Realm of Souls
By Paradox761
(BtVS/Sailor Moon/Star Trek/Highlander, Xander/Ami)
Summary: In the wake of the events on Hardcross Station, Xander finds himself pursuing John Dallas as well as the secrets of the mysterious sword, Soul Vessel, all while trying to adjust to his new life aboard the Discovery. A mission to a primitive planet my hold the key to unlocking that mystery, but personality clashes with their new part-demon mission specialist and a chance meeting with another Immortal and a group of mercenaries may complicate things. All the while, John Dallas is planning his endgame.
Author's note: This story is a sequel to "The Last Slayerette", which can be found here - s/6203427/
(2/?)
"The village is called T'lyth," Dr. Boon said to the assembled away team that was gathered in the transporter room. "It's the same village that the crew of the Pennsylvania visited seventeen years ago. We're hoping that some of the Jakul there will remember the encounter and we'll get a similar welcome." She was showing them an overhead map of the village on the wall console near the transporter pad. "There's an area here, on the edge of the village near this wooded area, it's almost like a town square. Travelers are meant to enter there to show that they are friendly, so they can be welcomed. We should beam in a few hundred meters from the village and take this road here, so we can be seen entering."
"What about our equipment?" Brubaker asked. He and a few other members of the away team had quite a bit of equipment that they were bringing along, hopeful that they would get a chance to use it to analyze the stone spire or in the case of Dr. Kur'Woo, the Jakul themselves.
"We can leave it here and beam it down after we make contact. I think it's important that we don't try to hide any of our technology from them. We can use their natural curiosity to our advantage, and the risk of cultural contamination is negligible."
"In for a penny, in for a pound," Xander muttered to himself.
"To what extent, Doctor?" Brubaker asked. "I mean, if they ask to play with one of our phasers are we supposed to let them accidently vaporize themselves?"
Boon knitted her brow and shot the engineer a sour look.
"Use your discretion, Commander," Ami put in. "Just try to not make it look like we're trying to hide anything from them. We are trying to build a trust here."
Brubaker nodded. "Aye, Captain."
"Coordinates are entered, Captain," the transporter operator said. "We're ready when you are."
"Security team, we're up first," Xander said, stepping up on the platform followed by six large security officers with phasers on their hips.
"Is that really necessary?" Boon asked.
Xander checked the charge on his own phaser before replacing it in the holster on his waist. "I don't tell you how to do your job, Doctor. I would appreciate the same courtesy. Energize."
Zeta Nu V was a temperate planet, at least at the latitude where they had beamed in. Xander found himself standing in a large clearing. Thick grass covered the forest floor, and tall trees swayed in the breeze. The air smelled fresh and clean and the sun felt warm on his face. Xander closed his eyes and just let himself enjoy the moment. He hadn't realized until just then how cooped up he had felt on Discovery. He made a mental note to bring Scooby here if he got a chance before they left. The security team fanned out and ran scans with their tricorders. A few seconds later they each nodded their assent to Xander that there was no danger in their immediate area. Xander allowed himself a few more seconds to enjoy the peacefulness before he reached up and tapped his combadge.
"Harris to Discovery, landing site is secure. Initiate transport." A moment later, nine figures materialized out of thin air. Ami stepped forward and gave Xander a reassuring smile. "Captain, welcome to Zeta Nu V."
"It's beautiful," Ami said, looking around.
"And me without my picnic basket," Xander joked with a smile.
"Captain," Boon interrupted. "I'd like to request that the security team remain outside of the village. I don't want to scare the Jakul or give them the impression that we don't trust them."
"I'd like to bring two in with me," Xander said. "I can station the rest outside."
"That'll be fine," Ami said. Boon still looked annoyed but she didn't say anything else.
The group started down the simple road that lead to the Jakul village. Most of them seemed excited, but a few were apprehensive. Xander couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he had a bad feeling about something. Maybe it was just the personality clashes among the away team that made him nervous about them working together, maybe it was the blatant violation of the Prime Directive here. He had seen some contact missions go bad in the early days of Starfleet when there was no standard procedure in place. He couldn't help but feel that if things did go badly, he would be the one responsible here. He was the one who got SI to bend the rules and approve this mission. It was a little late for cold feet now, he chastised himself. It was time to focus on his job, to keep these people safe and to keep this mission from becoming a disaster.
When the village came into view, the first thing Xander noticed was the stone spire. It was at least twenty meters tall and towered over everything else in the village. The closer they got he started to see other structures as well. A few of the larger ones were made from stone or logs, but most were smaller dome shaped dwellings that resembled wigwams. The Jakul moved about, some carrying earthenware jugs, others pulling small wooden wagons filled with goods. He saw what looked like a market, with bins full of fruits and vegetables and a pen with livestock. And then he saw something that made him look twice. It was a man standing in front of one of the stone buildings, swinging a hammer down again and again, striking something with it. The clang of metal on metal filled the air.
"Is that what I think it is?" Xander asked, leaning forward to the front of the group where Ami and Boon were walking.
"A blacksmith?" Ami said.
"I thought they didn't have metallurgy," Xander said.
"They didn't," Boon confirmed. "They could have been exposed to it by the crew of the Pennsylvania. There's no specific mention of it in the reports, but I imagine the Jakul would have seen metal parts on their clothes or equipment."
"So they went from seeing metal to forging their own metal tools in seventeen years?" Xander asked.
"I told you they were special," Boon bragged.
"And seventeen years after we leave, what will they have then? Tricorders, phasers? How will that affect their culture?" Xander speculated. "I think the risk of contamination here is higher than we thought."
Ami and Boon both looked at him. Boon with horror and Ami with concern. "Let's press on for now," Ami said.
Xander turned to his small security team. "Jenkins and Sopel, you're with me. The rest of you stay by the tree line and keep your eyes open. Anything unusual report it to me immediately, understood?" Xander was met with nods as the team dispersed and took their positions.
The rest of the group continued the rest of the way to the village, where they were met with a great amount of excitement by the locals. They stared and gasped with amazement, whispering among themselves. For a while they seemed content to just gape at the new arrivals, until finally one of them approached. He had deep red skin and dark green eyes, which remained opened wide. He looked young, but from the large wood ornament that hung from his neck proudly, Xander guessed that he held a position of some importance.
"My name is Kober, I am the village herald," he spoke nervously. "I welcome you graciously to T'lyth, may the time you spend here be fulfilling." He placed his hand flat against his forehead, palm out, and bowed slightly in what must have been a greeting gesture.
Boon, who still stood at the front of the group next to Ami, returned the gesture. "Thank you," she said. "We are travelers from a faraway place, and we seek an audience with your village elders."
Xander leaned forward and whispered to Ami. "Did she just say 'take us to your leader'?" Ami stifled a giggle and playfully swatted at Xander's shoulder.
Boon continued speaking with the herald and Xander took the change to look around the village some more. The Jakul were becoming bolder and approaching the group closer, but Xander could tell that there was no threat from them. They seemed fascinated by everything about the away team. It wasn't often a diverse group of aliens wandered into their village Xander assumed. After a few minutes Kober hurried off to fetch one of the village elders, and Xander felt a tug on his uniform. He turned and looked into the eyes of a young boy, around six or seven. He had deep brown skin and piercing yellow eyes.
"Are you a starfarer?" the boy asked.
Xander thought about the question for a moment. "I suppose I am," he answered. "What do you know about starfarers?"
"My father used to tell us stories about them. They visited our village when he was a boy. My name is Jalen."
"Well hello Jalen, it's nice to meet you. I'm Xander."
"Were you born in the stars?"
"No, I was born on a planet, a lot like this one. Then one day a long time ago, my people built starships so we could fly through the stars and meet people like you."
"Oh, that's what my brother said. I thought maybe you were born in the stars. Do you think that the Jakul could be starfarers one day?"
Xander shrugged. "At this rate, you'll probably have a ship yourself," he muttered. At the boy's confused look he added, "Anything's possible," with a smile.
"Jalen, we have to go," a woman's voice called out. Xander looked up and saw her approaching. Her skin looked the same as the boy's, but her eyes were blue. She had a thin face with a kind smile, and a small goat-like animal following behind her.
"That's my mom, we came to the market today because she said I can have a togar of my own, if I promise to take care of him. Do you have a pet?"
"I do. But he's quite a bit bigger than your togar there."
"Will you be staying in the village long? Maybe you can come to our house and tell us stories about the stars?"
"Jalen, that's enough," his mother said. "I'm sure the starfarer is very busy. I'm sorry," she said to Xander. "He's very…excitable."
"It's no problem," Xander said. "We're going to be here for a little while, I'm sure we'll see each other again," he said to the boy with a smile. The pair smiled and went on their way while Xander turned back to the group. Kober was returning, and with him there was an older man with charcoal gray skin and a much more elaborate set of icons and symbols hanging from his neck. When he got closer, Xander recognized one as the empty case of an old style tricorder. When the older Jakul saw the away team, he looked astonished.
"I'm Captain Mizuno," Ami said, introducing herself. The elder started to raise his hand to his forehead like the herald had when he welcomed the group, but he stopped. He stuck his hand out toward Ami instead, and she shook it. He laughed.
"Incredible," he said, with a wide smile. "I am Elder Tureeth, and I am honored to meet you," he said, shaking Ami's hand up and down vigorously. "Are you from the…Pennsylvania?"
"We are from another ship, but we come from the same place as the crew of the Pennsylvania. A group of planets called…"
"The Federation, yes I remember! I was the village herald when Captain Baker and his crew visited us." He reached down at touched the tricorder case that hung from around his neck as though it were a badge of honor, which Xander supposed, it was. "Why have you returned?"
"Our people are explorers," Boon cut in. "We'd like the chance to learn more about you."
Tureeth's smile widened even further. "Wonderful, we would relish the chance to share experiences with you. I'll need to assemble the Elders right away, we'll need to make plans so that we can make the most of your time here with us." He turned. "Kober." The young herald stepped forward with an eager smile. "See to our friends, be sure they have whatever they need, I will return soon."
"Yes, Elder," Kober answered.
Tureeth left and the away team began talking among themselves, making plans as to what they would do first. Xander suddenly had a very strange feeling. He turned and looked back the way they had come, back toward the woods where the remaining security officers stood watch. It was that same vague feeling of foreboding that he had felt when they first beamed down, but now it seemed to be growing stronger. He took a few steps back toward the village entrance and that's when it hit him. The buzzing sensation in the back of his head that could only mean one thing. He closed his eyes and cursed himself, he didn't think it possible for things to become more complicated on this mission, but they just became infinitely so. Somewhere on Zeta Nu V, somewhere very close, there was another Immortal.
Xander quickly made his way out of the village, back up the road they had come in by. He anxiously scanned the tree line as he walked, looking for any movement at all. He saw nothing but the bored looking security officers posted, and from their body language he deduced that they hadn't seen anything unusual either. He made his way to the closest one, Lt. Gurf, a large Caitian with dark orange fur. "Report."
"Nothing to report, Sir. Everything's quiet out here."
"Have you noticed anything in the woods? Animal activity maybe?"
"No, Sir."
"Check with the others if they've seen anything unusual and report back to me."
"Aye, Sir."
Xander continued deeper into the woods, to the beam in site. He made sure that he was out of sight and earshot before reaching up and tapping his combadge three quick times. He had preprogramed that command to connect him directly to Discovery's computer and bypass the comm station on the bridge. A moment later he heard the computer's ready signal through his combadge. "Initiate emergency transporter protocol Harris-Beta-1." Another beep from the computer and a moment later the telltale whine of the transporter, as his sword and bracers materialized on the ground at his feet. He squatted down and strapped the bracers to his forearms under his sleeves and picked up his sword.
His centuries alive among other Immortals had taught him to hone his sense of others of his kind, to use it almost like radar. His closed his eyes and concentrated on the sensation in the back of his head. The other Immortal was closer now than before, somewhere deeper into the woods. Whoever they were they were certainly aware of him by now as well. But who were they, why were they here? It couldn't be a coincidence, there was no reason for any other human to be on this planet. It had to be John Dallas, he had somehow followed Xander here, waiting to get him alone.
Suddenly, the sensation vanished. The Immortal was gone. Xander opened his eyes and looked around but there was still no indication of activity in the woods. His combadge chirped. Xander reached up and tapped it.
"Gurf here, Sir. Nothing to report from the others, but…"
"What?"
"I wouldn't mention it Sir, except that you asked us to report anything unusual. I can smell something, in the woods. At first I just assumed it was an animal of some kind, but…it doesn't smell right. It doesn't fit with anything else that I've smelled here."
"Could it be someone from Discovery's crew?"
"Negative, Sir. This is nothing I've smelled on Discovery either."
"All right, thanks Gurf. Keep your eyes open, and your…nostrils too, I guess."
"Aye, Sir."
There was only one way the feeling could have disappeared like that. Whoever the other Immortal was must have used a transporter to beam out of range of their shared connection. If it was Dallas and he was there to confront him, why would he leave? And what was Gurf smelling in the woods? Xander trusted the Caitain's nose and his own instincts to tell him that there was still some threat here, and he was going to find out what it was. Adjusting the grip on his sword, he took a defensive stance and started moving further into the woods.
The trees were tall with copper colored bark and softball-sized green seedpods hanging from them. The forest floor was mostly covered with patches of thick grass, so Xander was able to move silently through the trees. It became denser the further he walked, and darker as the thick canopy let in less and less sunlight. He listened for anything that might indicate that he wasn't alone, but all he could hear was his own breathing. Maybe there was nothing here, maybe he was overreacting. Could he have just imagined feeling the presence of another Immortal? He was under a lot of stress, he supposed that it was possible. But Gurf has smelled something. Something that wasn't human and wasn't local. Could he be imaging things too? And then the wind changed, and Xander smelled something too.
There wasn't time to think, just react. Xander lifted his sword behind him in a rear block, where it met the blade of a bat'leth that had been aimed at the back of his neck, where it would have easily taken his head. He quickly pivoted on his left foot and slammed his right foot into the midsection of his attacker, pushing him away and giving himself some distance. The Klingon staggered back but stayed on his feet. Xander had maybe a half of a second to assess his opponent before he attacked again. He was medium build with a ruddy complexion and jagged teeth. He wore the standard armor chest plate that most Klingon soldiers wore, but with no baldric or rank insignia on his sleeves. His pants and boots weren't part of the standard KDF uniform either, they were brown.
He raised his bat'leth and attacked again, Xander blocked each strike with his own sword as the Klingon drove him back further and further. He was waiting for an opening, a mistake that he could exploit, an over extended swing or an off balance stance. But the further back he was driven he began to realize that he might be dead before that opening ever came, so he decided that he needed to create one. Waiting for a brief pause between strikes, Xander swung his sword up and slicked off a tree limb above his head, which came crashing down on top of the Klingon. Xander made quick use of the distraction and stabbed down at an opening between the branches, but the Klingon rolled slightly so that all Xander's sword met was the metal of his armor. He kept on him as the Klingon staggered to his feet, both of them swinging at each other, neither able to find an opening. No words were spoken by either of them. There was nothing to be said. Finally the Klingon decided to go with brute force. He swung his bat'leth down and when it met Xander's sword he just pushed as hard as he could, gritting his teeth as a low growl escaped his lips. It took every ounce of Xander's strength to keep the honor blade from cleaving him in half. There was no more technique, no more strategy, just survival instinct.
"Xander!" a voice called out through the woods. He didn't hear it at first, but the Klingon did. He flinched, his attention drifted just for a second. That was all that Xander needed. He threw out his leg and kicked the Klingon in the side of the knee, knocking him off balance at the same time that he brought his sword down, cutting a gash across the Klingon's forearm as he went down. He turned his head just for a second, to see if he could see who had called out to him, and when he turned back the Klingon was on his feet and running into the woods. He drew one of his throwing knives and hurled it at his fleeing opponent, but it missed its mark and struck a tree. A second later the Klingon disappeared completely into the dense woods.
"Xander!"
This time he recognized the voice as Ami's. He reached up and tapped his combadge. "Harris to Mizuno, stand by," he whispered. He carefully made his way back to the clearing where they had beamed in, keeping his eyes and ears open for an ambush along the way. He made it to the clearing unaccosted and spotted Ami. When she spotted his sword, her eyes widened.
"What happened?"
"There was an Immortal here, I felt it. I tracked them to the woods here but the feeling disappeared, whoever it was must have beamed away. But we've got bigger problems."
"There you are." Xander and Ami both turned to see Boon walking toward them from the village path. Xander rolled his eyes. When she got closer and saw Xander's sword she looked annoyed. "What's going on here? Captain, we need you in the village, we don't have time for…whatever this is."
"Just, hang on a second Rachel. What bigger problems?" she asked, turning back to Xander.
"I was just attacked by a Klingon in the woods."
"A Klingon?!" Ami and Rachel both echoed in shock.
"And there's more of them out there, mercenaries, my guess would be a scouting party."
"How can you know that?" Boon asked derisively.
"He took off when he heard Ami calling me. Klingons don't retreat, if he had been alone he would have kept fighting until one of us was dead. They do regroup though, especially if their mission is covert."
"This is ridiculous, Captain…" Boon started, she was cut short when Ami raised a hand.
She tapped her combadge. "Mizuno to Discovery."
"Tyk here, what can I do for you Captain?"
"We believe there may be another ship in orbit Commander, possibly Klingon, possibly cloaked. I need you to find that ship and disable it."
"Understood Captain, we're on it."
"Mizuno out. How do you want to play this?" she asked Xander.
"We need more information," Xander said. "And I have an idea how we can get it." Xander laid out his plan. Ami nodded as he spoke while Boon looked more and more horrified as her dream assignment started crumbling down around her.
"Okay, let's do it," Ami said after Xander finished speaking. "Rachel, you stay close to me, okay?" Boon just nodded, too much in shock to respond verbally.
Xander walked further into the clearing while Ami and Boon went into the woods. If this was a scouting party, as Xander suspected, and they were here because of their mission, which was the only thing that mad sense, then they had to be monitoring their communications. Xander counted to thirty in his head and then he reached up and tapped his combadge. "Harris to Mizuno."
"Mizuno here, go ahead."
"Captain, I'd like to stay behind and do a little recon here. Whoever that Klingon was who attacked me, he has to still be in these woods."
"Suit yourself, Xander. We don't have the manpower right now to look for phantom Klingons, this is an import mission. I'll expect you back within the hour."
"Understood. Harris out."
Xander stayed in the open of the clearing, in full view of anyone in the area. He held his sword out in front of him and made a show of looking around warily. He thought he made pretty good bait for a Klingon, and he didn't have to wait long to find out how right he was. One by one, they started coming out of the woods, six in all. They were mostly dressed similarly to the first Klingon Xander met, chest armor but no baldrics or rank insignia, except for one of them. He had black curly hair that hung down to his shoulders, and a scar on his cheek that matched the scowl he wore well. He carried a mek'leth and wore a disruptor on his hip, as did most of the others, and on his shoulder Xander saw the KDF rank insignia of Sergeant. This was clearly the leader here, as he walked ahead of the others as they made a beeline for Xander. He stopped a few feet away, and for a moment they all just looked at each other.
"Seeking out a Klingon warrior, alone, in a secluded area, with nothing to defend yourself but a sword," the Sergeant said. "I thought you Starfleeters were supposed to be smarter than that." A few of the other Klingons chuckled at that.
Xander saw an opportunity to put them off guard. "Attacking a man from behind, running away from battle when he is wounded, is this what passes for a Klingon warrior these days?" he asked, making eye contact with the warrior that he had fought earlier in the woods.
"PetaQ!" he hissed. "Watch your tongue human, before I cut it out!"
The Sergeant held up his hand and the warrior fell silent. "You are brave, human. I'll give you that."
"What are you doing here, Sergeant?" Xander asked. The Klingon looked surprised to be addressed by his rank, or former rank as the case may be. "Who are you working for? Because it certainly isn't the KDF."
"You are not exactly in the position to be asking us questions."
Xander smiled. "You sure about that?"
"Gentlemen!" a voice called out of the woods. The Klingons all turned, surprised. When they saw a slight woman with blue hair in a blue sailor suit, they were even more surprised. "Freeze!" she called out.
"I'd listen to her if I were you," Xander said. The Sergeant tossed him a glare, Xander could see puzzlement in his eyes. He looked away and motioned toward his men to apprehend her. Sailor Mercury stepped back and raised her arms. "I warned you," Xander muttered before diving to the ground.
"MERCURY AQUA BLIZZARD!"
Xander covered his head as a torrent of artic air blew through the clearing. He could feel the ice forming on his back as the freezing gust whipped over him. No sound could be heard over the screaming of the wind. After a few seconds, it stopped. He waited, to be sure. He heard footsteps in the grass and when he looked up he saw Sailor Mercury standing above him, offering him a hand up. He took it and rose to his feet. "Freeze? Really? That's the best you could come up with? What about 'Ice to see you' or 'Why don't you guys chill out'."
"Bite me," the sailor scout replied playfully.
Xander raised a mock-scolding finger. "Don't tempt me," he teased.
He looked around at the clearing which was now covered with snow, and standing in the middle of it were a half dozen frozen Klingons. They were each incased in ice from about mid-chest down, unable to move. At this point, Boon wandered out of the woods looking shell-shocked. Xander sauntered over to the Sergeant. The Klingon struggled against his icy bonds with a baffled grimace on his face, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. "So, what were you saying again about position?" Xander asked.
"Release us!" he demanded.
"Now if I do that you'll leave, and we were just getting to know each other," Xander said. He considered his options. The Klingons weren't likely to tell them anything about their mission, no matter what they did to them. But there was one piece of information that he could get, something that may not seem important to them but could help Xander tremendously to know what he was up against here. "I'll make a deal with you Sergeant, and this is the best deal that you are likely to get anywhere. I have one question for you, just one. If you answer that question for me, then I will let you and your men go, unharmed."
"And if…I refuse…will you…kill us?"
"Oh no, nothing like that. If you don't answer my question, we will stun you and your men unconscious. We'll take you to our ship, keep you sedated so that you can't harm yourselves, and we'll take you back to the Empire. Then we will deliver you, one by one, to the head of your respective houses, trussed up like targs, defeated and dishonored."
"No…you can't…do that."
"I can, and I will, if you force me," Xander said. "The only thing that I want to know, is the name of the human who was with you earlier."
"What?"
"There was a human with you when I walked into the woods, whoever it was beamed away before your man there attacked me. Give me his name and I will let you go, you have my word as a warrior." The Sergeant gritted his teeth and growled, he clearly found all of his options in the present situation to be unpleasant. "Do you place your loyalty to a human above the honor of your men?" Xander taunted.
The Sergeant glared and snarled at Xander. "Banner," he spat.
Xander frowned. "Russell Banner?" he asked. The Sergeant nodded. Xander seemed to think for a moment before nodding, then he drew his phaser and took a step back. He tapped the setting control with his thumb, and then raised the weapon and aimed it at the Sergeant. Mercury and Boon looked on stunned but before they could say anything, he fired.
The beam, on its lowest setting, struck the ice and promptly melted it, leaving the Klingon unharmed. He fell to his knees, his body shivering. Xander did the same for the other five Klingons before walking back to where the Sergeant was rising to his feet. The two looked at each other for a moment before the Sergeant touched the communicator on his arm and barked a few words in Klingon. A moment later the six of them disappeared in the golden shimmer of a transporter beam.
"Do you know this Banner?" Sailor Mercury asked.
Xander nodded as he replaced his phaser to the holster on his belt and then looked up at Mercury and Boon. "We've got a problem."
88888888888888
E.C.S. Fortunate (passenger ship)
August 12, 2171 (Federation Day 10)
Somewhere between Alpha Centauri and Earth
Xander sat alone in the lounge of the small transport ship. The trip between Alpha Centauri and Earth was only a few hours, not long enough to be assigned a cabin, so he was forced to share a space with his fellow passengers, most of which appeared to be on their way to some Federation Day celebration or another. They were raucous and irritating, but Xander tuned them out. He was headed home, or what passed for it these days. Returning from another wild goose chase for John Dallas, another lead that went nowhere. But leads on the whereabouts of the Immortal assassin that killed his friends, even bad ones, had become more and more infrequent in the last century or so, so Xander felt obligated to track down every one. But inevitably, when they led nowhere, he was left even more frustrated than before. Almost two centuries had passed since the only people that he had ever really loved had been so cruelly ripped away from him, brutally murdered in front of him, and still that pain remained. There were some days when he could forget about it, but then there were days like today, when the wounds felt as fresh as ever.
In the early days of his immortality, Xander pursued Dallas doggedly. He researched, learned everything there was to know about the man. He tracked down people that he knew, other assassins from the Order of Taraka, friends, acquaintances, but Dallas always managed to stay one step ahead of him. Along the way he learned more about what it meant to be an Immortal, about the game. He trained hard, for the day that he would finally meet Dallas again face to face, but that day never came. Decades passed, Earth erupted into a third world war, and everything just kind of fell apart after that. Governments, the Watcher's Council, the Order of Taraka, everything. Xander lost Dallas' trail after that. And then after First Contact, humankind had to deal with the fact that they were no longer alone in the universe. Xander had to deal with the fact that Dallas now had hundreds of inhabited planets to run to. After that Xander just sort of drifted from one place to another, working odd jobs, just sort of existing, not really living. Sometimes he ran into demons or other Immortals and had to kill them, violence it seemed was the only constant thread that ran through his life.
Today was the tenth anniversary of the founding of the United Federation of Planets. For most people the Federation meant safety, security, an end to war and the beginning of a new era of peace and exploration. For Xander peace just meant the space between wars, the anticipation of destruction and atrocity. War, at least, was a distraction. He didn't feel much like celebrating.
To the side of the lounge there were a series of bench seats facing each other, like booths in an old diner. Xander was seated in the last one in the corner, his back to the wall. He had his feet up on the seat across from him and he was cleaning his fingernails with a throwing knife. His entire posture said stay away, and his fellow passengers abided. He was lost in thought when he felt a very familiar sensation in the back of his head, the feeling that meant there was another Immortal nearby. He picked his head up and scanned the room. It was a feeling that he had come to associate with violence, because every time he felt it and thought that maybe he had finally found Dallas, he took out his frustration on whatever Immortal he did find. But he didn't feel like fighting anymore. He didn't feel like doing much of anything. He caught the eye of a man standing across the room, wearing a trench coat with a duffel bag over his shoulder. Xander reached down and grabbed his own bag, which contained his sword, from the floor and put it on the seat next to him as the man approached. He had dark hair with long sideburns and a soul patch beard. He had a deceptively easygoing smile on his face, the kind a man wore so he could get close enough to slide a knife between your ribs, Xander thought. A wolf in sheep's clothing.
"This seat taken?" he asked Xander when he got closer, indicating the bench seat across from him. His accent sounded American, Xander thought. Midwest maybe. Xander slowly shook his head but didn't move his feet. The man sat down and put one of his own feet up on Xander's seat.
"Where and when do you want to do this?" Xander asked, getting straight to the point. He had had enough of these conversations with other Immortals, idle chit-chat before they tried to kill each other. Both of them knew that neither was likely to attack here and now, fighting on a starship was an incredibly stupid idea. Nowhere secluded enough where they wouldn't be interrupted, nowhere to escape to if they were spotted or things went wrong. Not to mention what a quickening could do to a starship's systems.
"Nowhere and never, preferably," the man answered. "I just wanted to come over here and let you know that I'm not looking for trouble, I'm just trying to get home."
Xander raised an eyebrow. He hadn't been expecting that. He considered the man for a moment before he decided that he believed him to be sincere. "Fine with me," he replied.
The man seemed to relax. "I'm glad to hear you say that, after the week I've had the last thing I'm looking for is a fight. Name's Banner, by the way. Russell Banner," he said, holding out his hand.
Xander shook it reluctantly. He wasn't looking for a fight either, but he also wasn't looking to make any friends. "Xander Harris."
"Nice to meet you, Xander. So where are you headed?"
"Home."
"That's what I thought. You look the way I feel, tired and glad to still have your head. I had a feeling that you and I might have more in common than our mutual immunity to death."
"How do you mean?"
"Well, you're no slave to the game like some of the other Immortals I've met. Honestly, 'The Game', what a ridiculous thing to call a bunch of Immortals trying to kill each other. It's a lot of nonsense if you ask me. Immortality, that's prize enough for me. This universe is dangerous enough without looking for trouble. I'm not saying I can't defend myself, I'd be a fool to not learn how to use a sword, especially in my line of work. But why go spoiling for a fight? The way I figure it, I might as well take advantage of what I have, right? Make some money, make a comfortable life for myself. I mean, what's the point of living forever if you can't enjoy it, right?"
Xander stared at Banner. His attitude was so far from Xander's own experiences as an Immortal that he didn't know how to react to him. Immortality wasn't a prize to Xander, it was a curse. It was purgatory. The point of living forever wasn't to enjoy himself, it was to suffer. It was penance, for letting his friends die, for not even being able to avenge them. His initial response was anger, but it was so buried in anguish that he didn't even have the energy to focus it. He didn't know if he was angry at Banner, or himself. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Xander realized that Banner was looking very uncomfortable under his stare, so he spoke. "And what is your line of work?" he asked.
Banner blinked. Whatever his assumptions about Xander, he was starting to realize that he was wrong. "Hired muscle, I guess you could say," he answered. "For anyone who can afford it."
"You're a mercenary," Xander simplified. He never considered himself morally superior to anyone, he'd done his fair share of killing. But something about saying the word out loud put a bad taste in his mouth. Fighting and killing for a cause that you believed in, or even out of anger or revenge, that made sense to him. But doing it for money, he couldn't ever imagine making that choice.
"And what do you do?" Banner asked.
'I suffer,' Xander wanted to answer. 'I chase, I obsess, I…joust windmills. I hone my mind and body for the sole purpose of seeing John Dallas driven before me, on his knees begging for his life, so I can cut off his head and dance in his blood.' "Mostly I build things."
Banner nodded. "That must be lucrative, in this day and age. The Federation expanding, new colonies popping up all the time. I imagine there's no shortage of things that need to be built."
"What about you?" Xander asked. "In your line of work, I would imagine that peace is…bad for business."
"You know the old saying, 'wars may end but war never does'. There's always somebody somewhere who is willing to pay for…good help."
Xander thought about his own war, against Dallas. It didn't seem like it would ever end, at least not the way Xander wanted it to. He looked across the room at the Federation Day revelers and thought about how different they were from Banner and himself. Most of them were old enough to remember the Earth/Romulan war, they knew how horrible it was and how many people died, but they had hope. They saw the Federation as more than just a brief respite from that misery, they believed that the galaxy could be a better place, they believed in what the Federation stood for. Xander had to admit to himself that he had more in common with Banner then he did with them, and that thought sickened him. It was time to stop blaming his immortality for the life that he led, he made his own choices. If he had to fight, then it was time to fight for something, instead of wallowing in self-pity and lamenting on lost opportunities for revenge. Otherwise, how long would it be before he became just like this man, trading death for money and comfort and not thinking twice about it. He couldn't dishonor his friends' memory by becoming like that. He wouldn't.
Xander stood and picked up his bag, he suddenly felt the need to be anywhere but near Banner at that moment. "Excuse me," he said, stepping around the other man.
"Where are you going?"
"I need a drink," Xander answered, and found that the statement was true.
"I'll join you."
"I'd really rather you didn't."
"Wait a second." Banner put his hand on Xander's shoulder. Xander pulled away violently, turning to glare at the other man. Banner looked shocked and confused.
"You're trying to recruit me, aren't you?" Xander said. "That's what this is about, isn't it? You weren't just trying to avoid a fight."
Banner smiled like a used car salesman. "I'll admit, the thought crossed my mind. I'm always looking for somebody who can handle themselves in a fight, and if it's one of our kind then more the better. There's a lot of money to be made out there for guys like us. Hear me out."
The words 'our kind' made the bile rise in Xander's throat, the thought that he was cut from the same cloth as men like Banner and John Dallas. It took all of his self-control not to pull his sword from his bag and take his head right there and then.
"Let me explain something to you Banner, there is no 'guys like us'. I'm nothing like you. Every Immortal reaches a point after they find out what they are where they have to decide what to do with their lives, how to pass the centuries. I've always viewed my life as punishment, for my failures. You have apparently decided to use yours to make profit from other people's pain and suffering, from death. Well that's not me, and it never will be."
"Violence is part of who we are, we can't avoid that," Banner shot back. "The sole purpose of our existence is to kill each other," he laughed humorlessly. "What are we supposed to do with that? If you want to look at it as punishment, fine. But don't you dare judge me for trying to make something better for myself."
"How can you possibly call what you're doing making anything better for anyone?! If you want to sell your soul to the devil, go right ahead. But don't pretend like you don't have a choice about it, we all have a choice."
"And you think you're better than me? When I walked in here you were ready to fight and kill me, just because of what I am. How many heads have you taken, for the game?" Banner asked, virtually spitting out the word 'game'. "How does that make you morally superior to me? I fight combatants in a warzone, I'm no different than any other soldier."
"A soldier risks his life and fights for something that he believes in. You risk nothing and kill for money, there's a big difference. I don't claim to be better than anybody," Xander said. He paused for a moment, in thought. "The difference is that I *want* to be better. And maybe that's enough. It's a start anyway."
"You're being naïve."
Xander disagreed. Idealistic maybe, but not naïve. "If being like you is the alternative then I'll take naïve any day," he said.
"Give it a few more centuries, if you last that long."
"If that day ever comes I'll cut my own head off. But until then, why don't you do us both a favor and stay the hell away from me." Xander pushed passed Banner and headed toward the other side of the lounge, where the bar was. Banner wisely didn't follow.
Maybe that wasn't a good idea, Xander thought to himself. The last thing he wanted was to make another enemy, or to draw attention to himself with such a public confrontation like that. Thankfully the noise level in the lounge was such that he was sure no one had overheard them, and anyone looking at them would hopefully just think they were having a disagreement. At the moment, he didn't much care. He felt like he had spent the last 170 years hiding. Hiding from the world, from reality. And he just couldn't take it anymore. It felt odd, he had certainly had thoughts like this before, that he was wasting his life or dishonoring his friends' memories. But something was different now. He didn't know how or why, but Xander knew that this time he had reached a real turning point. It was time to do something worthwhile with his rather long life, before he did become like Banner. Before life became so cheap to him that he just didn't care anymore. The question now was what could he do? When he was young and he learned about the truth of the world, about vampires and demons and such, he knew that fighting against that darkness was the most important thing that he could do with his life. What could he possibly find to do that could even come close to that kind of significance?
Xander sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. He was still mostly lost in thought when a man slid between him and the next barstool and leaned over to get the bartender's attention. Xander looked up and saw that the man was wearing a Starfleet uniform. Could it be that simple, Xander thought? Could the answer really be staring him right in the face? Xander hadn't thought much of the Federation when it first started, it seemed like an alliance forged out of desperation. Earth wasn't prepared to face the harshness of the galaxy alone, and so they sought out allies. The idea of what the Federation could become, many planets bound together not just for mutual defense but to create a new interstellar society, a utopia where many different aliens could live together in peace and harmony, it all sounded like a pipedream. But here they were, ten years later, and the Federation was still going strong. It seemed like enough people believed in the dream to make it a reality. And not just believed in it, fought to defend it, to protect it from forces inside and out. But Starfleet's mandate wasn't just defense, their primary function was still exploration. They recognized that there was more to creating a thriving and peaceful society then just protecting its borders. They had to grow, and learn. It seemed like a pretty noble pursuit to him. It could even be a life worth living.
The Starfleeter looked down, noticing for the first time that Xander seemed to be staring at him. "Can I help you with something?" he asked.
"I just…" Xander started, still lost in thought. "I just wanted to thank you for your service," he said, putting his hand out. The man shook it with a nod. "Let me buy you a drink," Xander said, starting a conversation that would change his life foerever.
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"We ran tachyon scans of this whole system, we didn't find any indication of a cloaked ship," Tyk said. Ami, Xander and Boon had beamed up after their encounter in the clearing and were now gathered in the conference room off the bridge along with Commander Tyk. "They could be monitoring our position and staying on the opposite side of the planet to evade our scans, or depending on how large the ship is they simply could have landed it. Lt. Gibson is running scans of the surface right now."
"Klingon mercenaries?!" Boon said, seemingly still in shock over the whole idea. "It sounds like an oxymoron."
"They're not as uncommon as you might think," Xander said. "After the Klingon civil war thirteen years ago, a lot of warriors found themselves on the wrong side of the Chancellor. In some cases, if their house had no influence, Gowron seized their lands and holdings, leaving thousands of Klingon warriors dishonored and penniless. Many of them committed hegh'bat, ritual suicide, but the majority of them were simply forced to make lives for themselves outside of the empire, accepting discommendation and exile in order to protect the honor of their house or family. That's why my threat on the planet worked, none of those warriors want to dishonor whatever family they may still have in the empire."
"But as mercenaries? It seems so…dishonorable," Boon said.
"As much as Klingons value their honor, they don't necessarily always agree as to what that means. They may be forced to obey the Chancellor but that doesn't mean that they always agree with him. Most exiled would still consider themselves to have honor, even as a warrior for hire. That's why it was vital that I kept my word to them and let them go. It showed them that we have honor too. If this escalates the way I think it will, that could be important."
"But what did it get us?" Boon asked, agitated. "A name? How does that bring us any closer to learning what they are doing here?"
"More information than you might know, Doctor," Xander answered. "As to what they're doing here, I think that's fairly obvious."
"So who is this Banner?" Ami asked. "It seems that you know him."
"He's an Immortal, and a dangerous one at that. A mercenary, without a code of honor. He doesn't care about who he hurts, as long as he gets paid. My guess is that he is either in command of this group, or he brokered the deal that brought them here."
"I'm sorry, did you say 'immortal'?" Boon asked.
Xander and Ami exchanged a look. "I think it's time to lay all of our cards on the table, Dr. Boon," Xander said. "We both know the truth about Earth, the truth that most humans forgot a long time ago. Vampires, demons, magic, it's all real. You know this because you are one quarter demon, I know it because of where I grew up."
Boon looked aghast, whipping her head around to look at Ami. "How did…why would you…"
"Please don't be upset with the Captain, she told me because I needed to know," Xander said. "And now because I know the truth about you, I'm going to extend you the same courtesy. I am not El-Aurian, I'm human. I was born on Earth, 400 years ago, in a place called Sunnydale, California. You may have heard of it, it was home to a rather active hellmouth during the late 20th Century. I was there, fighting side by side with the slayer, trying to keep the world from being sucked into hell. We had quite a group back then. They were my friends, my real family. And then one day a man by the name of John Dallas killed them all. He killed me too, but I didn't die. I learned that day that I'm an Immortal, a member of a race of humans that have been spending the last few thousand years on Earth trying to kill each other. The details after that are immaterial, suffice it to say that Banner is dangerous, and if we don't handle this situation delicately it could cause an intergalactic incident. Not to mention what could happen to the Jakul."
"So this is your fault then," Boon said. "You're the reason this Banner person is here, ruining the scientific discovery of a lifetime, so you can play with your swords in the woods!"
Xander shook his head. "You still don't get it, do you? You simply refuse to look at what's happening here outside of your own narrow view. Do you honestly think that Starfleet Intelligence kept denying your request for this mission just because they don't like you? What the Jakul can do, what that represents, life after death. It's a commodity. What if that could be developed, adapted to other races, modified to render them virtually immortal. And if one superpower in this quadrant were to gain that power independently, it would destabilize the entire region. Our enemies, even our allies, are not going to let that happen. But the Federation isn't interested in exploiting the Jakul to that end, so we were content to leave them alone and as long as we did so, the other powers in this quadrant were content to do the same. But if any of them knew for a moment that we were here right now, studying the Jakul, it could start a war. Or worse, a genetic arms race. Can you imagine what that would mean for the Jakul, every superpower in the galaxy warring over them? They'd be kidnapped, experimented on and dissected, until finally somebody decides that if they can't have them no one will and just nukes the whole planet. And that still wouldn't be the end of it, the resulting wars would probably last for centuries."
Boon looked like she was going to be sick. Her usual pale complexion seemed to be getting even paler. Her mouth was as dry as a Cardassian summer as it kept opening and closing, trying to find something to say, some way to refute what she was hearing.
"That's what Starfleet Intelligence does, Dr. Boon. That's what I do on this ship. We prevent scenarios like that every day so that people like you can sleep at night. But I've failed now, because I ignored my better judgment and I let it get personal. So now here we all sit, on the precipice of galactic destruction. I hope you like the view, Doctor."
"Okay, let's all take a deep breath here," Ami said. "Blaming ourselves or each other is not going to get anything accomplished. There are risks with any mission, and we have to be prepared to deal with that. What's done is done, so let's concentrate on what we can do to fix it. We're Starfleet, this is our job."
Xander looked at Ami and nodded. "You're right, Ami. I'm sorry."
"Why mercenaries?" Boon asked in a timid voice, barely above a whisper. All eyes turned to her. "I mean, whoever this power is, if what they're after is scientific information, why not just send their own contact team and visit a different village."
"They can't send their own people," Xander said. "They have to be able to have plausible deniability if they get caught. They can't send scientists because there are no hired gun scientists as far as I know, so they send mercs to shadow us, report back what we're doing. They were probably planning to eventually ambush us on the planet and steal our data, kill us to cover their tracks."
"So who are we talking about here?" Ami asked. "And how did they find out about this mission?"
"They probably intercepted a transmission of some kind, and since I made sure that all transmissions regarding this mission were encrypted at level five, we're talking about a pretty sophisticated intelligence network to find it and decode it," Xander said. "There's only one power that I can think of that can do that and is also close enough to this area of space to take an interest in the Jakul."
Ami paled as she realized who Xander was talking about. "The Romulans."
Xander nodded. "Got it in one."
"What happens if we bug out?" Tyk asked. "Don't give them any data to steal."
"Depends what their orders are, but I doubt they want to go back to their employers empty handed," Xander said. "They might kidnap some of the Jakul, they might raze the whole village just out of spite, who knows. I'd rather not leave them here to find out."
"Agreed," Ami said.
"What's to stop them from doing that now?" Boon asked. "I mean, they've been exposed, they can't take us by surprise anymore. They could just pick another village on the planet and do…god knows what."
"We've got a full complement of class-2 sensor probes onboard," Tyk said. "We can program them to scan for Klingon lifesigns or signs of high technology and deploy them in synchronous orbit above the other villages."
"Do it," Ami said. "And find me that ship, Commander."
"Aye, Captain."
"In the meantime, I recommend that we continue with the mission," Xander said. Ami and Boon both looked at him, surprised. "We should triple security, and keep them out of site. We're still the best bet for these mercs to complete their mission and get paid, if we scrap it all together they might get desperate. This is the best way to draw them out so we can neutralize them."
"What do we tell the Jakul?" Boon asked.
"Nothing," Xander said. "There's nothing that they can do, there's no reason to panic them."
"Okay," Ami said. "Rachel and I will beam back down and join the rest of the away team. Xander, why don't you get the extra security together and put them in place and report back when everything is in position. Commander Tyk, you have your orders, let me know if you find anything."
"Aye, Captain."
"Aye, Captain."
Ami nodded. "Dismissed."
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That night when Xander got back to his quarters, he was exhausted. He took off his uniform jacket and tossed it onto his couch as he made his way to his favorite arm chair and sat down. Scooby came trotting out of the bedroom when he heard the door open, he laid down next to the chair and nuzzled his master's hand affectionately. Xander absently scratched his head between his horns. After the encounter on the planet he had spent some time with Lt. Gibson, devising the best strategy for keeping the away team as well as the Jakul village safe, while keeping the bulk of the security invisible. The final plan involved perimeter sensors, transporter inhibitors, security officers in duck-blind suits patrolling the woods, and a small visible security force in the village itself. Xander spent most of the rest of the day on the surface coordinating the security efforts. There was still no sign of the Klingon ship either in orbit or on the surface. Was it possible that they bugged out? Thinking about all the ways that this mission could still go wrong gave Xander a headache, so he tried to stop thinking about it. He considered meditating, but he didn't think that he would be able to get calm enough. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, and slowly dozed off.
He was startled awake by the door chime. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, but he was sure that it wasn't very long. Scooby was standing now, staring at the door, his hackles raised. He wasn't baring his teeth but there was a low growl in the back of his throat, almost too low to be audible. Xander knew that this reaction simply meant that Scooby wasn't familiar with whoever was behind the door, but it still gave his sleepy brain an ominous feeling. He imagined a Klingon on the other side, his bat'leth raised and ready to strike. Xander shook the feeling off as he stood and headed for the door, giving Scooby a reassuring pat as he walked by him. "It's okay, boy," he said. "I'm sure it's nothing too horrible."
Xander tapped the control and the door slid open to reveal a nervous looking Rachel Boon. "Spoke too soon," Xander muttered to himself. A small part of him found himself wishing that it had been a Klingon. "Dr. Boon," he greeted her civilly. "Something I can help you with?"
"I'd like to…that is, I wanted to…talk to you, may I come in?"
Xander sighed and nodded wordlessly, motioning for her to come in. He turned and walked back toward his chair, Boon followed, the door closing behind her. "I just wanted to say…what the hell is that?!"
Xander turned and saw that she was practically on the other side of the room, looking terrified and pointing to where he was standing. It took him a moment to realize that she was looking at Scooby. "Oh, that's Scooby. It's okay, he won't hurt you." He reached down and patted the razor cat's flank. "She's good Scoob, go lay down." Scooby licked his chops before turning and walking to the corner of the living room where he laid down, keeping an eye on Boon.
"That…thing is your pet?!"
Xander was too tired to be offended, he practically collapsed back into his chair. "More like a friend," he said.
"It's a wild animal!"
"Actually razor cats have been domesticated for a few thousand years. I don't mean to be rude Doctor, but it's been a very long day, so can we get to the reason why you're here."
"Right, well…I just wanted to know how the new security measures were going."
Xander blinked. "Fine," he answered evenly.
"Good. That's…good."
Ordinarily Xander might have even enjoyed her obvious discomfort, but it was becoming tiresome. "I heard that things went well in the village today," he said, trying to keep the conversation going in the hopes that she would work her way toward the reason for her visit. "You're making progress."
"We are," Boon agreed. "There's a lot to go over during the briefing tomorrow."
Xander nodded. "I have to go over the new security procedures with everyone as well."
"Still no sign of these Klingons then?"
Xander shook his head. "I'm afraid not." An awkward silence followed. "Would you like to sit, Doctor?"
Boon took a seat on Xander's couch, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "There is something else that I wanted to ask you. In the briefing room today, you said that you let this mission get personal. What did you mean by that?"
Xander sighed, running his hand through his hair. He debated with himself how much he really wanted to tell Boon about what was going on. It was possible that she could still help him, and being honest with her did seem like the simplest way to handle things. "How much do you know about Immortals?"
"Not much. I have heard of them…of you before, but you are the first one that I've met. That I know of."
"I'm sure it all seems very distasteful to you, a lot of indiscriminate killing." To her credit, Boon didn't say anything. She just listened. "The truth is that I find it rather distasteful myself. I'm not the kind of person who goes looking for a fight, it just seems like…it always comes looking for me. There is a logic to it all, I wish I could explain it better than that. It's just an instinct that we have, like there is a certain order to the way we do things."
"Haven't you ever wondered why?" she asked. "Why you have to kill each other? What it all means."
"All the time. I think every Immortal does." He paused. "I'm getting off track. This whole thing started for me that day that John Dallas killed my friends, and I died my first death. For a long time I thought that I had put that all behind me, and then about a month ago Dallas showed up again. He lured me out and tried to kill me." Xander stood and walked to where Soul Vessel hung on the wall. He took it down and turned back to Boon. "He's after this. I don't understand how, but this sword is a device that is storing the energy from a thousand quickenings. A thousand dead Immortals, killed at Dallas' hand. He thinks that the power will make him a god. I think he's crazy. But the fact remains that I have become the…guardian of sorts to these quickenings. I don't know if they're aware, or if they're suffering, but I have to find a way to release them safely."
"The Realm of Souls," Boon said in realization.
Xander nodded. "When I learned about the Jakul and what they could do…I figured it was a longshot, but I had to try. So I talked to Admiral Colgate and got this mission approved." He paused. "It was a mistake. I let my personal feelings cloud my judgment, and now I've put who knows how many lives at risk. I'm sorry that I took it out on you in the briefing room, that wasn't fair. This whole mess is my fault."
"No, you were right. I came here tonight because I wanted to say…I'm sorry. I misjudged you and I treated you horribly when I first came aboard. You were right, I was so blinded by the scientific discoveries that I could make with the Jakul that I never let myself think about what the consequences could be for them."
Xander just nodded. He knew how difficult that must have been for someone like Boon, to admit that she was wrong and to apologize. He didn't want to push the issue so he changed the subject. "So what about you, what's your story?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why is this so personal for you? I mean, why are you so obsessed with finding proof of life after death?"
"I don't know that I would say obsessed…" Boon defended. Xander just looked at her. "Well…maybe." She seemed reluctant to talk. Xander just sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of him. He wanted to show that he was listening, but not pressuring her to talk about anything that she didn't feel comfortable with.
"I don't know how much the Captain told you about how I grew up, but I was raised by my mother in a Draz colony in Australia. The Draz are a proud people. And I was taught from when I was very young to be proud of what I was, but I was also taught that it had to be kept secret. That there were still people who wouldn't understand. For a young girl who was curious about the universe, it was hard. I didn't see my dad much. We would talk over subspace maybe once a month, his career kept him pretty busy. At the time I remember wishing that I was out there with him. I felt torn between two vastly different worlds. One was filled with magic and demons, a secret world. And the other was the modern world, filled with technological wonders and strange alien species. I didn't know where I belonged. My mother died when I was fifteen, and I left the Draz to live with my father. Part of me was excited about that, but I also felt so…guilty, like somehow my longing for a different life had caused her death. I felt like…she was ashamed of me. It took a long time to get over those feelings, but in the end I was still left with the desire to make my mother proud of me. I guess I've always felt like my unique upbringing gave me an opportunity to see things differently than my colleagues, and that by using that distinct perspective I was honoring my mother. And so what better way to bring my two worlds together then by scientifically proving the existence of things like magic, or the soul. Maybe it's naïve, but I feel like someday the truth about things like magic and demons will become common knowledge, and if my work can lead to that then…well, it will all have been worth it."
"I wouldn't call it naïve," Xander said. "Ambitious maybe. I don't know if humankind will ever be ready to learn the truth, but I would certainly welcome that day if it ever came. I don't know if this will mean anything coming from me, but I think your mother would be very proud of you."
Boon lightly dabbed at her eye and cleared her throat, trying to hide the fact that she was starting to tear up. Talking about her mother had clearly brought up a lot of feelings. "Thank you," she said simply.
"Well, no that that's all out if the way," Xander said, trying to change the subject. "Now all we have to do is figure out how to clean up this mess."
"When you put it that way you almost make it sound easy," Boon said with a smile. She looked down at Soul Vessel as it sat leaning against Xander's leg. "In the meantime, I may be able to help you find some answers regarding that sword. My mixed heritage makes me a pretty powerful empath and touch telepath, I can try to getting a reading from it."
"I would appreciate that, thank you," Xander said. "I would like to do it in a more controlled environment though. Say, tomorrow after the briefing in the Alien Technologies Lab? I'd like to run some scans during the reading."
"That will be fine," Boon said. "Maybe I can give you some of the answers that you're looking for."
Xander picked up Soul Vessel and turned the sword over in his hand, staring at it intently as if the answers would suddenly appear on the blade itself. "I hope so."