, so a total of six, if all are still oper
ational."
"Then we have a problem," Obi-Wan said.
"What problem?" Buffy asked, looking askew at her friend. "We've just evened the
odds tremendously. With these troops, we can match the Empire in troop strength
."
"Buffy, you know that it's more than likely that we'll be facing them in space f
irst and foremost." Obi-Wan replied. "We have troops - what we, or the Rebellion
for that matter, don't have is ships."
"And there are more troops here than there are ships for them," Willow finished.
"That could be a problem."
"Perhaps not," Karrde put in, getting their attention. "As you know, I'm more th
an just a smuggler. I also happen to deal in information - and I have informatio
n that would be of particular interest to you, if the price is right."
"What kind of information?" Anakin asked.
"And what kind of price?" Obi-Wan added.
"What would you say if I told you that I knew where you could get a fleet of war
ships - fully-armed and operational - just waiting for crews - though they don't
really need them."
"What exactly are you talking about?" Willow asked, her eyes narrowed.
"The Katana Fleet."
Willow inhaled sharply, even as Buffy let out a whistle. "I thought that fleet w
as destroyed," she remarked.
"Lost, not destroyed," Karrde corrected. "And I know where they are."
"Those ships would definitely give us an edge against the Imperial Navy," Anakin
said, then turned to the smuggler. "What's the price?"
"Simple," Karrde replied. "Normally, in a situation such as this, I would tend t
o stay neutral. I have no interest in choosing sides or fighting for one governm
ent or another. And if the Jedi weren't involved - and if I hadn't developed suc
h good trading relations with you - I would be sitting back right now, waiting t
o see who come out on top.
"But I have gotten involved, despite my better judgment. And I can see that the
Rebellion has a very good chance of defeating the Empire and becoming the legiti
mate government in the galaxy. And if that were to happen, in exchange for my he
lp here, I would want certain assurances."
"Such as?"
"I run an extensive operation. I'd like a guarantee that it wouldn't be bothered
- or that it wouldn't be constrained by any rules, regulations or taxes your go
vernment would impose."
"Done," Anakin said.
"I'd also want to be handsomely compensated as well."
"We can take care of that," Buffy replied.
Karrde eyed the two Jedi warily. "You can speak for your government, just like t
hat?"
"It helps that I'm married to a former Senator, who was friends with most of the
Rebellion leadership," Anakin joked, but then turned serious. "The Jedi always
keep their word, Captain Karrde. The help you've given us over the past few year
s, even if you have been paid for it, has been enormous. We will do whatever we
can to make sure that you are well compensated for your involvement, I give you
my word."
Talon stared at the Jedi for a few, long moments, then finally sighed. "Well, I
had no use for the ships anyways. Let's talk..." Karrde, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Xan
der moved off, talking in quiet tones. Dawn and Joyce joined Olee at inspecting
the clones, which left Buffy and Willow alone at the entrance. Willow moved over
to her friend.
"This will even the odds," she spoke in hushed tones, "but it won't be enough."
Buffy looked at her eschew. "A hundred thousand clone troops and the freakin' Ka
tana Fleet aren't enough?"
Willow shook her head. "No, it won't. Buffy," she gently grasped her friends sho
ulders, "it may win the battle, but it won't win the war. Now, I have an idea, b
ut I'll need your help."
Buffy sighed. "When we're done here, I'm going with Dawn and Joyce back to Tatoo
ine. Dawn and Joyce want to help Luke 'handle' negotiations with Jabba for Han's
freedom. Come with us; once we're done there, I'll help you. Deal?"
Willow smiled grimly. "Deal."
On Tatooine, Luke gently placed the green crystal into the cylinder of his newly
completed lightsaber. Very carefully, he selected a tool from Quinn's kit and t
ested all of the connections. Satisfied, he closed the chamber and sealed it. Th
en hefted the weapon.
"All right, Luke," he said softly to himself, "moment of truth. And if you blow
up your hand, Leia will never let me live it down..." Gingerly, he hit the ignit
ion switch-
And a bright beam of solid emerald light flared into existence. Luke exhaled in
relief and smiled. He took a few experimental swipes, testing the weight and bal
ance. Satisfied, he turned it off and hooked it onto his belt.
A beeping noise got his attention. Luke turned and activated the old holonet vie
wer. Switching it on, he saw the smiling face of his Aunt Dawn.
"Hey, squirt!" she said happily. Luke noted the steam coming off of her breath a
nd wondered absently where she was. "Finish your lightsaber yet?"
"You do know that I am older than you, right?" Luke answered with a grin. "And y
es, I've just finished."
"Still got both of your hands? Don't lie - I'll know if you had to have another
mechanical hand made."
"Very funny. When are you due?" he asked, moving on to business.
"We should arrive in about a day," Dawn replied. "Is everything set?"
"Lando is in place and says everything will be ready. Leia was talking about dre
ssing as a Bounty Hunter and bringing in Chewie to get themselves inside..."
Dawn nodded. "Tell her to do it, but wait for us to arrive," the younger Jedi sm
irked. "Trust me, when we're finished, Jabba won't ever bother Han - or any of u
s - again."
"Not a very Jedi attitude," Luke remarked.
"Well, on this mission, I'm acting more as a Watcher," Dawn replied. "We gotta g
o. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Until tomorrow then. May the Force be with you."
""Back at'cha," Dawn replied. "We're out." The image vanished from the screen. L
uke turned and moved to the window and stared out at the expanse of empty desert
, contemplating what tomorrow would bring.
TBC...
Episode 6 Ch 3
Return to Tatooine
A/N: Thanks to my wonderful editor Fallenstar2, and good luck to Winterd on the
Crossing Over Awards on TTH!
"You can all relax. We have arrived."
Buffy and Willow walked into Qui-Gon's old hut to find Leia, Chewie and Luke loo
king over the plans of a large complex. Dawn and Joyce were sparing with their l
ightsabers in a large, lowered area in the center of the building.
"About time you two showed up," Leia teased, gesturing at the plans. "We were ju
st looking over the schematics for Jabba's palace."
"Where did you get those?" Willow asked.
"Lando's not the only ones we have inside the palace right now," Luke stated. Bu
ffy looked at him and then groaned.
"Tell me you didn't send in the droids. Tell me you didn't send Threepio, whom y
our father built, into the hands of the Hutts, whom your father and I escaped fr
om."
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him?" Luke ventured. Willow chuckled.
"What Anakin doesn't know won't hurt you," she elaborated.
"So what's the plan?" Buffy asked.
"It's a multi-pronged attack," Luke explained, gesturing at the diagram. "First,
Leia will disguise herself as a Bosch bounty hunter and deliver Chewbacca. Chew
ie will be taken down to the dungeons - and that's where you two come in."
"Prison break?" Willow asked. Luke nodded.
"There's an old service tunnel that runs parallel to the dungeons," he explained
, pointing it out on the diagram. "The entrance is here, at he base of this cany
on. You two will sneak in, cut your way into the cell block, and free the prison
ers. While you're doing that, Dawn and I will seek an audience with Jabba himsel
f."
"Mind tricks don't work on Hutts," Buffy warned. Luke nodded.
"No, but they work on his servants. Will get in to see Jabba and distract the gu
ards enough for Joyce to sneak in and neutralize the biggest threat - Boba Fett.
"
Buffy looked up sharply at her daughter as she and Dawn joined them at the table
. "Are you sure about that? Last time you faced him, he nearly killed you."
"I won't be attacking him this time - just hitting him with this." She held up a
tiny dart in her hand. Buffy recognized it immediately.
"A tranq?"
Joyce smirked. "I want to have a little talk with him and I can't do that if he'
s dead. So I'll tranq him and get him out of the fight."
"Then you'll lead the rest of the prisoners up to the main room and wackiness wi
ll ensue," Dawn finished. "We take down his goons and tell him - in no uncertain
terms - that our family is off-limits."
Buffy smiled slightly at that.
"The only thing that concerns me is this large chamber, which is directly under
his main audience chamber," Luke said, pointing out a large, underground chamber
. "I have no idea what it's used for, or what's kept there. It could be even mor
e goons..."
"Or something worse," Joyce finished.
Buffy sighed. "Well, we'll just have to deal with it when we come to it. Now, le
t's go through it again..."
They spent most of the night going over the plan again and again, before finally
succumbing to sleep. The next day Leia, in her disguise, left with Chewie to Ja
bba's palace, with Buffy and Willow leaving right after them. Buffy flew her spe
eder down into the canyons behind the palace, while Willow sat terrified in the
passenger seat, her hands covering her eyes.
"I'm gonna die!" she wailed as Buffy took another sharp turn.
"Oh, shut up," Buffy groused. Soon she spotted the tunnel entrance and brought t
he speeder to a swift stop. Glancing over at the terrified Willow, she couldn't
help but grin.
"Big, bad Sith Lord..."
Willow stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Oh, shut up."
Buffy nodded towards the entrance. "Let's go."
An atmosphere of debauchery and decadence permeated the atmosphere of Jabba's pa
lace. Smugglers, bounty hunters and criminals from all over the galaxy congregat
ed to partake in the food, wine and women of the Hutts. Some came looking for jo
bs; some came just to curry favor with the mighty Jabba. A band played off to th
e side and a pair of Twi'lek dancers moved to the beat.
Until Jabba got frisky and one of the girls resisted. Then Lando saw exactly wha
t that pit under Jabba's throne room was for.
Unfortunately, before he could relay THAT piece of information, Leia arrived, wi
th Chewie in tow.
"Ah, the mighty Chewbacca!" Jabba exclaimed haughtily in hutteese. Jabba looked
back for his newest droid acquisition. "Where's my talkdroid?" he boomed.
Threepio moved forward hesitantly. Jabba spoke to him and the golden protocol dr
oid turned towards the new arrivals.
"My Master, Jabba the Great, bids you welcome and will gladly pay the sum of fif
teen thousand."
Leia, in her guise as the bounty hunter, spoke rapid Boush back at the droid. Th
reepio turned and looked at Jabba and translated the reply.
"Fifty thousand, no less."
Enraged, Jabba shoved Threepio to the ground and spoke in rapid Hutteese. Threep
io staggered back to his feet, moaning 'What did I say?" when Jabba angrily yell
ed at the droid to translate what he just said.
"The illustrious Jabba asks why he should pay fifty thousand?"
Leia's answer was short, but the small, silver globe in her hand did all of the
talking.
"Because he's holding a thermal detonator!"
Instantly the patrons all dived for cover and Boba Fett raised his weapon, ready
to fire on command. Jabba, however, just laughed.
"This bounty hunter is my kind of scum. Fearless and inventive. Tell him thirty-
five, no more-and warn him not to press his luck."
"The Great Jabba the Hutt says that he will pay a sum of thirty-five thousand- a
nd I do suggest you take it."
For a tense moment, no one moved or spoke. Finally Leia deactivated the device a
nd put it away and spoke two words.
"He agrees!" Threepio said to Jabba.
The crowd cheered; Jabba relaxed. "Come, my friend, join our celebration. I may
find other work for you," Threepio translated, as the party resumed its depraved
revelry. Lando moved forward and grabbed Chewbacca's arms and, as the Wookie pu
t up a 'struggle', led him down to the dungeons. Once they were relatively alone
, Chewie growled a question.
"Yeah, he's got a lot of guns, but not as many as we feared," Lando replied. "We
ll, not any money's worth worrying about. Everybody up there's packing, but not
many could hit the broad side of a bantha."
The two came down to the lowest level of the dungeons to find about a dozen men,
 women and aliens milling about, with Buffy and Willow in the middle of them. Th
e Jedi Master saw the two and smiled.
"Someone call for a jailbreak?"
"We should probably wait a day," Luke said mildly as he and Dawn strolled up to
the massive blast door at the foot of Jabba's palace.
"Probably," Dawn agreed.
"It would give Leia time to get a lay of the land."
"Definitely."
"Maybe even give everyone some time to sabotage the palace itself. Give us more
of an edge."
"No doubt."
"So we're still going in," Luke stated with a grin. Dawn grinned in return.
"Of course."
The two Jedi came to a stop before the large door. Both wore their own version o
f Jedi garb - Dawn in her leather pants, black turtleneck, vest and cloak; Luke
wore black slacks and a modified black officer's jacket under his cloak. Both ha
d their hoods up, both for effect and to block the harsh Tatooine suns. Trailing
them, keeping out of sight, was Joyce. The young Slayer/Jedi was in full Mandal
orian armor, yet still managed to make herself invisible in the sparse country.
The two Jedi came to a stop before the massive door to Jabba's palace and with a
slight wave of his hand, the door rose. Luke bowed gentlemanly and made a sweep
ing motion with his arm. "After you, dear Aunt."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Show off."
The two walked forward and quickly and quietly made short work of the guards, an
d Dawn barely perceived Joyce slipping past them deeper into the complex.
Joyce frowned beneath her helmet as she snuck deeper into the complex.
Should have done this in the early morning, she groused. Ah, well....
She made her way deep into the complex, until she finally reached the outskirts
of Jabba's main hall. She paused in the shadows, taking in the scene around her.
Everyone's attention seemed focused on Jabba as he told a tale of intrigue and
deceit that could have only come from the workings of his own clan. Joyce blinke
d, bringing up her HUD, then using her eyes moved through the unit's memory unti
l she pulled up Boba Fett's profile. Selecting scan, she slowly glanced around t
he room, looking for her prey. After a moment, her helmet pinged and outlined Fe
tt, who was behind several people at the top of the room. Behind him was a doorw
ay and a quick check of the schematics she had downloaded into her helmets memor
y unit showed a quick, silent path to it. Joyce smiled and moved quickly through
the back halls.
Fett watched the proceedings with detached boredom. The only high point of his d
ay so far had been that new Bousch bounty hunter that had capture Solo's Wookie
- also surprising, since the pair of them had vanished after he had been forced
to flee Cloud City. But besides that one piece of excitement, it had been a very
boring day for him.
Not that he minded too terribly. The money was good and, as long as it was borin
g, there was no risk of him dying-
As soon as he thought that, he felt the sharp prick on his neck, just under the
lip of his helmet - and as the world went dark, he recognized the voice that sai
d, "Su'cuy, Buir."
Bib Fortuna led the two Jedi into the main audience hall, where they stood in fr
ont of the massive Hutt.
"Master, I present Luke Skywalker and Dawn Summers, Jedi Knights," Bib said silk
ily. Jabba was irate.
"I told you not to admit them!" he snarled in Hutteese.
"We must be allowed to speak," Luke said smoothly.
"They must be allowed to speak," Bib parroted, still confounded by the Jedi's po
wer.
"Ah, you weak-minded fool!" Jabba yelled, grabbing the hapless Twi'lek by the sc
ruff of his neck, "He's using an old Jedi mind trick!"
Joyce carefully and quietly moved Fett with the Force, bringing him back into th
e secluded hallway and out of the view of prying eyes. Just as she rounded the c
orner with him, she felt the fell of a small cylinder pressing into the small of
her back. Using her eyes to control her helmet's 360 degree view, the image fli
ckered to see the face of the last person she had expected here.
"Is that a lightsaber in your hand, Mara, or are you just happy to see me?" Joyc
e snarked, dropping Fett ungracefully o the floor and turning to look at the Han
d properly. She smirked as she took in the dancing girl costume she wore. "Nice
outfit. What's the occasion?"
"Had some intel that Luke Skywalker would be coming here to treat with Jabba. I'
m here to kill him." She paused and looked over the Mandalorian. "You, however,
I think I'll take you to the Emperor. Along with the brown-haired girl - what's
her name?"
"You mean Dawn?" Joyce provided. "The one who kicked your ass a couple of years
ago?"
"I walked away. Did she?" Mara Jade shot back. "Now, drop your weapons. All of t
hem," she clarified, her lightsaber still held close enough that, were she to li
ght it, it would disembowel Joyce. "And no tricks."
Joyce's smile broadened under the helmet. "No tricks? Sorry, I'm a Summers woman
. All we do are tricks."
"We're offering you money, we're offering you freedom to operate once the Empire
falls - which it will," Dawn ground out, frustrated by the Hutt. "Just call off
your bounty!"
"I will do no such thing!" Jabba spat. "Solo crossed me once too often with his
belligerent attitude and refusal to pay me!"
"Han meant to pay you, mighty Jabba," Luke put it. "He simply had rotten luck ge
tting to you whenever he had the money. But we're offering to pay you what you a
re owed now, plus interest. This is the best offer you will receive - the altern
ative will not be as pleasant."
"Are you threatening me, Jedi?" Jabba demanded.
"Not at all, great Jabba," Luke replied smoothly. "I am merely stating fact."
'Dawn, you read?' Willow's voice rang in Dawn's head. Dawn moved slightly behind
Luke, blocking the Hutt's line of sight with her.
'I read, what's up?'
'Be careful - you and Luke are standing directly over Jabba's Rancor pit - there
's probably a trap door somewhere near your location.'
'Roger,' Dawn replied. 'Are you all ready?'
'We are,' Willow responded, 'ButJoyce has run into an old friend of yours. My wa
yward daughter...'
Dawn groaned internally. 'Great. Well, let's get this show on the road...'
Jabba was getting tired and Dawn saw his hand inch towards a button on his chair
. No doubt this switch would drop the floor beneath them, sending the two Jedi s
prawling into the Rancor pit below. Reaching out with her senses, she felt Joyce
- highly amused and itching for a fight - and Mara Jade, angry, determined; she
felt Buffy and Willow, with Chewie and about half a dozen prisoners down below,
just itching to fight; she felt Lando and Leia in the crowd, determined and rea
dy. Finally she reached out to Luke, sending her intent through the Force. And t
hen they acted.
Luke summoned a blaster from a nearby guard as Dawn summoned a grenade from the
belt of another guard. Dawn hurtled it into the air above the crowd of bounty hu
nters and thieves and Luke hit it with a single shot, setting the powerful explo
sive off. The concussion knocked down several of the crowd and rattled the ceili
ng and walls, blowing a hole in the hall that covered the hallway were Mara and
Joyce faced off. The Mandalorian took advantage of the new exit to use a Force-a
ssisted leap into the crowd, even as Dawn flew past her to take on the Emperor's
Hand.
"Round two, bitch!" Dawn shouted, igniting her light staff and going at Mara.
Luke had managed to barely leap free of the trap door under his feet, but was no
w facing a veritable army of thugs. He was joined by Joyce and Leia, whose light
sabers were flashing, deflecting killing bolts back at their senders.
"This plan SUCKS!" Joyce snarled, head butting the closest thug before planting
her lightsaber into his chest. "There're still too many of them!"
"Wait for it..." Luke cautioned, then ducked as a blast sizzled over his head fr
om behind him. The young Jedi risked a glance behind him and saw Buffy and Willo
w rushing into the fray with Chewie, Jabba's prisoners close behind. Soon an all
-out mêlée erupted, with Jabba desperately trying to find cover.
Meanwhile, Mara and Dawn had moved into the main chamber, their blades whirling
and clashing at a breakneck pace. Unlike their duel a few years ago, this time D
awn was prepared and well trained, and had honed her skills with her light staff
. Likewise, Mara had refined her skills even more.
"Been a while, red. How's your back?" Dawn taunted.
"Not bad. Still got all of your original internal organs?" the Hand shot back, s
licing at her head one handed. With her other hand she slipped the small hold-ou
t blaster that she kept up her sleeve into her hand and fired. Dawn blocked the
swing with her upper blade and then deflected the bolt into the ceiling.
"Yup. Hey, hope your boss wasn't too pissed that I stole all that stuff right ou
t from under your nose." Dawn suddenly found herself fending off even more vicio
us attacks. "Guess he was."
Buffy and Willow were fighting back to back, deflecting blaster bolts and cuttin
g weapons - and arms - in half. Buffy spied Dawn and Mara fighting and smiled wa
nly.
"Look, Will. Are kids are playing together."
"They do grow up fast, don't they?" Willow replied, using the Force to send a co
uple bounty hunters flying towards the far wall.
Buffy wiped away an imaginary tear. "Yes. I remember when little Dawnie was play
ing with my dolls and stealing my clothes..."
"Whose turtleneck do you think she's wearing now?"
Buffy frowned. "I thought that looked familiar."
Jabba was furious. Here he was, in his own palace, being attacked by the Jedi an
d his own prisoners! And worse yet, the best of the best of the bounty hunters w
ere falling like sand flies. Finally having enough, Jabba reached into a secret
compartment in his chair and pulled out his own thermal detonator. He wasn't tru
ly worried about setting it off - his platform was made of hardened durasteel al
loys and had its own shield generator. Snarling sinisterly, he thumbed on the ac
tivation switch and tossed it towards the group of Jedi fighting near the far en
d of the room...
Leia sensed the incoming danger and reacted instinctively. She grasped the devic
e with the Force and tossed it back where it came from. The thermal detonator la
nded short of Jabba, but rolled under his platform...
Jabba let out a strangled cry as the device rolled under his platform...
And then it exploded.
"You okay?"
Dawn blinked as the world came back into focus and saw Joyce leaning over her. B
riefly looking around, she took in the devastation of the room, noting the colla
psing walls and large hole in the floor with worry.
"Dawn," Joyce asked again more urgently, "are you okay?"
"What happened?" she asked as Joyce pulled her up.
"Jabba tried to blow up Mom and the others, but Leia foiled his plan. Instead, h
e blew everything else up." She looked Dawn over more closely, cursing the lack
of medical scanners in her helmet's sensor suite. "You were pretty close to the
blast. What happened?"
Dawn shook her head and thought back to the last few moments of her fight agains
t Mara Jade. She remembered fighting fast and furious, the sudden warning throug
h the Force, the surprised look on Mara face and the sudden feeling of being pus
hed by the Force...
"Mara, where is she?" Dawn asked suddenly, looking around for the Hand. Joyce ju
st shook her head.
"Disappeared. Probably thought everyone kicked in the blast."
"Or thought it was a good excuse to leave," Dawn responded. "I think she pushed
me out of harms way."
"Why?"
Dawn shook her head helplessly. "I don't know." A sudden roar drew her attention
 to the center of the room and she and Joyce headed towards the other survivors.
Buffy, Willow, Luke and Leia stood, all a little worse for wear, along with Che
wie, whose fur was singed.
"You okay Chewie?" Joyce asked.
"I've been better," the Wookie replied.
"Everyone else okay?" Dawn asked, subconsciously rubbing her belly. Buffy notice
d and frowned.
"A little banged up. You?"
"The same. I'll get checked out when we get back to the Council."
"We all will," Buffy said.
"Well, that didn't go according to the plan," Willow quipped.
"You mean the incredibly sucky plan?" Joyce groused.
"Yes, that plan," Willow stated. "But one good thing did come out of it." She gl
anced down into the pit below the room, where a large rancor was busy munching o
n the remains of Jabba. "Looks like Han's bounty is called off."
"Eww," Dawn, Joyce and Leia said in unison. The group stared at the grisly fate
of the notorious crime lord for a few moments, before Buffy turned to Dawn.
"Are you still stealing my tops?"
"Excuse me," a proper british voice said timidly. The group looke dup to see Thr
eepio pull hiself up, his godlen exterior marred with scorch marks and blood. "A
re we quite finished here?"
Slowly, the world came back into focus for Boba Fett and three things became imm
ediately obvious - he was tied up, upside down, and without his armor. One more
thing became obvious -
There was a great bloody Sarlac under him.
"Oh, hell..."
"Wakie, Wakie; eggs and bacy." Joyce's smirking face came into his field of view
. She was standing on one of Jabba's skiffs, her arm outstretched towards him. T
he aging bounty hunter frowned at the younger girl.
"You couldn't use a pole and a wire?" he asked. Joyce shrugged.
"More of a sense of danger if you know that I'm the only thing holding you up."
"Can't argue with that," Boba replied. "So, what now? Time for revenge?"
Joyce sighed. "No, now it's time for an understanding." She took a moment to col
lect her thoughts before continuing. "You killed my father. That's the truth of
the matter. Now, I only knew him for a few months, but in the time I knew him, I
loved him a great deal. And the love never dimmed. And after you took him from
me - from us," she corrected, "life got very hard."
"But some good did come from that life," she conceded. "I found a people who did
n't make me feel like an outsider, that gave me an outlet for all of my anger. A
nd I found you, who took me in a treated me like a daughter of your own."
Boba shrugged. "It's the Mandalorian way."
"I'm not entirely stupid, Fett," Joyce shot back. "Mom killed your dad and you w
anted revenge. But you never counted on her lover having kids - or one of those
kids being her own. I think you felt sorry for me, in a way, because you did to
me what was done to you."
"Now, maybe you expected this - maybe you figured that one day I'd find out what
you did and seek my revenge and then you could either kill me in good conscienc
e, or die in combat. But I've had time to think since we fought last and I've re
ached a decision." Gently, Joyce brought Fett back on board the skiff and set hi
m down. "My father wouldn't want vengeance or revenge to consume me, and neither
do I.
"So I'm calling and end to my vendetta against you. I'll no longer seek you out,
if you leave me and my family alone. And seeing as Jabba is being digested by a
rather hungry rancor right now, there is no more need for you to be pursuing my
brother; and you are free to find employment elsewhere." She held out her hand.
"Do we have an accord?"
Fett considered the girl, no woman, in front of him for a few moments, before fi
rmly clasping her hand in his own. "Vor entye."
Joyce gave him a tentative smile, then donned her helmet. "Keep the skiff, my ri
de is just over the dune. Oh, and I may have work for you myself; so keep your d
ate book open."
"Will it pay good?" Fett asked. Joyce merely nodded. "Then I will."
"Re'turcye mhi." Joyce said softly, then she ignited her jet pack and took off.
Fett spied his armor lying neatly at the far end of the skiff and began to don i
t, pausing only for a moment to see the familiar shape of Joyce's ARC fighter li
fting gracefully off of the surface and blasting into space. Fett shook his head
, wondering where she had dug up another of those old ships.
"Re'turcye mhi," he echoed as eh took control of he skiff and pointed it towards
Mos Eisley. He had much to do before Joyce contacted him with this job of hers
and he had a feeling that he would need to get some things in order.
Time to go home, he thought. Back to Mandalore.
Episode 6 Ch 4
Return of the Senator
A/N: Thanks as always to my beta and Editor Fallenstar2.
Han sighed loudly as he collapsed back into his chair. He and Buffy were current
ly in the empty lounge at the Council and Buffy had just given him the good news
.
"So it's over? I'm free to go back?" he asked. Buffy smiled and nodded.
"You're good to go," she confirmed. "And Joyce assured me that Fett wouldn't be
coming after you anymore - at least, not for this bounty."
"Yeah, yeah, I get the point," Han groused. "Of course, all of this could have b
een avoided if I hadn't given my original reward back to the Alliance..."
"Hindsight and all of that," Buffy agreed.
Han chuckled, then rose from his chair. "Well, in that case, I've got a pre-flig
ht to complete. Luke and Leia want to make a quick stop to Dagobah before we mee
t up with the fleet."
"And Willow and I will be going on some mysterious mission," Buffy sighed. "I ha
te mysteries, almost as much as I hate surprises."
"I don't like it."
Padmé sighed once more as she finished packing her bag. "It's the only way, Ani. O
therwise we'll be fighting a war with the Empire for the next 30 years!"
"We're fighting this war to bring back the Republic! How will this..."
Padmé lifted her hand and gently placed two fingers on his mouth, effectively sile
ncing him. "I know, Ani. I know it's hard to accept, but the sad thing is that t
he Republic was dying long before Palpatine took power. For some, the Empire is
the best thing that happened to them."
Anakin sighed dejectedly. "I understand. But it doesn't mean I like it. And I do
n't like you getting involved..."
"Ani, this isn't the first revolution I've fought," Padmé said with a small smile,
which he returned.
"I know, I was there for the first one. And the second, and the third..."
Padmé grinned openly, then gave her husband a long kiss. "I have to go, as do you.
Get that army ready."
"Yes, ma'am."
Dawn stared blankly at the doctor who had just given her the most unexpected new
s of her life. "What?"
"You're pregnant."
Dawn was in the medical wing of the council and she was the last to be checked o
ut after the mission at Jabba's. Dr. Milton, an aging, grey-haired man of stocky
build, had been the physician on call for the old Watcher's Council and had sur
vived the First's purge by pure luck. Now he was the CMO of the new Council - bu
t looked after the Watchers and Jedi as well.
"You're pregnant," Milton replied in his gravely voice.
"How?" Dawn asked dumbly. Milton gave her an annoyed look.
"Well, when two people love each other...or get sufficiently drunk... they somet
imes-"
"Not that how!" Dawn snapped. "I'm on the pill! It shouldn't have happened!"
"Well, the pill is only 99 effective," he stated. "Plus, I've noticed that the b
lood work from human Jedi is slightly different from regular Earth-bound humans.
I can only guess that when your body changed to accommodate your new powers, yo
ur body's chemical make-up changed as well and the pill was no longer effective.
"
Dawn huffed in annoyance. "That would have been nice to know."
"It takes two for effective birth control," Milton pointed out.
"So what happens now?" Dawn asked.
"Well, are you going to keep it?"
"Of course I am!" Dawn exclaimed. "It's not that I didn't want it, it's just tha
t we were going to wait for the end of the war." She sighed, "When am I due? And
will this affect the performance of my duties?"
"You got about seven months, give or take a week or two," Milton said, pulling o
ut a cigarette. He eyed he soon-to-be new mother, then thought better of it and
tossed it on the surgical tray. "As for your duties, you won't start getting big
ger for a few more weeks, couple of months tops. Once the baby starts growing, y
ou'll need to take it easy. In the meantime, just play it cautious."
The young Jedi nodded. "Thanks, Doc." She gave him a small smile and then bolted
out of the medical ward. Milton sighed, then picked up is fag and lit it. "Damn
kids today," he muttered to himself as he went about checking out his station.
The stillness of space was briefly disturbed by the sudden appearance of Willow'
s small Nubian craft, which she had dubbed the Knight Terror.
Buffy hadn't been amused.
The two sat in companionable silence as Willow checked, then re-checked her coor
dinates, then set off at a seemingly random vector.
"So, are you going to tell me what this plan you and Padmé cooked up actually is?"
the senior Slayer asked. Willow just smiled mysteriously. "Right." After a few
more minutes of silence, Buffy turned to Willow, exasperated. "Will you at least
tell me where we're going?"
Willow smiled again, then pointed off of their starboard bow. Buffy looked and t
hen gasped.
Sitting out in space, its white hull gleaming in the starlight, was an Imperial
Star Destroyer.
Unidentified vessel, this is the Imperial Star destroyer Chimera, a voice boomed
over the radio. Lower your shields and prepare to be brought on board for inspe
ction.
Willow calmly signaled back. "Star Destroyer Chimera, this is the Knight Terror.
Please inform the Grand Admiral that Lady Traya and Master Skywalker wish an im
mediate audience concerning matter of grave importance to the Empire. Message en
ds." She clicked off the radio and looked at Buffy apologetically. "Before you a
sk, now, I'm not insane again. It's just that the name 'Traya' still carries a l
ot of weight on the Empire and now we're more likely to get an audience."
"Why would we want one?" Buffy fumed. "Willow, what did you and Padmé cook up?"
"The only way to win the war," Willow said sadly. "We're going to make a deal wi
th the Empire."
Mon Mothma tiredly entered her darkened quarters and let he door slide closed be
hind her, then locked it to prevent any intrusions. Running the Rebellion had be
en hard work when Senator Organa had still been by her side; since his death, ev
en over five years later, sometimes it seemed all but impossible. Years of runni
ng, fighting and leading the champions of a free Republic was slowly draining th
e life out of her, it seemed and she didn't yet know how to stop it.
"Something vexing thee?"
Mon Mothma Jumped at the familiar voice and her jaw dropped when the figure sitt
ing behind her desk clicked on her desk lamp.
"Padmé!" she exclaimed, moving briskly to her old friend and embracing the woman a
s she got up. "I can't.... I thought you were dead!"
"The rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated," Padmé replied wanly. "You've be
en running your resistance, I've been running mine. Facilitating relations betwe
en the surviving Jedi and the...organization... that's hosted us all of these ye
ars."
"You haven't changed a bit!" Mon exclaimed, looking Padmé over at arm's length. "M
y god, where have you been?"
"It's a long, long story," Padmé said as she took a seat on small couch in the off
ice. Mon Mothma took a seat next to her. "I'll tell you about it some time. In t
he mean time, I'm here for an even more vital reason." She leaned in close, her
hands clasped together in her lap. "We know about your plan to attack the new De
ath Star. What's more, the Emperor knows as well."
Mon Mothma shook her head. "Impossible. They may know we have the plans, but the
y don't know when or how we'll strike...and the Emperor himself-"
"Is drawing you out, so he'll know exactly when and how you'll strike," Padmé inte
rjected. "Mon, he let the information be stolen in the first place."
"How could you possibly know that?"
"I know how he thinks - as does my sister." At Mon's disgusted snort, Padmé presse
d on. "She wasn't in her right mind back then, Mon. She was sick..."
"And she isn't any more?"
"No, she's not. She's been under the guidance of the Jedi Council - and under th
e tutelage of my husband, Anakin Skywalker."
Mon sucked in a startled breath. "So that's why you wanted to bring him in!" she
exclaimed quietly. "But the Council...."
"Wouldn't have approved back then, which was why we kept it quiet. But things ha
ve changed. Look," Padmé leaned forward, "we have dozens of Jedi ready to fight an
d a small army we've...acquired... besides that. The Emperor is drawing you out
- but at the same time, he's made himself more vulnerable than he's been in year
s. So what I'm proposing is this - stage your attack. Draw out his forces and, w
hen he thinks he's got you beat, we close our trap, and destroy him once and for
all."
Mon Mothma smiled. "Clearing the way for the Republic to return." She noticed Pa
dmé's look. "What?"
"Is that a platoon in the hanger, or are you just happy to see me?" Willow quipp
ed. She and Buffy stood at the top of the Knight Terror's ramp. The small ship w
as surrounded by Storm Troopers, whose blaster rifles were all raise and pointin
g at her.
"Darth Traya, you are a traitor to the Empire," an officer announced at the foot
of the ramp. He was a Captain, with slightly graying hair and a distinguished l
ooking moustache. He stood slightly apart and ahead of the Storm Troopers, not c
owering behind them like most officers would be and Willow's respect for him wen
t up a notch. "Surrender any weapons you are carrying and prepare to be taken in
to custody. The same goes for you, Master Jedi."
"And my audience with the Grand Admiral?"
"The Grand Admiral is a busy man," the captain said, "However, your appearance h
ere, and the manner in which you came to us, intrigues him greatly. He will give
you five minutes. After which you will be escorted to holding cells."
Willow nodded in compliance, then slowly removed her lightsaber from her belt an
d set it gently onto the ramp. Buffy did the same, and the two rolled down the r
amp to came to rest at the Captain's feet. He eyed them suspiciously. "No other
weapons?"
"We don't carry blasters. Too uncivilized," Buffy said. The Captain nodded, then
drew his own blaster. "Come down the ramp slowly and walk in front of me. I wil
l direct you to the Admiral's meeting room."
"Well, he was the most courteous Imperial officer I've ever been arrested by," B
uffy said as the waited in the Admiral's spacious lounge. They were surrounded b
y various pieces of art - most of which, Buffy saw, were merely holographic repr
esentations. "Huh. You'd think a Grand Admiral could afford the real thing."
"He probably has most of it," Willow noted. "But how much do you want to bet he
can change what kind of art is displayed on a whim?"
"You'd be correct," a distinguished voice said from the door and suddenly the ar
t changed into various pieces that Buffy herself had seen in the old Jedi temple
- most of which were now in storage on Earth. "I'm something of a collector, yo
u see. I appreciate all forms of art. With this system, I can change the art to
suit me depending on my mood."
The Admiral walked into the room and Buffy got her second surprise of the evenin
g - he wasn't even human. Indeed, she wasn't sure what race he was - she had nev
er met any being with the dark blue skin or glowing red eyes, his lithe figure i
mposing in his white Grand Admiral's uniform. Willow smiled and bowed and Buffy
belatedly did the same.
"Grand Admiral Thrawn," the redhead said. "It's been a while."
"Darth Traya." Thrawn nodded in return. "I was under the impression that you lef
t the services of the Empire under, shall we say, dubious circumstances."
"I'm surprised you heard at all, being stationed so far in the Unknown Regions,"
Willow replied. "However, I've come here to day to speak to you of an urgent ma
tter - and to make you an offer."
Thrawn considered her for a moment, then gestured toward his planning table. "Ha
ve a seat, then."
The three sat down and Willow got right to the point. "I'm not to sure how much
you know about the current state of the Empire, but right now they're fighting a
losing battle against the Rebellion. Sure, it may seem like you're winning and
it may seem like you outman and outgun them. But you of all people know to never
underestimate a desperate opponent."
"Granted," Thrawn conceded.
"The Emperor had good intentions..."
"WHAT!" Buffy exclaimed, but was silenced by a look from the Witch.
"But his methods were atrocious. He wanted the universe to be safe and secure; w
ell protected - but at the same time, he wanted what all ambitious men want - po
wer.
"He put his lust for power ahead of the greater good - a flaw of all Sith," Will
ow smiled ruefully, flexing her mechanical hand. "Because of this, he will lead
the Empire into ruin if steps aren't taken immediately."
"And what steps do you propose?" Thrawn asked, leaning back in chair slightly. "
Be aware that you are only adding to the charges levied against yourself and you
r companion."
"The Empire will never die," Willow stated bluntly. "The Rebellion is deluding t
hemselves if they think it will. The Republic was dying for years before Palpati
ne seized power and too many systems enjoy the benefits the Empire provides.
"On the other hand, the Empire is tyrannical and hundreds of systems have suffer
ed under it. When the Emperor dies, they will secede to this new Republic that i
s forming under the Rebellion.
"So you have two sides, with two diametrically opposing views, both who think th
ey are right. What will you get?" she asked the Grand Admiral.
"Continued civil war," Thrawn easily replied. "That would be put down by the Imp
erial military immediately."
Buffy snorted. "Because they've done a bang-up job of it so far."
Thrawn eyed the Jedi coolly. "They have failed because I haven't been there. If
I were to get involved in this conflict, which it appears I will have to soon, y
our Rebellion would be crushed."
"Confident, much?" Buffy said sarcastically. "Hate to burst your bubble, Grand A
dmiral, but the Rebellion is just the tip of the ice berg. You can study our art
all you want," she gestured at the holograms around the room, "but even that wo
n't let you predict what we could, can or will do."
Thrawn's eyes narrowed. "Even Jedi have weaknesses."
"Conceded. But we also have powerful friends. A couple thousands that would make
your Noghri guards piss themselves. And I KNOW how good they are."
"The Emperor is going to die, Grand Admiral," Willow stated plainly. "And when h
e dies, the Empire will be thrown into chaos. Unless someone steps forward and p
uts the good of the Empire ahead of personal ambitions." She eyed the alien spec
ulatively. "The question is, are you that man?"
"It's absurd."
Padmé watched as her old friend paced angrily in her quarters. Mon Mothma was shoc
ked and outraged that Padmé would have made such a presumptuous move, especially w
ithout consulting the Rebellion leadership first. "Mon, please..."
"No, it's outrageous! How could you even think... We're doing this to restore th
e Republic!"
"Not everyone has fond memories of the Republic, Mon," Padmé explained calmly. "Na
boo suffered, however inadvertently, under the Republic. The Trade Federation di
d as well, which led to them starting our conflict! Hundreds of systems like the
Empire, they're proud to be a part of it! They will not let it go lightly!"
"And so you want us to make a deal with them!" Mon glared angrily.
"I want to avoid another twenty or so years of useless bloodshed!" Padmé rose to h
er feat. "I want peace, Mon. I want to be able to spend time with my children -
to bear more children - in peace! I want our armies to defend our borders agains
t outside threats, not fighting amongst each other over philosophical issues!"
Mon Mothma's eyes narrowed. "And how can you be sure whoever your sister makes a
deal with is trustworthy? How do you know the Empire will follow him, instead o
f Palpatine?"
"Because we'll make him a hero to the people," Padmé reasoned. "The galaxy still r
emembers the Death Star, they still remember what happened to Alderaan. Even tho
se loyal to the Empire despise that monstrosity and would surely rejoice the des
truction of its predecessor. We merely take advantage of that, we show the galax
y the monster Palpatine truly is..."
"And they will follow him?"
"There will be obstacles," Padmé conceded. "But some obstacles can be overcome eas
ier than others."
"Why?" Buffy asked. They were still in Thrawn's planning room, seated across fro
m each other now. Thrawn had left to consider what Willow had said and the two w
ere now locked in the room under heavy guard.
"Why save the Empire?" Willow guessed. "Because, in a way, Palpatine was right.
We do need an Empire. A mighty machine, geared for war, equipped to do battle wi
th the horrors of the galaxy. Because they are coming. Twenty, thirty years from
now, to be sure, but they are coming. And if we spend decades fighting each oth
er, then we will never be prepared to fight them when they come. And we will los
e...so much, if not everything."
Buffy rocked back in her chair. "That's what he saw, wasn't it? What Palpatine s
aw? And he told you..."
"I was his apprentice, after a fashion," Willow agreed. "I learned a great deal
about his earlier plans - along with a threat he perceived, far off beyond the b
oundaries of our galaxy. A threat so devastating, that the only way we could sur
vive was by a massive show of force."
"So the Empire, the military, the Super Star Destroyers, the Death Star..."
"Are not only weapons to be used to maintain 'order', but to use against this th
reat when it arrives."
Buffy shook her head. "Unbelievable." She looked to Willow. "And Thrawn?"
"He's the only Alien to reach the rank of Grand Admiral. And if this threat come
s, it will hit his people first and hardest. What's more, Thrawn is loyal to the
Empire. I believe he'll do what's in the best interest of the Empire."
Grand Admiral Thrawn stood at the rear of the bridge of the Chimera. Hands clasp
ed behind his back, as he observed his crew proceeded about their duties. Captai
n Pellaeon came up to him.
"Sir, all stations report ready and the fleet is at stand by."
"Very good." Thrawn paused for a moment. "What do you make of them? You were wat
ching, I suppose?"
"Yes, sir," Pellaeon replied unapologetically. "They are women of their convicti
ons."
"And their offer?" Pellaeon shifted nervously. "Speak freely, Captain."
"Sir, I visited Alderaan once. It was a peaceful, beautiful planet. And if they
were supporters of the Rebellion, they should have been captured and punished. B
ut there were innocent men, women and children on that planet - people it is our
sworn duty, as Imperial officers, to protect." He straightened. "The Empire is
bigger than one man, even if that one man is the Emperor."
"I happen to agree," Thrawn replied at length. "I have no doubt that the Rebelli
on will find a way to destroy his new battle station. And when he dies, the Empi
re will descend into chaos, unless we can find a way to prevent it." He turned t
o the captain. "Coordinates will be forthcoming. Have the fleet prepare to jump
at my signal. I'm going back to talk to our guests once more."
"As you wish, sir."
"Welcome back, Mara," Halcyon said as the Hand entered her quarters on Imperial
Center. Mara scowled as she threw her jacket onto her bed.
"Master Halcyon, may I ask what you are doing in my private quarters?"
"Our Master has summoned us to his new project in the Endor system," Halcyon rep
lied. "I've come to collect you."
"Do I have time for a shower?" Mara asked.
"A quick one," Halcyon paused. "You failed, by the way."
Mara looked at the fallen Jedi. "What are you talking about? Jabba tossed a ther
mal detonator into the room. It was pure luck that I survived."
"All of the Jedi survived. Jabba was not so fortunate. Our Master was not please
d."
"Right," Mara eyed Halcyon with a predatory grin. "How's the grandson? Have a go
od visit while I was away?" Mara couldn't see his expression under the black mas
k, but she could feel the anger radiating off of him.
"You have fifteen minutes," he said at length, before turning around and leaving
.
Mara peeled her burnt clothes off of her lithe body, wincing as charred pieces p
ulled off her skin. She hopped into her sonic shower and turned it on full blast
, leaning against the wall as the water poured down her back.
They should have died at that palace, she thought to herself.
You knew they hadn't. A voice replied. She recognized the voice that she had bee
n hearing more and more in her head ever since Cloud City - that of her mother.
And you didn't care, because you didn't want them to die.
It was my mission! She assured herself. It was what I was born to do, what I was
trained to do! It's what I've done all of my life.
Then why did you save Dawn? the voice pressed. She would have taken the brunt of
the explosion if you hadn't thrown her clear.
You don't have to be that person anymore, Mara. Free yourself....
Mara tilted her head back and concentrated on the feeling of the hot water pouri
ng over her face, letting the sound of the running water drown out the voices in
her head.
Episode 6 Ch 5
Return to Dagobah
A/N: Thanks as always to my editor, Fallenstar2.
Disclaimer: I don't need to remind anybody that I don't own any of this, right?
"Okay kids, we're here!"
Luke and Leia joined Han and Chewie in the cockpit of the Falcon as they approac
hed the blue and green world of Dagobah. Han was whistling a happy little tune a
s they made their approach. It didn't take a Jedi to feel Han's enjoyment at bei
ng back behind the stick of his favorite craft - the smile on his face was evide
nt enough.
"Be careful," Luke cautioned. "The atmosphere is going to shut down your instrum
ents and the cloud cover goes almost all the way to the ground. I landed my X-wi
ng in a swamp the first time I came."
"Yeah, but I can actually fly," Han shot back with a grin. "All the same, you tw
o better strap in."
The Falcon banked lazily, then started its descent into the upper atmosphere. As
Luke predicted, the cloud cover soon enveloped the craft and Han was flying by
instinct alone.
"Hoo-ah!" Han shouted in glee, happy to be back in his element. Leia looked worr
iedly over at her brother.
"Do you think dad could do this?"
Luke shook his head. "Nobody sane would do this."
'You did it!' Chewie growled merrily. Luke shot him an annoyed look.
The ship shuddered violently as Han weaved in between the massive trees, then ba
nked sharply as he found a large, clear spot to land. Han gently set the ship do
wn and powered down the engines, putting all systems onto stand-by. Han looked o
ver his shoulder at Luke and shot him a cocky grin.
"I don't know why you had any problems," he stated boldly. "It was easy."
Leia felt her brother's aggravation and smiled softly. "A Jedi knows no anger...
" she said softly..."
"Oh, shut up."
A few minutes later, Luke and Leia sat cross legged and slightly huddled in Yoda
's tiny hut. Luke's happiness to see his old mentor was tinged with the sadness,
as he could tell by the way the old Jedi master moved that he did not have long
for this world. Leia, likewise, was apprehensive for a very different reason -
Buffy had told her about Yoda, but she had never met him in person. She hoped sh
e didn't disappoint him.
"Look I so old, to young eyes? Hmm?" Yoda said good-naturedly, before degenerati
ng into a small coughing fit.
"No. Of course not," Luke scoffed, somewhat unconvincingly. Yoda laughed again.
"I do!" he said, looking at the twins. "Yes I do!" Slowly Yoda made his way towa
rds his small bed. "Soon will I rest. Yes, forever sleep." With a grunt of effor
t he pulled himself into his bed.
"Master Yoda, you can't die!" Luke protested.
"Strong am I with the Force. But not that strong. Old and weak have I become."
"But Master Yoda, I've come back to complete the training."
"As have I, Master," Leia put in. "Buffy has trained me, but we've never had muc
h time together for me to learn! And she told me I could learn so much from you.
"
"Learned much from her, you have. And more to teach you, she does. She knows mor
e about the Force than even she will admit. A great Jedi you will make, Leia Nab
berie." Yoda turned his gaze to Luke. "Your training, cut short you did. But no
more do I have to teach you. Know that, which you require."
"So I am a Jedi," Luke said. Yoda chuckled.
"Not yet, young Skywalker. Soon, though. One last test I give to you. A Jedi the
re is, in the service of the Emperor. Tricked and deceived, he was. Now he hides
his shame behind a black Sith mask..."
"Halcyon," Luke reasoned. Yoda nodded.
"His pain and anger, misplaced they are. Help him face his pain, free him of the
Emperor's grasp. Only by taking away his most powerful weapons can you defeat h
im! Luke..." Yoda's voice got softer and more gravely as his strength started to
leave him faster. "Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor. All those wh
o have, have perished - or worse. Luke...Leia..." his voice was even softer, "So
on, over, this war will be. The Jedi Order, MY Jedi order, fade into history it
must. Up to you two, now, will it be to rebuild the Order. Start over, you must,
to prevent our mistakes..." with a soft sigh, Yoda's eyes closed and his head f
ell back onto his pillow and he breathed no more.
After over 800 years, Master Yoda, the greatest Jedi Master of all time, was dea
d.
Two somber Jedi made their way back towards the Falcon, where Han and Chewie wer
e bus checking over the hull. He noticed their identical expressions and frowned
.
"What's wrong?" he asked, wordlessly pulling Leia into his arms. The young princ
ess sighed and returned the hug gratefully. "What is it?"
"Master Yoda is dead," Luke said, deep in contemplation.
"I'm sorry," Han said awkwardly. Ever since his father, he never was able to dea
l with grief well. "So, what now?"
Leia composed herself and stood up straight. "Now, we get back to the fleet." Lu
ke nodded in agreement. Han just shrugged.
"All right, let's hit it."
Halcyon sat in the back of the Imperial shuttle as it launched from the Executor
towards the monstrosity before them. The second Death Star was twice as big as
its predecessor and even more deadly. Personally, he felt that it was overkill -
but who was he to question the will of the Emperor.
You were a Jedi, once.
Halcyon snarled to himself and pushed that annoying voice to the back of his min
d where it belonged. He wasn't a Jedi now - he was a servant of the Sith Lord an
d ruler of the Empire, a trainer of his Hands - like the one that sat before him
now.
Mara Jade had been silent since their last meeting in her apartment, appearing t
o be as lost in thought as he was becoming.
"How's the grandson?" she had asked. Without moving, he was able to pull up an i
mage of his grandson on the HUD built into his helmet. The image flickered to li
fe - a shot from the surveillance camera in the CorSec main office, where he wor
ked with his dad - Halcyon's son. Corran Horn was a tall man, with a slender bui
ld and short-cropped blond hair and goatee. He looked so like Halcyon had looked
when he was younger, before time and war had changed him.
His thoughts of family were interrupted by the shuddering feeling of the shuttle
touching down in the Death Star's main hanger. Wordlessly he rose and made his
way to the lowering ramp, waking down it as it lowered, with Mara right behind h
im.
"Moff Jerjerrod. I see the construction is proceeding apace?"
The young Moff squirmed under Halcyon's appraising gaze and the former Jedi caug
ht the sight of several burn marks peeking up under his high collar. The Emperor
must have already taught the man a lesson in running behind schedule, he though
t to himself, and he decided to take pity on the man. "Where is the Emperor?"
"If you'll both follow me, he's asked me to bring you to him," Moff replied. Wor
dlessly, the two Sith agents followed the station commander deep into the statio
n. The entered a turbolift and took it to the very top and, when the exited, Hal
cyon saw that they were in what appeared to be a large observation tower. He and
Mara proceeded deeper into the room, heading across the short walkway that conn
ected the lift to the rest of the room, then up a steep set of stairs until they
stood before a throne that was facing towards a large window. Slowly, the thron
e turned around so that the Emperor was facing them and the two bowed.
Time (and Sith power) had not been kind to Palpatine. Where once his disfigureme
nt had been caused by Mace Windu turning his own energies back on him, his advan
ced age had added even more wrinkles and his brow heavily protruded over his eye
s, making the yellow orbs appear even more sunken. He was wrapped in his long, b
lack cloak that he had worn years ago when he first manifested as Darth Sidious
and a walking stick was tucked into the deep chair besides him.
"Halcyon, Mara."
"You called, we came, my Master," Halcyon replied not looking up.
"The Skywalker brats still live, Mara," Palpatine said, quietly. Mara winced inw
ardly, but did her best not to show it.
"A thermal detonator exploded in the middle of them, Master. I barely escaped wi
th my life. I'm didn't believe they did at all."
"Indeed?" Palpatine raised a withered eyebrow. "Is that why you saved the sister
?" Before Mara could object, Palpatine blasted her with Force lightening. Mara s
creamed in pain as she was flung back down the stairs, where she landed with a t
hud at the bottom. "Do not let any personal feeling get in your way next time, M
ara Jade, or I will not be as forgiving." The Sith Lord swung around to Halcyon.
"As for you," he turned a blast of lightening onto him, sending him flying back
down the stairs as well. "Instead of routing the Rebels, you've been busy check
ing on family. If you wanted a reunion, I could have arranged one for you. I'm s
ure they would have been very proud to see what you've become."
"I've done my job, Master," Halcyon ground out. "There is no need to drag them i
nto this..."
"Oh, but you are the one who dragged them into this. And since they've proven to
be such a distraction, I'm afraid I've had to deal with it." Halcyon's eyes wid
ened behind his mask as Palpatine slowly made his way down the stair until he wa
s standing directly over the fallen Jedi. "You are the last of your family now,
Nejaa. And there is no one to blame but yourself."
Anger, red-hot, came to Halcyon then and he wanted nothing more than to tear Pal
patine apart limb from limb. But it was an impotent anger - Palpatine was much s
tronger than him, even now, and he knew that any attack would be futile.
Palpatine knew this and his wicked smile broadened as he retook his seat. "You b
oth belong to me. You will do as you are commanded. Even now, the Rebels move to
attack this station - an attack which will prove fruitless. And I have no doubt
that Skywalker will be among those attacking. He will come for you, Nejaa, out
of some ridiculous sense of Jedi honor, to try and redeem you. When he comes, yo
u will bring him before me. And you," he rounded on Mara, who cowered on the flo
or, "the next time you see the thief, you will DESTROY her! Do you understand?"
"Yes, M-Master," Mara stuttered, painfully dragging herself to her feet. She tho
ught of moving to help Halcyon, but quickly decided against it - her Master woul
d likely punish her again for showing compassion.
"Now, both of you get out of my sight!" the Emperor said as he sat back in his t
hrone, turning to face the window and ignoring their bows.
Xander stood over the holographic display table in the main planning suite, just
off the bridge on the flagship of the Slayer's fleet, which he had named the My
stery Machine.
That name amused Buffy.
Currently it was Xander, Obi-Wan and Anakin surrounding the table, on which a ho
lographic image of Buffy was standing.
"Hey, I didn't know these tables did life-size communications," Anakin teased, r
unning his hand through Buffy hologram to disrupt it slightly. "From the height
down to the air-filled head..."
"Oh, shut up," Buffy growled in annoyance. "Did you know about Padmé's plan?"
"Co-existence with the Empire?" Anakin confirmed. "Yeah. And I'm not happy about
it either, but it makes sense. Do you think this Thrawn is the man for the job?
"
"From what I've gleaned, I'd make a strong bet that he is," Buffy replied. "I've
never seen a crew this dedicated - or loyal."
"He's let you roam the ship?" Obi-Wan asked. Buffy smirked.
"No, but there are surveillance cameras and Willow is a hacker..." Buffy trailed
off and her face fell suddenly. "Oh, no....."
Anakin and Obi-Wan felt it a moment later and both bowed their heads out of resp
ect and sorrow. Xander looked at them in confusion. "What? What happened?"
"Master Yoda just became one with the Force," Anakin explained.
"I had hoped Leia could learn from him as well," Buffy said sadly. "He was a gre
at teacher."
The three Jedi took a moment to grieve and Xander remained silent out of respect
as well. All too soon they cut their grieving short and got back to the busines
s of war.
"Between Karrde's sources and Willow's hacking," Xander began, "we've got a pret
ty good idea what's going to happen. We know that the Death Star is orbiting the
forest moon of Endor and that it's protected by a shield generator that was pla
ced there by the Empire. We also know that Palpatine has been quietly re-deployi
ng select ships in his fleet to an undisclosed location..."
"Endor," the three Jedi said simultaneously. Xander nodded.
"And that said ships are commanded by some of his most fanatical followers. That
will be helpful for your wife's plan." Xander looked to Anakin, who nodded, "Bu
t we shouldn't celebrate too early - there are lots more fanatics where they cam
e from. And best of all, we know that Palpatine himself is on board to verse the
final stages of construction."
"Padmé's been in contact with me and had let me in on the Alliances plan. The orig
inal plan was to land a small team on the moon and blow up the shield generator,
allowing their fighters to fly into the Death Star's super structure and take o
ut its main reactor. However, they now know it's a trap and they've been told of
the resources that we'll be bringing to the party."
"The thawing of the clones is proceeding apace and should be completed within th
e week. All ships status have checked green and they're good to go. Joyce requis
itioned one of your old Jedi starfighters..."
"Not surprising. They were superior in some aspects to the old ARC's," Buffy sai
d.
"Anyway, she'll be our squadron leader for Blue Squad. Aayla will lead Red Squad
..."
"Which will free you up to pilot the Falcon," Anakin noted. Buffy nodded.
"Good. The Grand Admiral is...hesitant... to meet directly with the Rebel Allian
ce, so he's taking his fleet to wait in a nearby system. They won't make their p
resence known until Palpatine springs his trap."
"Understood. The plan has been modified slightly. Twenty four hours before the o
peration begins, a small strike force will sneak onto the moon. They will try to
take out the shield generator - but most likely they will fail."
"Because they are only a diversion," Buffy nodded in understanding. "Risky."
"Necessary, unfortunately," Xander countered. "The Emperor needs to believe that
his plans are proceeding smoothly. Now, the team won't try too hard, and have b
een ordered to avoid capture above all else. Meanwhile, after the twenty four ho
ur deadline, the Alliance fleet will jump in, and the Emperor will spring his tr
ap.
"As soon as Palpatine acts, we'll be jumping our small fleet in behind his. We'l
l start pounding the big ships and our fighters will screen cover for the troop
transports, which will land on the forest moon to take out the shield generator
positioned there."
"Clones?" Anakin asked."
"Clones, Jedi, and Slayers," Xander corrected. "They'll take out the generator,
at which point our squads will proceed to carry out the original plan and fly in
to the station to take out the reactor."
"Meanwhile, the Grand Admiral will arrive and engage the capital ships," Buffy f
inished. "Be clear on this, hit them hard at first, but pull back. Those old shi
ps are no match for a modern Star Destroyer." She glanced at the chrono on her w
rist. "Willow and I are due to leave in about two hours - she's finalizing plans
with Thrawn as we speak. We'll be meeting up with the Alliance in two days."
"Obi-Wan and I will be joining you as well," Anakin said, glancing at Xander. "I
believe Commander Harris here has everything well in hand."
"Wait. What?" Xander looked to the Jedi confused. "Who's in command then?"
"You are, Xander," Buffy said. "You planned this. You gathered most of the intel
. It's your ball - run with it." With that, her image disappeared from the holo.
Anakin slapped Xander on the back in congratulations.
"Well, you wanted something to do..."
Dawn paced nervously in her quarters, waiting for Zett to come back from patrol.
Even though he was now a Master, he still liked to go out with the old squad. D
awn did too, but she had been a bit...preoccupied.
Pregnant! She thought to herself. I can't believe I'm pregnant! It's not that I
didn't want this...I do! It's just that we were going to wait a little longer, u
ntil the end of the war....
"Arrgh!" She screamed, then sighed in defeat. "Guess I should have introduced hi
m to condoms after all..."
"Dawn? I'm home!" Zett said cheerfully as he came into the apartment. Dawn turne
d to face her boyfriend - and froze.
I can't tell him. What if he leaves me?
"Dawn?" Zett said worriedly as she just stood there. "Is something wrong?"
"I, ah....I...oh, hell...."
"Dawn," Zett moved to her and wrapped his powerful arms around her slight waist.
"Love, what is it?"
"Zett, have you ever thought you were doing something right, but in the end you
found out you screwed up big time?"
"Yes," he replied after a moment. "The night I left you at that Halloween party,
when you got drunk. I should have stayed with you - or at least dragged you bac
k."
"Heh," Dawn laughed, recalling her not-so-fond memories of that night. "No, I de
served that."
"No, you didn't. I shouldn't have left you." He paused for a moment, as if he wa
s struggling to find the words to say something. "In fact, if you'll have me, I'
d like to never leave you again."
"Wha..." Dawn stared down at her boyfriend in shock as he knelt down on one knee
. "I saw this on the television, once, as the way men propose on this planet. It
's not something I ever really thought about, before... being a Jedi and all, ma
rriage never factored into my future. Not until you." To her shock, he produced
small ring. It was modest - a thin, plain gold band topped with a small emerald,
 with two small diamonds on each side. "Dawn Summers, will you be my wife?"
Tears of joy sprung to her eyes as she leaned down and kissed him lightly on the
lips. "Yes, I'll be your wife," she cried happily as Zett placed the ring on he
r finger, kissing the palm of her hand before moving up to her lips. As the two
made their way to the bed, Dawn sighed happily inside.
I can tell him later...Wedge eyed his wife warily as she made her way around the
ir small quarters on the Alliance flagship, whistling a little tune to herself.
She neatly laid out the plates and silverware, then made her way back to the sma
ll kitchenette to remove diner from the reheater.
"Who are you and what have you done with my wife?" Wedge asked warily. Joyce jus
t chuckled.
"What? Can't a girl make a special dinner for her guy?" she asked, setting the m
eal down on the table.
"Depends. Will I be seeing any funny creatures after I eat it?"
Joyce sauntered over to her husband, straddled him and planted a long, deep kiss
. "I'm just happy right now, is all. It's like a weight has been lifted off of m
y shoulders, like I can finally start living my life for me, and not just for re
venge."
Wedge smiled. "So, no more Fett in our lives?"
Joyce just shrugged. "No more hunting him, at any rate. But he is the Mandalore.
Seeing him is kind of inevitable." She got off of her husband's lap, then pulle
d him up towards the table. "But I'm not worried about it anymore. I've dealt wi
th my past and put it to rest." She grinned wickedly. "Now eat your dinner and I
'll put you to rest."
"Yes, ma'am," he replied a he dug into his meal.
Ep 6 Ch 6
Setting the Stage
DISCLAIMER: The only thing I own here is Joyce. The rest belongs to Joss and Geo
rge.
A/N: Special thanks to my Editor Fallenstar2, who really spruced this chapter up
and put her own personal touch into it.
Alas, I couldn't think of a 'Return' title for this chapter. So much for that ru
nning joke...
The Millennium Falcon reverted to real space on the edge of the Rebel fleet, whi
ch consisted of a dozen capital ships, several large, armored transports, dozens
of frigates and hundreds of fighters. Only a few dozen fighters were out flying
CAP at the moment, while the rest received maintenance in their hangars. The Re
bel capital ships were an oddity to Han - they were Mon Calamari star cruisers -
nothing but smooth, curved lines built around decent engines - built initially
to be pleasure boats for the Empire. The Mon Calamari builders, however, had oth
er plans and made sure to outfit them with the best weapons they could steal for
m the Empire before stealing the ships and defecting to the Alliance.
"Home One, this is the Falcon," Han announced as he approached the command ship,
"I've got the twins and I'm coming in for landing." The Twins were Luke and Lei
a's designation in the fleet while they were traveling together. Han wasn't terr
ibly impressed - despite the different last names, EVERYBODY knew who 'the twins
' were.
"Roger that, Falcon. Proceeded to the main hanger and tell the Twins that Senato
r Amidala says hello."
"Copy. Falcon out." He turned to Luke and Leia, who sat in the chairs right behi
nd Chewie and himself. "Your mom says hi."
"Really?" Leia replied sarcastically but with a smile to lesson the blow, "I wou
ldn't have known, despite the fact that you had them on speaker."
"Now you're just trying to hurt my feelings."
Han and Chewie brought the Falcon into the bay and landed gently. Looking out th
ey could see that even now, with the fleet on stand-by, the bay was a hive of ac
tivity as dozens of fighters underwent maintenance. Han powered the craft down a
nd the four exited to find a courier waiting for them. "Mon Mothma would like to
see the four of you in her private quarters," he said. The four looked at each
other, shrugged and followed.
"It's so good to see you!" Padmé exclaimed as she hugged both of her children. Beh
ind her stood Mon Mothma, with Buffy and Willow off to the side. She stepped bac
k to look over Luke in his all black outfit. "So much like your father. Right do
wn to his fashion sense."
"It's good to see you again, Mother," Luke said warmly. "It's been too long."
"Where's father?" Leia asked.
"He's with Xander's small fleet. He'll be coordinating the Jedi fighters along w
ith Willow on the Mystery Machine."
"Mystery Machine?" Luke said incredulously.
"Don't ask," Buffy and Willow replied in unison.
"We were just going over the plan that Commander Harris came up with," Mon Mothm
a said, turning back to her planning table. Luke looked at his sister and mouthe
d Commander Harris? Leia just shrugged. "The plan is risky, but then so was open
ly rebelling against Palpatine's tyranny. My largest concern, though, is what ha
ppens to the Empire afterward." She looked up, eyes cold, at Willow. "How do you
know you can trust your man or that the people will follow him?"
"Some won't," Willow replied simply. "He is an alien and Palpatine's Empire is e
xtremely speciesist. But the troops love him and those under his command swear b
y him. He is a brilliant tactician who knows how to exploit people's weaknesses
- and turn their own strengths against themselves. If dissension does break out,
he is the most likely to win in the long term and bring the remains of the Empi
re together. And, as he will put the good of the people - and by extension the E
mpire - ahead of any kind of personal need for glory, he will be amenable to pea
ceful co-existence with the Republic."
"There will have to be concessions on both sides," Padmé warned, "but if we want p
eace in our lifetime, this is what has to happen."
Mothma sighed as she sat down behind her desk. "I'll be honest with you, Padmé - I
don't like it. But I cannot deny it, either." She paused for a moment, looking
at her old friend. "Let it be done."
Joyce casually eyed her surrounding as she sipped her drink. She was back on Man
dalore - a place she hadn't set foot on in nearly ten years, in a dingy bar in t
he main city. The walls were decorated with various pieces of memorabilia and bl
aster holes - and some of the holes went through the memorabilia. The tables wer
e scraped and worn, the chairs wobbled - the bar nicked and charred in places. A
ny sane person would think twice before setting foot in this joint.
The only thing Joyce thought was that it was good to be home.
Joyce downed her drink and smirked. "Bet you weren't expecting to see me again s
o soon."
"It is a bit of a shock," Boba Fett said as he took the seat next to her. The ba
rtender poured him a double and slid it down to him and Fett nodded in thanks. "
I take it you're here about that job you mentioned. While dangling me over the S
arlacc, if I recall."
"No, I told you about the job after I dangled you," Joyce replied calmly, signal
ing the bartender for another drink. She shook her head in amusement. "What a fa
mily we make huh?"
"You should meet my real daughter," Fett replied, with no malice in his voice. "
We can talk in here. It's clean."
"Good, cause the Empire wouldn't like you taking this job."
"Which is what?"
"Assisting the Rebellion in killing Palpatine and most of his fanatical fleet."
Joyce was rewarded for her bluntness as Fett sprayed his drink all over the bar
mirror. He tuned to look at her, his scarred face astonished.
"Are you fraking kidding me?"
"Not even a little bit," Joyce assured him, calmly taking a sip on her drink. "T
he Alliance has an attack planned and we have back up coming. I just thought the
Mandalorians would like a shot at the man who strip-mined our home world."
"It's nuts. When the Rebellion looses..."
"They won't," Joyce assured him. "The Emperor thinks he's set a trap. He hasn't.
" She set her drink down and looked at him. "Here's the deal. Fifty large, guara
nteed membership into the Republic, help repair the ecosystem, no further string
s attached. All you gotta do is fly cover for our fighters, harass their capital
ships - and protect the Millennium Falcon."
"You're throwing that last one in, aren't you?" Fett asked. Joyce nodded.
"I won't try and kill you. Doesn't' mean I won't torment you."
Fett downed the rest of his drink and held out his hand. "Make it 75 with a guar
anteed contract to design and produce their next generation of fighters and you'
ve got a deal."
Joyce grasped his hand and shook if firmly. "Deal."
The planning arena on Home One was a large, circular space, with a lowered floor
surrounded by several levels of bench seating - not unlike ancient gladiatorial
arenas on several planets. In the center of the floor was a large holographic p
rojector, around which Admiral Ackbar and General Madine stood. By the time Luke
, Leia and the rest had arrived, the room was filled nearly to capacity. The sma
ll group moved over towards Lando, who had saved them seats on the floor.
"Made it just in time," Lando said quietly as Mon Mothma took her place on the f
loor.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, "the Emperor has made a critical error and th
e time for our attack is now. Information obtained by the Bothan spies have give
n us specific coordinates for the Emperor's new battle station and all intellige
nce has indicated that the weapon systems are not yet active. Most importantly -
we have learned that the Emperor himself is overseeing the final stages of cons
truction." She paused as murmurs at that news grew in the gallery. "Many Bothans
died to give us this information... information, I have learned, that the Empir
e intended us to have all along." Many excited murmurs rose from now-restless cr
owd and Mothma held up her hands. "Please, please, keep order. The Emperor inten
ds to trap us - and I intend to make him believe he has."
"What do you mean?" Ackbar asked, intrigued despite himself. Mothma never took t
hese kinds of risks, without a darned good plan.
"We will be receiving help from the Jedi," she nodded at Buffy, who nodded back,
"Along with their allies. We will also be receiving aid from the Mandalorians,"
"They're mercenaries! You can't trust those rotters!" someone shouted.
"They're getting paid!" Wedge shouted back. "And watch the language - my wife is
a Mandalorian."
"We will also be receiving aid from a most unexpected source - a Grand Admiral o
f the Empire."
"You're joking!" Lando exclaimed. "Who?"
"An Admiral named Thrawn - who, after the death of the emperor, will move to con
solidate those planets still wishing to be under the banner of the Empire, so th
at we may sign peace accords..." Mothma's voice was drowned out by a roar of def
iant voice, as one by one the pilots, officers and crew shouted down the decisio
n. Finally, the din was broken by a sharp whistle and everyone quieted immediate
ly. Without further ado, Padmé stepped forward.
"You do not know me, but my name is Padmé Amidala-Skywalker. Many years ago, I was
the Naboo representative in the Galactic Senate. I watched with horror as Palpa
tine stripped away our rights, in the name of 'security', how he declared the Je
di enemies of the Republic. I was there, with Mon Mothma and Bail Organa as Palp
atine declared himself Emperor and his plan to reorganize the Republic into the
Empire.
"And I heard the cheers. I watched in horror as liberty died to thunderous appla
use. I sat dejected as many friends, whom had joined me in signing the petition
of 2000, were rounded up, imprisoned and executed.
"And I have been a victim of the Emperor's tyranny - forced to leave my two chil
dren here, so that they may grow to help lead the Alliance to victory. Forced to
hide who I was whenever I sneaked back. Forced to live on a world, far removed
from here and play peacemaker between the noel people who sheltered us and the p
etty despot who was supposed to be in charge of them."
Buffy and Willow shared an amused look at that.
"After all of the tears, all of the suffering I should be the first person to sa
y that we should destroy the Empire utterly. But instead, I was the one who thin
k up this plan." She paused for effect, looking around the room at each and ever
y person she could. "The Empire cannot die, it will not die, because there are t
oo many planets, too many systems that crave it. To attempt to kill it will land
us in yet another civil war - and two are enough for any lifetime." She paused
and let out a deep breath. "This is the only way. If we are to have peace in our
life time, this is the only way."
Padmé stepped back and let the silent audience absorb what she just said. Suddenly
, Wedge stood and started clapping, followed closely by the Rogues. Buffy, Willo
w, Han, Luke and Leia soon followed and then suddenly the entire audience was cl
apping. Padmé smiled and nodded in thanks, then looked over to her sister, whose s
mile, so reminiscent of when they were young, warmed her heart.
Maybe they would make it through this, after all.
Luke followed the others out, but took a left away from the Falcon, towards wher
e the squadron was gearing up.
"Wish you were coming with us," Wedge said wistfully, coming up beside Luke as t
hey watched the young squadron don their helmets and get together their equipmen
t.
"Wish I was, too," Luke replied, grimacing at the prospect of the mission set be
fore him.
"We'll make do, though," Wedge replied, walking over to one of the pilots and cl
asping him on the shoulder. "Right, Corran?"
The pilot straightened up and glanced at Wedge before his gaze moved to Luke. "W
e're ready to do our part," he said resolutely, "to bring the Emperor down. Afte
r what happened to my father, being set up by his superiors, I'm ready for the f
ight."
Luke nodded, feeling slightly better about not being out with the remnants of Ro
gue Squadron. "Good luck," he offered the younger pilot.
Corran stared at him for a moment before replying, "And when you see my grandfat
her, tell him I say hello."
Luke eyed Corran Horn closely for a moment. "Your-"
The younger pilot shrugged, turning back to his X-Wing. "I know who he is," he s
aid quietly, "but it doesn't make it easier, knowing your blood relation is trap
ped in that black mask."
"Halcyon," Luke breathed. How come he had never seen it before? Maybe his father
would have recognized Corran Horn, but him?
"Good luck, Luke," Wedge said, shaking his hand.
"To us all," Luke replied, before backing away towards the Falcon.
"You're going to WHAT!"
Buffy stared back at her almost-son with a patient smile. "I'm taking the Falcon
."
Han stared at her in annoyance. "What gives you the right to take my ship?"
Buffy arched an eyebrow. "Because you won't be needing it, as you'll be leading
the strike team on the forest moon. Besides, it was mine before it was yours."
"It was my father's," he emphasized.
"We were going to be married. It was half mine."
"Didn't you almost use it as a battering ram?"
Buffy held up her hand. "Enough, Han. I need a fast ship that can take a poundin
g. The Falcon's got the job." She smiled at him. "Don't worry; you'll get her ba
ck when you come home. She won't even have a scratch on her."
Han sighed in defeat. "Fine." He gave a surprised Buffy a quick hug and then pro
ceeded up the shuttle's ramp. He paused at the top and turned to Buffy. "I've go
t your word, now. Not a scratch!"
Buffy couldn't help but laugh at the very Jacen-like behavior of his son. "Will
you get going, you old pirate?"
Han gave her a casual salute. "You take care now."
"You, too."
Han entered the shuttle and closed the ramp behind him. The cargo area was lined
with several benches, all filled by the Rebel strike team. He climbed up the st
eep stairs into the cockpit and squeezed into the pilots chair. Chewie grumbled
in the copilot's chair beside him.
"Yeah, well I don't think the Empire designed them with Wookies in mind, Chewie,
" Han groused. He paused in his pre-flight to gaze out at the Falcon. Leia caugh
t his mood and leaned over him.
"What is it?"
"Ah, just a funny feeling," Han said sadly, looking at his ship, "like I'm never
going to see her again."
Leia grinned. Boys and their toys. "Come on General, let's go."
Han shook himself out of his stupor. "Right. Come on, Chewie. Let's see what thi
s piece of junk can do."
Buffy watched from beside the Falcon as Han's shuttle lifted off and exited the
bay, passing gently through the atmospheric shield. In an instant, they were gon
e.
"Do you think this plan has any hope of succeeding?"
Buffy turned and saw Willow step out of the shadows of the Falcon, looking towar
ds the open bay doors. Buffy shrugged and turned her gaze back to the starscape.
"There's always hope," Buffy murmured. Willow chuckled.
"Ever the optimist, Buffy," she sighed. "I hope they'll be okay."
"When do you leave?"
"In a few minutes. Anakin's getting settled on the Knight Terror. We'll leave fo
r Xander's fleet and hopefully make it before midnight."
"What about Obi-Wan?" Buffy turned to her friend. "I thought he was going to be
onboard the Mystery Machine."
Willow shrugged. "Said he wanted to stay here. I didn't argue."
Buffy scowled. "You're playing matchmaker again."
"Well, you two have been dancing around each other for, like, twenty years. You'
ve finally managed to put Jacen behind you. Don't you think that it's time to mo
ve on?"
"Maybe," Buffy said, a bit wistfully. "After this war is over, I mean. Maybe it
is time."
Willow moved to her friend and gave her a long hug. "Just think about it, okay?
When this is over, we'll have a long talk and devise a way to get Obi-Wan to fal
l madly in love with you. But for now, I've got to go."
Willow moved off towards her ship, but stopped when Buffy called her name, she t
urned around to look at her friend.
"May the Force be with you," Buffy said. Willow smiled.
"You, too, old friend," she whispered, before heading to her ship.
Dawn looked around the large meeting hall on board the Mystery Machine with amaz
ement. Hundreds of clones in their Civil War-era armor and Jedi milled about in
a relatively orderly fashion - punctuated by nearly two hundred Slayers, who wer
e much more...boisterous.
"Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention.... Hello, ladies, up here...."
Dawn stifled a giggle as Xander vainly tried to get the Slayers attention - the
clones had already lined up in an orderly fashion.
"YO! GIRLS, SHIUT UP AND LISTEN!" Faith shouted from next to Xander and the Slay
ers fell quiet. Dawn exchanged a grin with Zett, then turned her attention back
to Xander.
"Yes, well....thank you, Faith."
"Any time, boss."
"In twenty for hours," he began, addressing the assembled people before him, "th
e operation will begin. Soldiers, your main jobs will be fighter cover and opera
ting these ships. A small contingent will travel down to the forest moon with th
e Slayers and Jedi to assist the Alliance people already on the ground with deac
tivating the shield, if they haven't already."
"A small contingent of Jedi will also fly cover," Master Shryne announced. "Reme
mber, we're there to protect and harass - don't get overly zealous."
"Above all else, when that shield goes down, make sure the flight headed for the
Stations power core makes it." Xander added. "Everybody clear? Then get some ra
ck time - you'll need all the rest you can get."
Zett wrapped his arms around Dawn from behind and nuzzled her neck. "I can think
of far better thing to do in our rack then rest," he said quietly. Dawn giggled
and sighed.
"But he does have a point," she pointed out. "We'll be on the ground tomorrow. D
on't you want to be rested?"
"That's what meditation is for."
"Zett!" she sighed. "Zett, there's something you should know..."
Zett looked at her curiously. "What?"
"Yo, Dawn!"
Dawn sighed and turned to see Faith running towards them. "Hey, Faith. What's up
?"
Faith grinned apologetically. "Sorry to mess up any plans you two lovebirds have
for tonight, but Xander wants to go over some stuff with the Z-Man here."
"Do I have to?" Zett asked. Faith just gave him a look. "Right. Why did I accept
this promotion?"
"Better pay?" Faith ventured.
"I'm supposed to get paid?"
Dawn laughed. "Go, go plan. I'm going to get some rest."
"But you wanted to tell me something."
Dawn shook her head. "It can wait. I'll see you tomorrow for the pre-mission bri
efing." She leaned in and gave him a lingering kiss. "I love you."
"And I you," Zett smiled, then turned and walked off with Faith. Dawn sighed, an
d headed dejectedly towards her bunk.
Just have to tell him tomorrow, she thought to herself.
"Are we there yet?"
Willow glared at her passenger. "If you don't cease and desist immediately, I ma
y have a relapse of my Dark Side ways." Anakin just smiled cheekily at her and W
illow sighed. "So much like your sister...."
"Sorry, can't help it. I always get excited before a battle - just ask Obi-Wan,"
he sighed. "I just wish Padmé was here."
"Believe it or not, she's safer on the Mon Cal ships. These old Star Destroyers
we found aren't as heavily armed or armored as they are."
"Maybe, but I still like her to be close."
"I had no idea," she said suddenly, Anakin frowned and looked at her, somewhat s
hocked to find a sad and somewhat frightened, look on her face.
"Had no idea of what?"
"I had no idea that Dookoo was trying to kill her," Willow said softly. "I reall
y was trying to find out who was behind the attacks. And when I did - I was furi
ous. I did many things I'm not proud of as Darth Traya - but what I did to him,
I will never regret."
Anakin swallowed and took a deep breath, willing his anger away. It would be of
no use to anyone now to get angry. "We all did things back then that we're not p
roud of. But the past is in the past. Padmé has forgiven you, Buffy has forgiven y
ou and I have forgiven you. Let us just leave it at that."
Willow nodded. "Okay." She checked her instruments, announcing, "We're here," an
d dropped out of hyperspace, revealing the Black Fleet before them.
Ep 6 Ch 7.
Return of the Jedi (Part 1)
Disclaimer: I own not, these characters. Joss and George, do they belong to. No
profit do I make.
Thanks as always to my beta,my editor, the Sole Survivor: Fallenstar2.
This is the home stretch. Only 3 more chapters to go. Please read and review- th
e more reviews I get, the faster I'll post.
Han scowled as he was led through the steaming jungle by the small - and he mean
t small - band of Ewoks. Their meeting had been purely by chance - between Chewi
e's stomach and Leia nearly being captured by Storm Troopers, they had both happ
ened upon the small, furry creatures that Han had joked looked like what happens
when Wookie children didn't take their vitamins.
The back of his head still hurt from Chewie's annoyed slap.
Of course, their meeting had started off on the wrong foot - what with the Ewoks
wanting to cook and eat them for a feast in honor of Threepio, whom they though
t was a god. Lucky some quick thinking from Luke - along with a 'subtle' display
of Force powers - cleared everything up nicely. Threepio explained what had bee
n happening in the universe and what was going on, explaining exactly what the E
mpire was doing on the planet. The locals, it turned out, hated the Empire as mu
ch as the Alliance did. After all - even they had heard stories of what happened
to the last planet that a Death Star was built around - it had been used as tar
get practice. They had been quickly accepted as part of the Ewoks tribe and plan
s were put in motion to attack the shield generator at dawn via a secret entranc
e the Ewoks had spotted. That had been last night.
Now, they cautiously approached the entrance. Luke had left late last night, say
ing he had a mission of his own he needed to complete. A noise got Han's attenti
on and he looked up to see a shuttle taking off towards the massive battle stati
on in orbit. A sinking feeling hit him then-
Luke was going to face the Emperor.
Alone.
Luke sat in silence across from the menacing form of Nejaa Halcyon as the shuttl
e made its way swiftly towards the second Death Star. His hands were in binders
and his lightsaber was clipped to Halcyon's belt.
Probably the only time someone in my family voluntarily lost his lightsaber. Luk
e thought to himself dryly.
"What was it like?" he asked suddenly, startling the Sith Lord.
"What was what like?"
"The old Jedi Order?" Luke clarified. "I've heard stories from several other Jed
i, but I was wondering your take on it."
Halcyon scoffed. "They were foolish idealists, always so sure of themselves bein
g right, always so sure that being passive-aggressive would ensure peace. And lo
ok where that got them."
"Are you saying they should have embraced the Dark Side themselves?" Luke querie
d. Halcyon looked at him with narrowed eyes and reached out to him through the F
orce. Instead of finding a mocking, condescending attitude that he had been expe
cting, he found that Luke was honestly curious about his point of view.
"No," he said at length. "I'm saying they should have taken a more prominent rol
e. Master Windu was prepared to do that. So was..." he faltered for a moment. "S
o was Buffy. And your father."
They sat in silence for a few moments before Luke spoke again. "He is truly sorr
y for what he did to you, you know. It still haunts him."
"Good."
The shuttle landed and Halcyon and Luke rose. Both headed out of the shuttle and
across the bay, Luke being led in front, Halcyon just behind him with his hand
on his lightsaber. The two entered a turbolift and stood in silence as the doors
closed and the lift began the long journey to the top.
"Master Yoda assigned me my trials, you know," Luke said, still in a casual almo
st friendly tone of voice as if they were two old friends catching up.
"And what were they?" Halcyon asked, deciding to humor the boy.
"To bring you back to the light side."
Halcyon stared at the boy and then shook his head. "I have no reason to, not any
more."
"Your grandson would disagree."
Halcyon started, then stared down at the boy, who was still looking back calmly.
"My grandson is dead."
"Corran Horn? Formerly of the CSF?" Luke asked. "I talked to him shortly before
we left on our mission here. Told me his dad had been set up by his boss, but he
managed to get out before anything happened to him. Hell of a pilot," he added,
"he made it onto Rogue Squadron."
Before Halcyon could say anything, the lift stopped and the doors opened, reveal
ing the darkened chambers of the Emperor. Halcyon took a moment to compose himse
lf and then led the boy in.
Home Fleet
Buffy fidgeted anxiously in the Falcon's pilot seat, waiting for the word to be
given. Besides her, Obi-Wan gave her a curious look.
"Nervous?"
"No," Buffy replied, a little too quickly. Obi-Wan merely arched an eyebrow at h
er and she sighed. "Okay, a little bit. I mean, it's not like we do this kind of
thing everyday..." she caught his look and laughed lightly, "Well, not for a wh
ile, anyways..."
"Are you worried about our chances or about Dawn?" he asked. Buffy shrugged her
shoulders.
"A little bit of both. She's been hiding something, I know it. I'm just hoping n
othing is wrong."
"I'm sure she'll be fine, Buffy. As will we." He reached over and gently clasped
her hand. Buffy smiled again and tightened the grip slightly. Suddenly, a signa
l came on over the coms.
"The fleets preparing to jump," she announced. She hit the general coms button.
"We're getting ready to jump. All hands, strap in. Hyperlight jump in ten, nine,
eight, seven..."
Thrawn's Fleet
"Are all ships in position?"
"Yes, Admiral," a young officer named Tanner replied. Thrawn eyed the man coolly
- there was neither fear nor doubt in his eyes and his body was at attention, b
ut still relaxed - he believed they were doing the right thing. They all did.
Thrawn nodded. "Very well. Announce to all ships that we will jump when the sign
al is given."
"Yes, sir." The officer gave a small bow, then spun on his heels and headed back
to his station. Captain Palleon came to stand beside his chair.
"The crew is ready, sir. I've received no reports of dissent, no objections to o
ur course of action."
"No, you wouldn't," Thrawn replied idly. "The crew is loyal - loyal to the ideal
s of the Empire, not its leader. Despite all he has done for me, even I must adm
it that our venerated leader is quite insane. A weapon that can destroy a planet
!" he scoffed silently. "A true leader doesn't need massive weapons to keep orde
r! A true leader keeps order with the weapons he has - and by using them as infr
equently, but effectively, as possible. The Empire is at its weakest now - it wi
ll be up to us to make it strong."
"And the rebellion?" Palleon asked. "Would you really allow planets to secede to
them?"
"Why not?" Thrawn countered. "If they secede to the Rebellion and we make treaty
with them - would they not serve our interests just as well as if they were sti
ll under our control? Besides - if we show how much the Empire is willing to cha
nge, what's to say these systems wouldn't apply or membership with us again down
the line? In a few decades, the Rebellion might collapse as the systems that fl
ed the fear of Palpatine flocked to the safety and security of the Empire - whoe
ver leads it."
"Signal has been received," Tanner announced. "Beginning countdown."
Thrawn nodded, then turned to Palleon. "Make sure all fighters are ready the mom
ent we drop out of hyperspace.
"As you wish, Admiral," Palleon nodded, then turned and left at Tanner counted d
own.
"Six, five, four...."
The Black Fleet
Xander sat in the command chair, looking over several readouts on his screen. Be
hind and to the side of him stood Anakin and Willow, both with tense looks on th
eir face. In the communications pit Talon Karrde sat, verifying the fleet's read
iness.
"All ships report they are ready to proceed, Commander," Talon said, only somewh
at mockingly. "We've received the signal from the Alliance and Thrawn. Countdown
to commence....now."
Xander hit the general coms button on his chair. "Sound general quarters, ready
all stations. All hands, prepare to jump!"
"You're getting way to into this," Willow remarked with a smile. Xander grinned
and shrugged.
"When in Rome..."
"All hands report ready," an officer stated from one of the forward stations.
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends..." Anakin muttered.
"No more Star Trek for you," Willow quipped.
"Three," Talon counted down, "two, one- MARK!"
"Jump!" Xander commanded.
Out in space, the stars seemed to elongate and the two hundred plus ships of Xan
der's Black Fleet jumped into hyperspace.
Endor
Han watched in amusement as Wicket took off on one of the Storm Troopers' speede
rs, then quietly led his forces around to the edge of the building. After a few
tense moments of distracting and capturing the lone guard left, the small strike
force made its way into the massive complex.
"Come on, hurry!" Han urged the troops while holding a blaster on the few techni
cians. "Move!"
"Han, the fleet will be here in moments!" Leia announced.
"Then let's plant the charges and get the hell out of-"
"Freeze!" Several officers came out of a side passage, blasters trained on Han a
nd the rebels. Han reared back and tossed his case of charges at the nearest, kn
ocking him back over the railing and into the power distribution corridor beyond
- but it was hopeless. Soon, the team was surrounded and relieved of almost all
of their weapons - minus Leia's lightsaber, which she made the officer that sea
rched her forget she even had. Within three minutes, the team was rounded up and
outside, surrounded by the Empire's troops.
Fifteen minutes in and everything was going according to plan.
Home fleet jumped into the Endor system directly into the path of the massive De
ath Star. Those that had fought against the first one gaped at the sight - the s
tation was nearly twice as large as its predecessor. The only good news they had
was the weapons systems weren't operational yet - and the sight of the structur
e partially completed skeleton gave some hope that destroying it would be much e
asier, despite what they knew was coming.
"All fighters, check in," Lando announced from the Falcon. He had taken Obi-Wan'
s place in the second chair, so the Jedi Master could use his Force-talents in t
he upper quad guns. Padmé had decided to come along as well and she took the lower
guns - muttering something along the way about aggressive negotiations. Various
fighter groups sounded off - including Rogue. Buffy's hands tensed slightly on
the stick when Wedge sounded off - she knew he was the quite possible the best n
on-Force-sensitive pilot in the fleet, but she still didn't want her daughter ma
de into a widow.
"We're being jammed," Lando announced. "The shield is still up."
"Keep heading for the station for about another hundred klicks, then pull up and
fall back," Buffy ordered, opening her coms to the fighter wings. She knew Ackb
ar was giving a similar order to the capital ships as she spoke. "Prepare to eng
age enemy fighters."
"Roger, red leader," Wedge replied.
A few moments later, Buffy kicked in the afterburners and pulled up, flipping th
e craft around on its axis. As soon as the Falcon stabilized, she saw a sight th
at chilled her to the bones - two dozen Star Destroyers, all launching fighters.
"Aye, ya...." She muttered to herself. Out loud, she merely said, "Hold on to yo
ur butts!"
And suddenly, space seemed to rip apart as hundreds of laser blasts filled the s
ky.
In all his years of flying for the Alliance, Wedge had never seen a more fearsom
e battle as the one he flew in right now. On his left was the new Rogue TWO - Ty
co Celchu, formerly of Alderaan and one hell of a pilot and on his right Corran
Horn, a new member of the squadron, still flying the X-Wing he had 'liberated' f
rom Corellia when he had fled. Both were damn good flyers and he couldn't ask fo
r better wingmen.
That didn't stop him, though.
"Anytime you're ready, Joyce," he muttered as he bagged another TIE. "Anytime...
."
On board the Super Star Destroyer Executor, Admiral Piette watched the battle un
fold, almost lazily. He was confident - how could he not be? He was in the most
powerful war ship the Empire produced, surrounded by the tope military minds the
Empire had, defended by the finest pilots the Empire had turned out. All of thi
s firepower, against a couple of converted pleasure cruisers and a rabble of dec
repit ships?
"Sir, the fleet is in position."
"Hold here," Piet said confidently. The younger officer looked shocked.
"We're not going to attack?"
Piet shook his head. "The Emperor has something special planned for them. We onl
y need to keep them from escaping."
"Very good, sir," the officer replied. "Oh, and the Interdictors have taken up p
osition behind us and engaged their gravity well generators."
"Good," Piet said, but paused. He hadn't ordered any interdictors....
The battle was holding for the Alliance - but then it took a turn for the worse
as one of their capital ships suddenly and violently exploded.
"What the HELL!" Buffy exclaimed. "What was that?"
"That blast came from the Death Star!" Lando exclaimed. "That thing's operationa
l!"
"The one fraking thing I didn't foresee!" Buffy exclaimed, juking between two fi
ghters. She was pleased to see they were both destroyed by her quad gunners. "No
w what!"
"Closer!" Lando exclaimed, then keyed into the Alliance coms. "That's right, I s
aid closer! Get us as close to those Star Destroyers as we can!"
"We won't last long against those Star Destroyers!" Ackbar exclaimed.
"We only need to last a few more minutes...."
Wedge had long been separated from his wingman and knew he was just flying on in
stinct like a wombat out of hell. Kill after kill and still they kept coming - a
never-ending wave of terror.
Suddenly his ship shook and alarms blared. Cursing his tunnel vision, he rolled
right, hoping to break free of his pursuer. The TIE stubbornly held on, pounding
at his shields. Wedge juked and jived, but the hits kept coming... he winced as
his shields flared, then failed and realized with the next blast his he'd never
see his wife again....
Sudden rapid blasts of blaster fire pulsed past his ship, tearing into his pursu
er and ripping it to shreds. Wedge looked up, expecting to see Corran or Tyco-
But was studded to see the familiar shape of Slave 1 flying in fast, followed by
sixty-odd fighters, ranging from Firesprays to one very familiar-looking ARC fi
ghter...
The Mandalorians had arrived.
"It's customary for the bride's husband to by the father-in-law a drink," Boba F
ett's voice sounded over his com. "When this is over, I expect you to deliver."
Without further word, Fett flew past him and into a tangle of TIEs, destroying t
hem as fast as possible.
"Don't mind him," Joyce said, warmth in her voice at seeing her husband still al
ive. "He's just happy that I owe him one now."
Wedge could only laugh as Joyce lined up on his starboard side and the two flew
back into the battle.
"Where did those ships come from!" Piet demanded, stalking over to the tactical
board. "I though those interdictors..."
"They are blocking the Rebels!" the officer responded hastily. "As well as us. B
ut the ships came in from the edge of the field..."
"Who are they?"
"Mandalorians, it looks like," the officer scoffed. "Looks like they finally pic
ked a side."
"Or were bought," Piet reasoned. "Let's face it - their days as a power died lon
g before the Old Republic died. They're just bounty hunters now."
"The Rebellion must be really..."
"Sir?" the tactile officer said suddenly. "You were right. We didn't call for th
ose interdictors. And judging by their positions, it looks like they created a v
ery specific corridor for ships to ship-" No sooner had he sad that then dozens,
 then hundreds of ships, suddenly appeared out of hyperspace and began firing on
the helplessly pinned Empire fleet. "-through," he finished.
Piet blanched. The display was impossible - Venerator star destroyers, which had
n't seen service in a decade and had two hundred Dreadnaughts to spare? But ther
e they were there, opening fire and launching their fighters at the same time. D
imly, he noted a small attack force heading for the planet, but his mind was sti
ll in space with his fleet. His fleet, his beautiful fleet, was being pounded -
the rear shields of a Star Destroyer were her weakest part, due to the engines.
"Have the fleet spread out and turn to port. Get some guns facing them! Somebody
fire!"
The Mystery Machine was rocked as the empire's first salvo impacted her shields.
"Imperial fleet has engaged," the tactical officer noted, a bit late in Xander'
s mind. "Landing forces are away, Jedi squadrons are launching as we speak."
"Have the Jedi target fighters only," Xander ordered. "Leave the big ships to us
."
"Chimera is in position!"
"Coordinate our attack with the Grand Admiral," Xander ordered. "Bring us about
to four-nine-seven mark two. All batteries fire at will."
Though smaller than her newer counterparts, the old Venator class Star destroyer
s were built tough, in the days when capital ships were built with minimal shiel
ds- and they were built to move quickly. In no time the Mystery Machine had bank
ed to starboard and opened fire. Her guns - upgraded thanks to Karrde - pounded
into the rears and sides of several Star Destroyers, breaching their shields and
puncturing their hulls. Xander winced as he saw several Storm Troopers vented i
nto space, but pushed it to the back of his mind. This was war.
Anakin stared at the battle, but his attention was elsewhere. He felt his son ne
arby, felt his emotions swirling...
And he felt the demented glee of Palpatine, even as his son started to sink into
the darkness.
He turned to Willow. "Luke is on the Death Star!"
"He's what?!" Xander exclaimed.
"Willow, can you?"
Willow closed her eyes and took a breath, then nodded. "Give me your hand."
Anakin clasped her hand and Willow allowed the magicks to build up inside her. A
moment before she let them loose, she leaned down and kissed Xander on the temp
le.
"Goodbye, Xander." Before he could say anything, the two were gone in a swirl of
mystical energy.
"Willow...."
The Imperial fleet was falling into disarray, Buffy noted as she flew the Falcon
through the war zone. Star Destroyers were being eliminated left and right - bu
t they were still taking heavy losses.
"WOOO-HOOO!" echoed a scream from the rear of the ship as more TIEs exploded aro
und them and Buffy felt Obi-Wan's amusement at Padmé's... enthusiasm. "That's for
making me give up my children! And that's for hurting my husband! And that's for
the last TWENTY FRAKKING YEARS!"
"Damn, girlfriend," Buffy chortled. Lando couldn't help but laugh along.
"Hell, she's earned it more than anyone..." Lando started, but was cut off by an
alarm on his board. "The shield's down. All wings, form up! Make for the reacto
r!" he turned to Buffy "I knew they'd do it!"
"All wings, hit it!" Buffy shouted over the coms, as dozens of fighters suddenly
broke off their engagements and made for the construction entrance to the Death
Star's interior...
Ep 6 Ch 8
Return of the Jedi (Part 2)
A/N: As always, my thanks to my editor Fallenstar2.
The transports landed in a small clearing about a mile from the Shield generator
. The doors popped open and Dawn leapt out, her lightstaff in hand. She was foll
owed closely by Zett, Faith and a dozen more slayers and Jedi. The other craft l
anded, expelling their people as well and soon a group of over a hundred clone t
roopers, slayers and Jedi prepared for battle.
Which, by the sound of things, had started already.
"They were supposed to wait for us!" Faith ground out, taking off for the genera
tor. A minute later, she arrived at the edge of the clearing and stared in amaze
ment as small, furry creatures worked alongside the Rebels in taking out the Sto
rm Troopers. Faith, Dawn and Zett stared in amazement for a moment, before Faith
turned to Dawn.
"Where in the plan did it say we'd be getting back up from the Care Bears?"
"Short help is better than no help at all," Dawn muttered, then giggled. "Heh! T
hey look like little furry Hobbits!"
Zett lit his lightsaber and held it in the ready position. "For Frodo, then." Th
en without further word, he charged. Dawn rolled her eyes.
"No more Lord of the Rings!" she yelled at him as she followed behind, her light
staff ignited and blocking half a dozen shots that were headed her way. The stor
m troopers, previously beset by the Ewoks and Rebels, stared in horror as dozens
of lightsaber wielding Jedi, sword and axe-wielding girls and blaster-packing T
roopers in Clone War-era armor charged at them.
The battle was fast and furious. The Slayers were all equipped with chest armor,
but had all opted against wearing any of the cumbersome armor on their arms, le
gs or heads, instead relying on their increased agility to protect them. This tu
rned out to be an excellent idea, as they were soon cutting through the Storm Tr
ooper's ranks with ease. The Clone Troopers took up position in front of the doo
r, covering Han, Leia and Artoo as they tried to break the door open once more.
And the Jedi....
Dawn couldn't help but stare, albeit briefly, as the two dozen Jedi Knights batt
led the Storm Troopers. It was an amazing sight, one not seen since the beginnin
g of the Clone Wars and Dawn felt honored to be a part of such a fighting Force.
Suddenly the ground around her exploded as one of the Walkers opened fire. Dawn
flew through the air, slamming into the ground next to the wall of the shield ge
nerator. Instinctively she rolled and put her back against the wall, minimizing
her exposure even as her hand reached down to her belly. Quickly she reached out
through the Force to her unborn child and was relieved to find her all right.
Her, she realized. It's a girl...
"Dawn!" Zett shouted, running over to her while blocking a few errant blaster bo
lts. "Are you okay?"
"Fine!" she replied, standing up on shaky legs. "Just a bit shaken." They fought
side by side, turning back bolt after bolt and then suddenly Dawn spoke. "Zett,
I've got something I have to tell you."
"Can it wait?" Zett asked, decapitating a storm trooper that foolishly tried to
rush them.
"Probably, but then I'd lose my nerve again." Dawn took a breath. "I'm pregnant.
"
That caught Zett off guard and Dawn detached her ligthstaff to give her the dual
blades which she used to deflect the bolts. "You're pregnant?"
"Yup," Dawn said nervously.
"How long..."
"About three months. But I just found out at the beginning of the week - the sam
e day you proposed."
There was a beat. "And you tell me this NOW?" he asked incredulously.
"Well, I've wanted to tell you, but I thought you'd get upset...."
Zett laughed as the smile grew on his face. He casually deflected a few more bol
ts back at the remaining troops. "Dawn, how could I be mad about this? This is..
. this is wondrous!" he paused for a moment as the reality sunk in. "What in the
Force are you doing in combat?!"
"I can still fight!" Dawn shouted defiantly, shutting down her lightsabers and r
eattaching them as the fight came to an end. "I'm not helpless..."
"No, you're pregnant!" Zett shouted back.
"Mazel Tov," Han said dryly as he poked his head around the corner. "Now, if you
two don't mind, we have a shield generator to destroy!"
Dawn tossed her hair back and walked - well, it was more like strutted, to Zett'
s eyes - around the corner to help get the door open. Zett sighed and shook his
head.
"Force help Obi-Wan if they are anything alike..." he muttered as he turned to f
ollow.
Halcyon marched next to Luke as the two made their way up the stairs towards the
Emperor. Besides his chair stood Mara Jade, a cold expression on her face and h
er arms crossed in front of her.
"Greetings, young Skywalker," the Emperor spoke. "I have been expecting you."
"You could have had some refreshments ready, then," Luke replied flippantly, bar
ely glancing in the Sith Lord's direction as he took in his surroundings. His ey
es fell on Mara's face and he gave her a small smile. "Hello again, Mara. Round
three?"
"Maybe later," she replied dryly.
"You are quite insolent. Much like your Aunt."
Luke looked at the Emperor with a bland expression. "Actually, I'm told I take m
ore after my mother. But Aunt Buffy does send her regards."
Palpatine's eyes narrowed. "I'm rather surprised she didn't try to come with you
. Her and I have some... unfinished business."
"I asked if she would like to come," Luke said. "But she told me she didn't thin
k you rated her attention anymore."
Palpatine snarled. "Insolent boy! You'd best watch your tone!" he sat back in hi
s chair. "I sense a great anger in you, Skywalker. Anger at me, perhaps, for tak
ing your family away? Anger at your father, for not being strong enough to resis
t me?"
"Mostly I'm angry that these boots aren't comfortable when you're forced to stan
d still and listen to the bad guy do his spiel for half an hour," Luke interject
ed sarcastically. "But please, feel free to ramble on. A Jedi knows no pain, aft
er a-" he was cut off by a sudden blast of Force Lightening that sent him hurtli
ng back down the stairs, where he landed in a twitching heap.
Okay, so Buffy's smack-talking approach doesn't have quite the desired effect, h
e thought to himself.
"I believe its time someone put you in your place, boy," Palpatine snarled as he
walked to the edge of the stairs. "You are but a lone Jedi in the universe that
I created. The universe in which I destroyed all of your kind! Your pitiful reb
ellion? They are about to fly into a trap of my design. Your friends on the moon
? They will soon be wiped out. You, boy, are nothing. Nothing but another tool o
f the Dark Side. A tool that I will mold and shape, until I make you the perfect
successor for Vader!"
"Is that a fact, your highness?" Luke growled, pushing himself to his feet. "I m
ay be the lone Jedi in here - but out there, a couple dozen are on their way, al
ong with our own secret fleet, to overwhelm your trap. A couple dozen more are l
anding on the moon to take out your shield. Look out there, your highness! Some
of you own troops have turned against you, because of your mad lust for power!"
Luke drew himself up to his full height. "I guess this universe you built decide
d to do a little remodeling on its own."
Palpatine was about to blast Luke once more, when a sudden burst of bluish-purpl
e energy appeared in the center of the room. An instant later it cleared, leavin
g two very familiar faces in its wake.
Anakin looked at his son with a grin. "Luke, you're grounded for pulling this st
unt. No TV for a week."
Willow noted Halcyon and her daughter, but only had eyes for the hunched-over, w
eather figure of Emperor Palpatine. "Hey, boss. I came to finally pick up my sev
erance package." She ignited her purple blade and lifted it in a salute. "I beli
eve I'll take your arms, legs and head."
Dawn stared at the door. "I could probably cut through it," she stated, igniting
her blade. She was about to plunge it into the door, when a heavy metal clankin
g caught her attention. She spun around to see an AT-ST Walker approaching, its
guns pointed down at them. Dawn and Leia exchanged a look, then lifted their lig
htsaber up in defense, even as Zett stepped in front of his fiancé.
"Don't argue," he said in an undertone before she could start to grumble. "You c
an't blame me for worrying."
Han put his hands up and stepped forward, hoping to draw attention away from the
three Jedi long enough for them to make a break for it. "When you see your chan
ce, get out of here."
"Not going to happen, Nerf-herder," Leia replied.
The hatch to the walker opened and the four breathed a sigh of relief when Chewi
e poked his furry head out.
"Chewie!" Han exclaimed, letting out a nervous laugh. "Don't scare me like that
again!"
Chewie howled good-naturedly.
"Chewie, come down here and help us get these doors open!" Dawn shouted up, a sm
ile on her face at Han's furry companion.
"No, wait!" Han exclaimed, turning to his friends. "I got an idea."
"Darth Traya."
"Call me Willow."
"You!"
"Call me mom."
Willow looked at Palpatine calmly, her lightsaber never wavering. "What do you s
ay, old man? Think you can still go?"
Palpatine sneered. "I have no need to exert myself. That's why I have my Hands.
Eliminate them both!" he demanded. "Leave the boy in one piece though. I will st
ill have uses for him."
Mara leapt at her mother, a look of intense concentration on her face as she bro
ught her lightsaber down in a crushing blow that Willow still managed to block e
asily.
"Prepare for the fight scene," she quipped as she battled her daughter once more
.
Halcyon, meanwhile, had gone straight for Anakin. "This time, I will carve you u
p!" he swung low and Anakin parried easily. Halcyon reversed direction and broug
ht his blade up, but Anakin blocked that as well. He let Halcyon come at him har
d, never fighting back, just blocking his blows. Luke made a split-second decisi
on and, heeding Yoda's advice, left Palpatine alone for the moment, deciding ins
tead to help Willow. He walked up calmly behind Mara and tapped her on the shoul
der. "Excuse me.."
Mara let out a fearsome growl and swung her blade around hard, trying to decapit
ate Luke. Luke ducked, letting the blade pass harmlessly over his head, then pop
ped back up...
And kissed her hard on the mouth.
He pulled back, leaving a stunned Mara open to a blow on the back of her head fr
om her mother that stunned her. Willow looked at Luke with a wry grin.
"Well, that's one way of doing it..."
"I'll handle Mara. You take the Emperor," Luke advised, bringing his lightsaber
up to bear. Mara snarled at him and rushed Luke.
Inside the bunker, the view screen flared to life. The operation's officer looke
d on as one of his troopers in a flared back helmet gave a report.
The rebels have been routed, sir. They're fleeing into the wood, he said. Odd ho
w he held the mic up so close to his face that it blocked it... We need addition
al support to pursue.
"Send three squads to help!" the young officer ordered to his subordinate. He tu
rned to another. "Open the back door." He clasped his hands together and then gr
abbed his pistol. He wanted to be able to take as much credit for this victory a
s he could.
A moment later, the officer, followed by three full squads of storm troopers, sp
illed out onto the grounds. They stopped for a moment, looking around in confusi
on for their comrades - and then nearly two dozen lightsabers flared to life jus
t inside the foliage. The next thing they knew, they were surrounded by clone tr
oopers, slayers and Ewoks.
Han gave them all a cocky shrug of his shoulders as his demo team made their way
into the bunker.
Two minutes later, the remaining Rebels dove for cover as the massive shield gen
erator complex exploded into a giant ball of flame.
"End of the line, farm-boy!" she screamed, attacking him fast and furious.
Willow calmly walked towards Palpatine, her lightsaber held limply at her side.
She deactivated the blade and let the hilt drop to the ground. "If I was still t
he naïve girl I had been when Dooku took me under his wing, I would be standing in
front of you today, collecting vengeance for the thirty years of hell you gave
me."
"Oh?" Palpatine asked with mock sweetness in his voice. "Aren't you still that s
ame, naïve girl?"
"No, I'm all grown up." Willow's eyes flashed white with power. "And this isn't
vengeance. It's JUSTICE!" Willow let loose with a powerful burst of white magica
l energy, which Palpatine countered with his Force lightening. The two forms of
power slammed together, each tying to overpower the other. Both Sith and Witch s
tood there, eyes locked one each other, as their powers fought for dominance.
"FIGHT ME!" Halcyon screamed, hacking and slashing. Anakin tiredly kept blocking
, never once striking back.
"No, Hal. I won't."
"And why not? Why not finish the job Traya had you start twenty years ago!"
With a start, Anakin realized something - Nejaa Halcyon wanted to die. He wanted
Anakin to strike him down - not in some misguided attempt to lure Anakin back t
o the Dark Side, but in an attempt to end his own suffering.
"Finish it!" Halcyon's electronically distorted voice cried out.
"No, I WON'T," Anakin shouted, forcing Nejaa back with Force blast. "I won't do
it, Nejaa. I won't kill you, not like this."
"Why!" Nejaa pleaded.
"Because I still have hope that you can come back from this!" Anakin exclaimed.
"I still have hope that I can get my friend back, that I can, in some small way
make up for the most horrible action in my life!" He dropped his guard slightly
and looked at Nejaa with pleading eyes. "I have hope that Buffy can tell your gr
andson you died a hero."
Halcyon, consumed by his grief, attacked Anakin once more. His last slice made i
t through Anakin's weakened defenses and cut across his belly, causing Anakin to
scream in pain and fall to the floor. Nejaa followed, falling to his knees as t
ears streamed down his ruined cheeks under his mask.
Luke heard his father scream, but he was too busy fighting off Mara to help him.
Guess the kiss was a bit too much... he thought, blocking yet another blow to hi
s head. Mara lashed out with her foot, kicking him the side of the knee hard and
nearly dislocating his kneecap. Luke hobbled back out her range, favoring his r
ight knee as he held his lightsaber at the ready.
"Your mother's right, Mara. You don't have to fight for him!"
Mara shook her head, an almost sad look on her face. "It's all I know how to do.
" She moved into attack once more, but the room suddenly rocked as the magics an
d Force powers continued to build up between Palpatine and Willow. Mara paused a
nd stared in wonder as her mother's normally deep-auburn hair turned white. Luke
noticed this and pressed on.
"Look at her, Mara!" he screamed over the noise the mystical battle was creating
. "She's fighting for you! And that's something she only just learned how to do!
"
"I am the Emperor's Hand! I am an extension of his will!" Mara shouted back. "Th
at's why I was created! That's what I was made for! There is nothing else!"
"You have a family, Mara, who want to get to know you," Luke countered. "You are
so well-trained in your abilities, that there are dozens of young students that
would want to learn from you. You can have a future away from all of this!" Luk
e switched off his saber and stepped in close. "Master Yoda told me my trial was
to bring Neeja Halcyon back to the side of the light, but I'm not resting until
I free you of Palpatine's hold, too. You have such potential to be a great pers
on, not just a weapon!"
Mara looked at Luke, then back at the monster fighting her mother. She saw the l
ook of fear, of desperation - and the lust for power that never died in his eyes
. She saw her mother, the picture of a goddess, fighting to destroy evil with ev
erything good she had...
And she saw her mother's lightsaber suddenly ignite on its own and fly into her
mother's back. Saw the look of surprised mingled with pain as she looked down to
see her own purple blade piercing out of her belly... saw her energy fail as sh
e slipped to the floor.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Mara screamed. Rushing towards her fallen mother. She was brought
short by a blast of Force lightening from Palpatine.
"Stupid girl! I warned you about thinking with your heart," he snarled and lifte
d his hand to deliver the final blast. Luke rushed in to block it-
But Willow dived in front of her, taking the full brunt of the Sith Lord's power
. The force of the blast sent her careening into the far wall next to Anakin, wh
ere her head impacted with a sickening crunch. She slid down to the floor, bleed
ing and dazed.
Halcyon had watched as Willow fought the Sith Lord, the monster that had made hi
m what he was. Watched as she sacrificed herself to save the daughter she barely
knew.
"I have hope that Buffy can tell your grandson you died a hero."
With a grunt, he pulled himself to his feet and staggered towards Palpatine, who
was beating down Luke's lightsaber with his force lightening. Without a second
thought, he hefted Palpatine high over his head. With the Sith lightening flowin
g down through his suit, Halcyon ignored the pain and, in one final, colossal ef
fort, hurled Emperor Palpatine down the central access shaft into the superstruc
ture. The fall did truly kill him then, as his body disintegrated under the onsl
aught of his uncontrolled powers, sending a sinister wind back up the shaft that
did not die until the final erg of his powers dispersed.
Anakin groaned as he tried to pull himself up. The wound in his belly was burrin
g, but a sudden, slight pressure alleviated some of the pain. The Jedi opened hi
s eyes and looked down to see Willow's hand pressed against his abdomen, a soft
white glow emanating from underneath it. He looked over to see Willow's battered
, bloody face smiling weakly at him.
"Good as...new," she rasped out. "Now...go see...to... Halcyon." Energy spent, s
he slid back against the wall.
Luke and Mara were helping the former Jedi to sit up when Anakin stumbled over t
o them
"Dad!" Luke exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
"I'll live," he confirmed.
"Mom?" Mara asked, her tone frightened. Anakin shrugged his shoulders and then w
inced at the pain.
"She's banged up, but I've seen people pull through worse." Mara nodded, gave Ha
lcyon a small squeeze on his padded shoulder, then moved to go over to her mothe
r.
"Ah...Ahn...." Halcyon struggled to speak.
"I'm here, Hal. You did it."
"Ani, take this thing off of me," Halcyon said, grasping for his helmet. "If I d
-die, today...I die....as a...man...."
Anakin nodded and slowly pulled apart Halcyon's mask, finally removing the terri
fying face plate to reveal the scarred, pale face below. Anakin smiled sadly. "W
elcome back, old friend."
Halcyon gasped and smiled painfully. "Make sure... Corran knows that... I died..
.as I had once...lived.....as a...Jedi...." He gave one last, shuddering breath
and then Nejaa Halcyon, Jedi Master, lived no more.
"Mother?" Mara said quietly, coming upon the prone form of Willow Rosenberg. Wil
low sleepily lifted her head and gave a weak smile. "I did it. I made my choice.
"
"You have chosen...wisely," Willow chuckled slightly, but that gave way to a hac
king cough. Mara looked on in horror as blood flew from her mouth.
"Oh, Force..." she felt the back of her head and felt a soft, sticky mess. "You
have a head injury. We need to get you help..." Willow hand shot up suddenly and
grasped her daughter's arm.
"No.... this is the end... of my... part in this...story." Her eyes held tears i
n them. "Used too much...power...fighting...Palpatine...used the rest to...save.
.. Ani..."
"No!" Anakin breathed as he knelt besides his student. "Willow, why..."
"I took... your life, all those years ago. Took away...your children." She cough
ed. "I...owed you...this....Ani - tell Buffy... I'm sorry...and Padmé that.... I l
ove her."
Anakin nodded. "I will."
"Mom..." Mara choked out, her emotions running rampant. There was so much she wa
nted to talk to her about, but no time. Besides her slipping away, they could al
l feel the reverberations through the floor of the tower - the shield was down a
nd the station itself was taking hits now. "Please, don't die...."
"My sweet Mara..." Willow weakly lifted up her hand and placed it on her cheek.
"Death... is nothing more than...the next...great adventure..." she sighed as th
e life started to truly leave her body. "It's your turn...now... you have so muc
h... to live for...so much...to...do...." She looked imploringly in her daughter
s eyes. "Do... big things..."
"I will," she choked out. Willow gave her one last smile... then gave a shudderi
ng breath. Her body fell slack against the wall, lifeless. Silently, Mara reache
d out and closed her mother's eyes. "Goodbye."
Ep 6 Ch 9
Funeral for a Friend
Soundtrack: Leia's News & Light of the Force, Return of the Jedi soundtrack
"Here we go," Joyce ground out as she followed the Falcon into the bowels of the
Death Star. She checked her display and saw about six other ships behind her -
Wedge, Tycho, Corran and several TIE fighters. Instinctively she stabilized her
rear deflectors and poured on the throttle. "Tycho, Corran, split up and try to
take some of those TIES with you," she called out over the wire.
"Roger that," the Alderanian replied. The two X-Wings split up into different si
de tunnels, drawing off all but two of their pursuers.
Joyce, Wedge, this is Buffy. The elder Slayer's voice came over the speakers. Po
ur on the speed. When we reach the target, you two take out the power regulator
on the north tower. We'll handle the reactor itself.
"Copy," Joyce replied.
"Roger," Wedge added.
The three survivors of the Emperor's wrath sat in stunned silence around the bod
y of Willow. Mara sat staring at her mother with unseeing eyes, silent tears str
eaming down her face. A shudder ran through the room and reality came crashing b
ack to Luke.
"We have to get out of here," he said suddenly, pulling himself to his feet. "Da
d, we have to leave. NOW." He extended a hand and helped his father to his feet.
"Mara, please..."
"I won't leave her," she said quietly.
Anakin frowned, then leaned down and scooped up Willow's small body. "Neither wi
ll we," he declared. "Now, let's get down to the hanger."
"What about Halcyon?" Luke asked. Anakin considered, but Mara interrupted.
"Leave his body," she said. Softly, she added, "He wouldn't want his grandson to
see what he became. He died a man, let him be remembered as such."
Anakin nodded and the three ran to the nearest lift.
The cockpit of the Falcon was a full house - Obi-Wan and Padmé had joined Lando an
d Buffy as the old freighter screamed though the narrow tunnel towards the main
reactor.
"Left! Up ahead!" Lando cried.
"I know! I know!" Buffy growled.
"Look out for those..."
The ship shuddered as Buffy misjudged her entrance into the final stretch of tun
nel and ripped off the top deflector dish.
"Pipes," Lando finished. Buffy shot him an annoyed look.
"Stop side-seat driving."
Finally the lift reached the hanger level and the three rushed into the larger b
ay. Anakin immediately spotted a shuttle and made a beeline for it. As the three
 entered, Anakin paused to gently lower Willow's body to the deck and Luke rushe
d past and jumped into the pilot's seat.
The Falcon, Joyce and Wedge emerged into the hold of the main reactor. Joyce and
Wedge peeled off and fired their torpedoes into the power regulator, destroying
it.
"Target destroyed, we're on our way out," Wedge announced.
"Don't take too long, Mom," Joyce added as the husband and wife blasted back int
o the access tunnel.
Buffy took a deep breath, lined up her target, and fired a volley of concussion
missiles directly into the reactor. As soon as the weapons impacted, she swung t
he ship around and put the throttle full forward as she raced for the exit. The
Falcon shuddered as the reactor exploded violently. Lando looked out the side of
the cockpit and saw a massive ball of flame following them.
"Must go faster...."
The shuttle shuddered as the bay came apart around them. Luke calmly lifted off
and lowered the wings on the shuttle, then punched the throttle. The small shutt
le shot out into space just as the bay exploded behind them.
Anakin let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and then collapsed into t
he co-pilot's seat. He looked as his son and smiled weakly.
"I'm getting too old for this."
"Come on, baby...come on, baby..." Buffy muttered to herself as the flames start
ed to overtake the Falcon. "Come on, don't fail me now..."
Padmé stared out the window as the space ahead was obscured with flames. For the b
riefest of moments she prepared to die and sent a silent farewell to Anakin and
her children...
But then the Falcon broke though the flames and into open space.
"YEEEEE-HAAAAAA!" Lando shouted as the Falcon raced towards the Endor moon. And
behind them, the second Death Star - the last vestige of a tyrannical despot, ex
ploded into a massive ball of flaming gas and debris. Buffy sighed and leaned ba
ck in her seat, looking back to her two friends.
"Piece of cake," she said with a cocky grin.
Buffy.
"Hey, brother mine," Buffy answered, then frowned. "Where are you? You're not re
ading from the Mystery Machine."
I'm on a shuttle, heading towards the surface. I'll send you the coordinates, he
replied. You should also get Xander, Padmé and find Tara and meet us down there.
"Anakin, what..."
It's Willow, Buffy. She's dead.
It was a solemn group that assembled in a small clearing outside the main Ewok c
ity. Mara had spent the time everybody was gathering to build a large pyre, esch
ewing help from anyone. She had spent years being taught to hate her mother - on
ly working past her conditioning at the very end. In her mind, this was the leas
t she could do. Once it was complete, she gently laid her mother's body down ont
o the platform. Timidly, she reached towards her face and wiped away a bit of bl
ood that had leaked out of her mouth.
The mourners had lined up a short distance away from the pyre. At one end, Xande
r stood, his eyes red from crying, with an arm around Tara's shoulder. Xander th
ought back to his childhood with Willow - stealing her Barbies, hanging out with
Jesse, their brief romantic relationship in their senior year of high school. T
ara couldn't help but think back to the night that had changed everything for he
r, the night at UC Sunnydale when Willow had come to her door during the blackou
t.
There was a knock on the door and Tara rose slowly to answer it. She opened the
door to see Willow standing on the other side, holding a small candle.
"No candles? Well, I brought one. It's extra flamey." Tara remained silent and W
illow moved inside and handed her the candle before closing the door.
"Tara, I have to tell you..."
Tara shook her head. "No, I-I understand," she stuttered slightly. "You have to
be with the person you l-love."
Willow smiled. "I am."
Tara gasped slightly. "You mean..."
Willow nodded. "I mean," she paused uncertainly. "Okay?"
Tara smiled, relieved. "Oh, yes."
"I feel horrible about everything I put you through," Willow said, but a small s
mile started playing over her face. "A-and I'm gonna make it up to you. Starting
right now."
"Right now?" Willow nodded. Tara smiled, then blew out the candle.
Next to them stood Dawn and Zett. Tears streamed down her face silently as she l
eaned into her fiancé. Absently she fingered the hilt of her lightstaff and though
t back to a conversation she had with Willow only a few years ago.
"Still working on saber training, huh? How's that going?"
"In short - it sucks," Dawn grumbled. "I'm terrible with swords - I just want to
hack and slash. I got no style, no rhythm - hell, even GILES admitted that."
"You're at a disadvantage, Dawn," Willow said calmly looking over the various li
ghtsabers on display. "Most Padawans are trained from a very young age in how to
wield a lightsaber. They are taught that the lightsaber is an extension of them
selves - a part of them. They can feel the Force through it, and the Force can d
irect it. It's almost like a living thing," she sighed. "But you are having to u
nlearn all you have learned about how to handle a weapon. Unfortunately, as you'
ve said, you've never been good with a sword. That presents a bit of a paradox f
or you - how can you learn to yield the weapon of a Jedi when you can't successf
ully wield a Jedi weapon?"
"Don't suppose you have an answer for me, oh great and powerful Will?" Dawn repl
ied.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Willow smiled and moved over to the archive compute
r terminal Fred had installed in the wall. Deftly she turned it on and started r
apidly scrolling through the tactical database until she reached the file on Jed
i weapons. A few moments later, an image formed in the air and the witch turned
back to the now-smiling Dawn. "Simply put, you should play to your strengths..."
Joyce stood stoically, staring as Mara light the pyre. As the flames started to
lick the body, she tried to feel a little satisfaction, a little justice; but al
l she felt was sadness. Her mind wandered back to the day she had found her sitt
ing in the living room at Serenity.
"Let me go!" Joyce growled as Willow calmly sipped her tea.
"Not until we've had a little chat," the witch replied, setting down her cup on
the small end table. "I let you go now; then violence will ensue. And seeing as
I really don't want to explain to your mother why her only daughter is paralyzed
, why don't you be a good girl and listen while I talk."
"I hate you."
"I hate me. So let's explore that," Willow replied, rising and walking over so t
hat she was standing in front of the younger girl. "Many years ago I made a choi
ce. That choice cost your father his life. It also cost thousands of Corellians
their lives as well. And it cost me everything. My friends, my family, my love -
everything. Not a day goes by that I don't regret the choices I made in my yout
h. And not a day goes by that I don't pay for my sins." With a wave of her hand
the air around Joyce dissipated and the young Mandalorian staggered briefly befo
re she straightened out. "If I could bring back your father I would. But I can't
. I can't take back anything I did. And for that, I'm truly sorry."
Abruptly, she finally realized that she had finally forgiven Willow for her part
in her father's death. She closed her eyes and bowed her head in respect, offer
ing peace to the woman at last.
Anakin and Padmé were next, with Luke taking position on his mothers' right to hel
p hold her up. Padmé was in shock at the loss of her sister. Padmé thought about all
the times they had shared as sisters- from finding her in that crashed escape p
od, taking her in, giving her a new home, a new family... she thought back a few
years ago, when she was finally able to put what had happened during the war be
hind them.
"Anakin has forgiven you for what you did to him. And after talking with him, he
made me realize that even if you hadn't been involved, the odds were that I wou
ld have been separated from my children anyway. And the fact is...I miss you." S
he turned to face Willow, whose eyes were glistening with tears. "I miss the fri
endship we once had, Willow. I miss my verbal sparring partner, who always kept
me on my toes. I want reconciliation. It will take time; this can't happen overn
ight. But I think that, now, I am ready to try..." she is cut off by an emotiona
l Willow throwing her arms around her and pulling the former Senator in for a hu
g. Instinctively Padmé stiffened, before finally melting into the hug with her lon
g lost sister.
Anakin felt her pain through the Force and wrapped an arm around her, allowing h
er to lean into his chest. All he could think of was her sacrifice and sent out
silent thanks through the Force for the opportunity to have a life with his fami
ly.
Buffy was last, staring at her friend's body with unseeing eyes, remembering a c
onversation the two had long ago.
"As in, I'm never getting out of here," Buffy said as they walked the grounds of
Sunnydale High. "I kept thinking if I stopped the Mayor or ... but I was kiddin
g myself. I mean, there is always going to be something. I'm a Sunnydale girl, n
o other choice. "
Willow nodded. "Must be tough," she said casually. "I mean, here I am, I can do
anything I want. I can go to any college in the country, four or five in Europe
if I want."
"Please tell me you're going somewhere with this? "
"No." Willow handed Buffy her acceptance letter. "I'm not going anywhere."
Buffy looked at the letter in shock. "UC Sunnydale?"
Willow nodded again. "I will be matriculating with Class of 2003."
"Are you serious?"
Willow grinned mischievously "Say, isn't that where you're going?"
Buffy whooped joyously and hugged her and they tumbled onto the ground. "I can't
believe it! Are you serious? Ah, wait, what am I saying? You can't."
Willow frowned. "What do you mean, I can't?"
Buffy shook her head. "I won't let you."
Willow smirked. "Of the two people here, which is the boss of me?"
"There are better schools."
"Sunnydale's not bad," Willow replied. "A-And I can design my own curriculum."
"Okay, well, there are safer schools. There are safer prisons," Buffy argued. "I
can't let you stay because of me."
"Actually, this isn't about you," Willow reasoned. "Although I'm fond, don't get
me wrong, of you. The other night, you know, being captured and all, facing off
with Faith. Things just, kind of, got clear. I mean, you've been fighting evil
here for three years, and I've helped some, and now we're supposed to decide wha
t we want to do with our lives. And I just realized that that's what I want to d
o. Fight evil, help people. I mean, I-I think it's worth doing. And I don't thin
k you do it because you have to." She smiled. "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I w
ant in."
Buffy smiled. "I kind of love you."
"And, besides, I have a shot at being a bad ass Wiccan," Willow finished, "and w
hat better place to learn?"
Buffy wiped her tears away as she watched the flames envelope Willow's body.
Luke walked up to her and took the lit torch. He nodded once to her, then steppe
d back to his family. She was grateful he hadn't tried to say anything, as she d
idn't think she could process much right now. The only thing she could think of
were her mother's last words to her.
"Do big things..."
The party was in full swing by the time the solemn group made their way back to
the Ewok's tree city. All around Rebels, Slayers, Clones and Jedi mingled with t
he Ewoks, celebrating the final victory over Palpatine. Joyce made her way over
to her brother who, along with Lando, Leia and Wedge, were talking and laughing
amongst themselves. Joyce pulled off her helmet and then pulled her husband into
a long hug.
"Joyce, what happened?" Leia asked, concern on her face.
"Later. Right now, I need some happiness." She looked around. "No Imps?"
"They send their congratulations," Han explained. "But I don't think this is som
ething they wanted to really celebrate."
Mara was crouched in the shadows, far away from the party. She was finishing up
her pack when she felt a familiar presence.
"I'm not in the mood for another kiss, farm boy," she said tiredly.
"I wouldn't presume," Luke chuckled. "Where are you off to?" he asked.
Mara paused and looked at the young Jedi over her shoulder. "Karrde offered me a
job in his organization."
"You know, you'll always be welcome at the Academy," he countered gently. "Eithe
r to learn or to teach."
Mara smiled tiredly and rose to her feet. "I never was one for school. But thank
s for the offer."
"I...I hope to see you around," Luke said, nervous all of a sudden. Mara smirked
.
"I'll still be around, Luke. Count on it." Impulsively, she leaned forward and k
issed him lightly on the lips. See you around, Luke." With that, she left a stun
ned Luke behind and headed away from the rustic city, towards a whole new destin
y.
Buffy wandered through the party, shaking hands, offering congratulations and we
ll wishes to her fellow Jedi and Slayers, though her mind was still elsewhere. S
eeking a moment's peace, she wandered to the edge of the city towards a loose gr
ouping of huts. She looked out over the forest, deep in thought, when suddenly a
flickering of blue energy caught her eye. Looking over, her eyes widened in sur
prise as several spectral forms took shape. At first she noticed Qui-Gon's tall
figure, standing next to Yoda's diminutive form. Next to them, the youthful, han
dsome form of Nejaa Halcyon took shape and gave her a small nod. And next to him
...
Willow, young and whole, a bright smile on face unlike anything seen since high
school. She waved happily and Buffy couldn't help but smile and wave back.
Buffy felt a hand on her shoulder and looked behind her to see Obi-Wan looking a
t the figures with a smile of his own. He gave her shoulder a small squeeze.
"Come on Buffy," he said. "If we're going to celebrate, let's celebrate them."
And they did.
Episode 6 Ch 10
Another Wedding
Disclaimer: Really, do I need this after 4 years? I own nothing except for Joyce
.
9 months later
Dawn sat in her room, her eyes closed in a meditative trance, trying to will the
sharp pains away. She was in her wedding robes - a brilliant, yet simple, pure
white robe over a cream-colored tunic that was, by necessity, enlarged for her v
ery distended stomach. Another pain and she gently placed her hand on said stoma
ch.
"You had to inherit my patience, didn't you?" she muttered to her unborn child.
"Just a little longer..."
"Dawn?"
The young Jedi opened her eyes and looked behind her, where Joyce stood in an em
erald green dress. She fidgeted nervously, tugging at the collar. Dawn smirked.
"Stop messing with the dress. You look fine."
"I hate dresses," Joyce groused.
"Well, that's what you get for agreeing to be my maid of honor," she chuckled. "
Is it time?"
Joyce nodded. "It's time. Are you ready?"
Dawn smiled. "I'm ready."
"Nervous?"
Anakin smirked at his soon-to-be brother-in-law as he fidgeted in his dress robe
s. Zett shot the older Master a look.
"Were you nervous when you got married, Anakin?"
"To tell the truth, I was terrified," he admitted. "But more for the Order findi
ng out than for marrying Padmé. Marrying her was the only thing that felt right ba
ck then."
"This feels right," Zett said after a moment. "At times, I can't believe that th
e old Order banned this. I mean, how can something that feels so good."
Anakin nodded. "Just remember, don't let your love for her control you, lest you
slip into darkness as I almost did." He paused for a moment and considered his
fellow Master. "And don't ever hurt her. She is my sister, after all. And I can
kick you ass seven days a week."
"Yeah, but Buffy likes me better."
"Really? And what do you think she'll do to you?" Anakin asked with a raised eye
brow.
"Good point."
"I still don't know why I'm here." Mara said as she took her seat behind Buffy.
"Me and the bride haven't exactly gotten along in the past."
"Yes, well that was the past, Mara," Buffy replied. "Now is a time for new begin
nings."
"Besides, she didn't think you would attack a pregnant woman at her wedding," Ob
i-Wan added. "Plus, Luke needed a date..." Buffy slapped him lightly on the arm.
"Behave, Ben."
"Will I be seeing what an Earth wedding looks like?" the former Hand asked. Buff
y shook her head.
"Actually, today you will witness the first Jedi wedding in centuries," she repl
ied. "Dawn actually stumbled onto the ceremony going through the archives. Today
will be the first time it has been performed in over four hundred years." Buffy
paused as Anakin came up behind her and whispered in her ear. "Ah, she's coming
. Let's take our places, shall we?"
Dawn entered the hall and moved to take her place on the platform with Zett and
Roan Shryne, whom they had picked to proceed over the wedding. Both figured he s
hould have the honor - after all, he had pushed them together. Master Shryne han
ded both of them a half of a large Illum crystal, which they took before standin
g to face one another. He looked at the two and smiled.
"Welcome, my brother and sister Jedi, Slayers, family, friends and honored guest
s," he began, looking out among the gathered crowd. "Today, we have a great hono
r to celebrate the coming together of Knight Dawn Summers and Master Zett Jukass
a. Their bond with one another was forged through the Force and strengthened by
it, so that their efforts together could be stringer than the efforts of any two
other Jedi."
"It was once thought that emotional attachments would make a Jedi vulnerable," R
oan continued, "but these two so complete each other that only strength will flo
w from this union."
Dawn smiled as she looked at Zett. "I had seen you around the complex after you
had arrived, but I never really got to know you until your second year here. And
we didn't exactly get off on the right foot - what with you walking in on me ri
ght after I got out of the shower. I remember I wasn't very impressed with you a
t that moment." She paused as Zett, and most of the crowd, chuckled. "It wasn't
long after that that I realized a certain Master was trying to play matchmaker-
and somehow, you talked me into going along with it. That was the best decision
of my life.
"You've been with me through the best of times and stood by me through my darkes
t hour. You showed me it was possible to go on after losing my best friend, with
out falling into darkness. You helped to give my life a new purpose - and for th
at, among other things, I shall always love you."
Zett smiled. "I was raised under the old Council. Relationships, such as this, w
ere strictly forbidden. As such, I never gave it much thought. And when I first
met you, I regarded you as little more than Buffy's apprentice. But due to a cer
tain Master's persistence," he cast a sideways glance to Roan, who just ignored
him, "I got to know you. And over the years, I grew to love you.
"Perhaps it was growing up under Buffy, or growing up with Anakin, but I didn't
have much trouble disregarding the old rules when my feeling for you made themse
lves known. And those feelings have only grown as I've watched you become the ma
gnificent woman you are today.
"I've pledged my life to the Jedi Order, Dawn, but I pledge my heart to you." Da
wn smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. Together, the two used the Force to li
ft the crystal halves into the air. They merged with a small flash of energy and
Roan reached out into the Force and took hold of the now whole crystal .
"Let no one here doubt the wisdom of the Force. May the Force always be with you
both and in your life together." Roan smiled fondly at the both of them. "Ladie
s and gentlemen, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Zett Jukassa!"
The crowd roared in approval as the two newlyweds kissed. All too soon they pull
ed apart, both with love in their eyes - though Dawn's held some pain.
"Zett, would you do something for me now?" she asked, somewhat strained.
"Anything," he replied
"Good. Could you take me to the infirmaAAAAH!" Dawn suddenly doubled over in pai
n and both Zett and Roan moved to catch her.
"Dawn!" Zett exclaimed as he lowered her to the floor. "What is it? The baby?"
"Yeah, the baby," she replied through gritted teeth. "I think she wants to dance
at the reception... oh, god, how could I let you do this to me?"
By now several more Jedi had joined the three on the stage, while the Slayers mo
ved to calm the crowd. Buffy knelt beside her sister. "Dawn?"
"Need the Doc..." she groaned.
"Dawn, how long have you been in labor?" Mara asked suddenly, noting the time be
tween the contractions.
"A little while..." she answered evasively.
"How long?" Mara reiterated. Dawn sighed and then winced in pain.
"Since five this morning."
Xander glanced at his watch. "It's two o'clock now... you've been in labor for N
INE HOURS?"
Joyce chuckled. "You should have been a Mandalorian, Dawn."
"Wasn't gonna miss my own wedding - and she wasn't gonna be born out of wedlock,
" Dawn groaned. "Where's the freaking Doc?"
"He was called to Coruscant a couple of hours ago," Anakin noted, then looked ba
ck to the crowd. "Is there a doctor in the house?"
"I just want some drugs...." Dawn moaned. "Zett, if I make it through this, I'm
gonna kill you."
"No time for drugs," Mara declared, kneeling down in front of Dawn. "Guys, turn
your backs or leave. Anakin, I need a bowl of warm water and some washcloths. Fa
rmboy, go get some blankets. Solo, clear the room, give us some privacy."
"What are you doing?" Dawn asked, suddenly wary as Han, Wedge and Obi-Wan both m
oved to guide the guests out of the room.
"Delivering your baby, apparently. Don't worry," she added, "I've had training i
n emergency medicine. And I've delivered a couple babies on missions before."
"Really?" Leia asked. Mara shot her a wry look.
"Not all of my missions involved killing Rebels," she said, then looked back to
Dawn. "Dawn, I need to see how far along the baby is. Just pull up your dress an
d spread your legs."
"Ohhhh, that's what got me into this mess in the first place," she groaned, but
complied. Mara's eyes widened as she saw the small head starting to emerge.
"Okay, the baby is already crowning," she announced. "On the next contraction, I
want you to push with everything you got."
"God, I can't..."
"HEY!" Mara snapped, grabbing her jaw and forcing Dawn to look at her. "Are you
the same Jedi that fought me to a standstill in the old temple? You can do this.
When the next one hits, push!" she looked to Zett. "Now would be the time to us
e those fancy Jedi powers to lessen her pain."
Zett nodded, then placed his hands on her temples, sending calming waves of Forc
e energy though her. Mara noted her tensing. "All right, this is it. Push, Dawn!
Push!"
"GEAHHHHHHHH, oh GOD... Ahhhhhhhhhh!" the young Jedi screamed with pain as she b
ore down. Mara moved between the girl's legs and gently grasped the infant as sh
e finally came free. Mara gave the infant a small slap on the back and suddenly
her wails echoed throughout the hall. The former Hand used a small utility knife
 to cut the cord, then wrapped the girl in a blanket proffered by Luke and gentl
y handed her over to Dawn who was sobbing happily, collapsing exhausted into Zet
t's arms.
"Congratulations, it's a girl;" she paused and then smirked. "As if there was an
y doubt around here."
Dawn stared down at the girl in wonder. "We made her!" she exclaimed softly to Z
ett, who was looking at their daughter in equal reverence. "We made her!"
"We did," he agreed, staring in wonder as the small baby grasped his finger.
Mara sat back and watched the couple with a deep sense of satisfaction. She look
ed up, then smiled as Luke placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Brave new world, eh?" he asked with a smile. Mara smile back.
"Yeah," She agreed.
Several hours later, a very harried Dr. Milton emerged from Dawn's room after gi
ving both mother and daughter a clean bill of health
"Damn stubborn woman," he remarked to Obi-Wan as he lit up a cigarette. "If she'
d have come to me when labor had begun, I would have been able to take care of h
er."
"I've found, over the years, that Summers women rarely do things the easy way,"
Obi-Wan replied. Milton just grumbled and walked away down the hall, nodding in
acknowledgement to Mara as she and Luke passed by. They both nodded back, then s
topped before Obi-Wan.
"Master," Luke nodded.
"Kenobi. How are they?" Mara asked without preamble.
"All are doing well. Dawn would like to see both of you," he gestured to the doo
r. "Shall we?"
The three entered as one. Inside Dawn lay on the bed, thought he monitors were d
isconnected. Joyce and Han were leaning against opposite corners at the far end
of the room, watching in amusement as Buffy gently held her niece. Leia stood be
sides Han, her arm around his shoulder, while Wedge stood next to his wife with
an arm around her waist. Zett, Xander and Aankin were sitting besides the new br
ide, doting on her and the baby.
"Look who I found in the halls," Obi-Wan remarked, placing a hand on Buffy's sho
ulder and leaning down to kiss her forehead. "How is she?" he asked, nodding tow
ards the baby.
"Perfectly healthy," Buffy announced. She smiled at the redhead. "Hello, Mara."
"Buffy," she replied.
"Mara." She looked over to Dawn, who was smiling at her. "Thank you."
Mara shrugged. "No big. Hell, with all the Jedi in that room, I'm sure someone w
ould have..."
"But YOU did," Dawn emphasized. "Buffy told me what she was talking about with y
ou, before the ceremony. And she was right - I wanted today to be a new beginnin
g between us. We don't have to be enemies anymore."
Mara glanced at Luke, who smiled encouragingly. Finally she looked back to Dawn.
"I think I'd like that."
"Here," Buffy said suddenly, standing and handing the baby to Mara. "She wants t
o meet her Aunt."
"Whoa!" Mara exclaimed, adjusting her grip on the tiny infant. "Aunt?"
"Well, Godmother was already taken," Joyce said from her corner. "But you get th
e honors for the next one."
"There won't BE a next one," Dawn stated emphatically.
Mara awkwardly rocked the child. "What's her name?"
Dawn smiled. "I named her after two of the bravest women I knew - Violet Willow
Jukassa."
A sad smile came unbidden to Mara's face as she looked down at the brown-haired
baby in her arms. "It's a good name."
"The best," Dawn agreed. The women looked at one another and smiled. In that one
instant, years of bad blood were washed under the bridge.
The two started talking and Buffy moved back towards the door where Anakin and O
bi-Wan stood. Buffy smiled as Mara subtly moved closer to Luke, who was listenin
g to Zett intently. "Do you think Luke will be ready to lead the next generation
 of Jedi?"
"He won't be alone," Anakin noted. "We'll all be here to assist him."
"But in the mean time, our Jedi will be busy trying to keep the peace. Thrawn an
d Mon Mothma are still hammering out a treaty, but there are several dissenters
and a few rogue Moffs to contend with."
"We'll manage," Obi-Wan assured them. "We always do."
The next few years brought many changes to the galaxy. As Willow had predicted,
many star systems wanted to stay with the Empire and were allowed to do so by th
e New Republic. Likewise, several hundred systems were welcomed into the New Rep
ublic with the Empire's blessing.
Luke Skywalker traveled the galaxy for several months, honing his skills and hel
ping those in need. Soon after, he returned to Yavin 4 where he set up the new J
edi Academy. While the original Jedi were busy keeping the fragile peace, many K
nights - and some Masters - made sure to spend as much time at the Academy as po
ssible. Zett Jukassa became a favored instructor.
After a brief political courtship to Prince Isolder of the Hapes Consortium, Han
and Leia finally fully acknowledged their feeling and were married. Within a fe
w years Leia, who became Chief of State of the New Republic after Mon Mothma res
igned, gave birth to twins - Jacen and Jaina. Buffy had tears in her eyes as she
held her nephew, but was comforted by her husband Obi-Wan.
Dawn Jukassa spent part of her time teaching at Luke's Academy and the rest on E
arth, working in the infirmary. She not only graduated from the Council's medica
l program, but was licensed in the New Republic as well. She saved the lives of
many Slayers and Jedi. Her daughter was often found in the infirmary, good-natur
edly pestering the patients as only a young child could.
Xander Harris remained with the fleet, serving as Commander in the Republic forc
es. Aayla soon joined him, though her work was the government liaison to the Jed
i Council. The two married in a quiet ceremony and, though they have no children
of their own, spoil the children in their 'family'.
Wedge Antilles continued to serve Rogue Squadron. His wife, Joyce, held onto her
fighter, though her work shifted to security. For a time, she served as a liais
on to the new government. After the birth of her first daughter, Syal, her prior
ities shifted elsewhere. Though she joined Rogue Squadron when needed, her work
became more internal. Her Mandalorian training, her Jedi skills and her Slayer b
ackground have helped her adjust to a new life, one without the great risks, one
where she can be with her daughters.
Tara continued to serve as the main Wicca on the Watcher's Council. Together wit
h her girlfriend, Kennedy, they continue to protect and serve the Watcher's Coun
cil through apocalypse after apocalypse, only calling on the others, as needed.
Though the laws of the world had not changed, their unity bound them for life. A
s such, their maternal bond became stronger as they adopted outside of the Counc
il community, though slayers looked to the two as mothers over the whole Council
.
Anakin and Padmé, despite putting in long hours in their respective jobs, never fa
iled to show their love for one another and they were stronger for it. Indeed, t
heir marriage became a template for all Jedi marriages. When they were working,
Padmé advised first Mon Mothma, then her daughter. Anakin became a mentor to sever
al of the young Jedi and Luke often sought his advice in his own training method
s. Anakin happily provided guidance, but was always careful to let Luke stand on
his own to feet.
And Buffy? She and Obi-Wan spent most of their time on Earth, preparing for the
threat that Willow had alluded too. Between training and molding the last genera
tion of the Old Jedi (and with much prodding by Master Shryne, much to Dawn and
Zett's amusement), the two finally recognized their feelings for one another and
were married in the meditation garden of the restored Jedi Temple. Though they
were parental figures to many of the younger Jedi, both decided early on that th
ey would have no children of their own.
For several years the Skywalkers, Solos and Summers worked and loved, trained an
d prepared for whatever the future held for them. And while they didn't know exa
ctly what threat the future would bring, they were confident in knowing that the
y could face anything, as long as they faced it together.
Brave new world, indeed.
In deep space, in the darkness between the galaxies, several large, planet-sized
ships slowly lumbered towards that galaxy far, far away. Indeed, the ships were
planets, of a sort - completely biological, completely self-contained. And they
contained the greatest threat any galaxy could face.
They were the Yuuzhan Vong and they were coming.
THE END?
And there it is. Nearly four years, three jobs, three residences, and countless
hours later, the two trilogies are complete. Now, I plan to focus on Avalon and
Chronicles, but - believe it or not - I have started preliminary planning for my
take on the New Jedi Order.
And here, at the end of all things, I'd like to once again thank all of my betas
both past and present- The Muse, Shadow Master, Megan Gravel, my first Beta waa
aaay back on Episode 1, Winterd and Fallenstar2-The Lone Survivor. I actually co
uldn't believe that she'd been with this series since back in Episode 2. I'd lik
e to thank each of them for their help on this story, I'd like to thank Winterd
especially for originally inspiring me to write this monstrosity in the first pl
ace, and of course I'd like to thank Fallenstar2 for staying with me till the en
d.
And for reminding me to include Xander in the wrap up. D'oh.
And finally, I'd like to thank all of my regulars- and please forgive me if I mi
ss a name or three. Almost all of the below were here from the beginning- Allen
Pitt, Amber Penglass, Jedi-Princess/Nascar Girl, Marz1, General Mac, Stcobb, Jus
t Me Prime, Cycloneozgirl, MaxCobra, Raiining, WISE, Sean Malloy-1, Little Cherr
y Tree, Twisterblake, and everyone else who reviewed- thank you for your support
and continued reading, and know that even if I didn't respond personally to you
r reviews, I have read every single one. As for why did I thank Wise? Well, an a
uthor really does need a good flame now and again. Too bad the punk couldn't ste
p up.
Heh.
Well, For the foreseeable future, the galaxy far, far away will be closed while
SG-1 and the Galactica crew play. But don't worry, we'll visit it again... somed
ay