Chapter One: Lost in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Buffy Summers woke in blazing heat. Her fingers closed on sand, it burned against the flesh of her fingers and she sat up. Buffy's green eyes stared out at the vast wasteland before her. Desert, a stark and bleak yellow stretched out into the distance. Large dunes of shifting sand moved back and forth as the land swept out towards the horizon. Where? She wondered, mind frozen. "Where am I?" The words escaped her already dry lips and echoed out into the empty waste.
No one heard them.
Looks like the Sahara. Buffy thought. Wiping her jeans, she got to her knees and looked around again. Nothing had changed. The heat was still beating down on her from overhead, making her dehydrated brain sluggish. Still, she fought to keep her mind clear. Civilization. She would have to find one. And water. That was the first priority. Staying alive. So she could get back.
Get back to what? Buffy's knees hit the sand. Not to her mother. Joyce Summers' words lingered in her mind, hammered there with an anvil.
"You walk out of this house, don't even think about coming back!"
That's right. Buffy thought. She could feel the tears burning at the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall. Can't go home. So where did she have left to go? Angel's dead. God, she didn't even want to think about that. Not now. Not when she was stuck in the middle of god knows where. Maybe he took me down to hell with him. A hoarse laugh escaped Buffy's throat. Maybe she deserved that.
Her fingers sank into the sand and she let out a crazed terrible yell. Filled with her agony, her confusion, her despair. She pounded her fists into the ground. Why god! Her mind screamed. Why me? Why did you have to make me suffer like this? Why was I chosen? Why was her life always the one turned into hell? She couldn't go home.
Buffy's head tipped back and she stared up at the sky. That's when she saw it. The blazing, blurring rays that beat down into her eyes, couldn't hide the faces of the twin suns hovering overhead.
Two? Buffy wondered. What the hell was going on? Where did that light send me? She didn't want to think about it. The memory made chills race across her body, made gooseflesh break out across her arms. She'd been touched by something. She didn't know what. It had come from her. Dragged her out of existence. Left her here. All I wanted was to be anywhere but in SunnyHell. Buffy thought with a sneeze. Guess I got my wish.
There was nowhere on Earth where a person could see two suns. Not even in the Sahara. So… where was she?
Buffy stood, wiping off her pants. Either way, sitting out here won't do me much good. No, she needed to find some place with people. Maybe then I'll get answers. That was what Buffy was good at, getting answers. Maybe I can find some way to contact Giles. Some kind of witch or wiccan, like the kind Willow wanted to be, someone who could speak through dimensions. Get home.
Home… The image of her mother's face assaulted her mind again. No. Buffy thought. Not home. Somewhere else. Anywhere else. But that meant she was going to have to pick a direction and start walking. Buffy got to her feet again, the heat of the sand burning against the soles of her sneakers. She wondered how long the rubber would last against it. She didn't relish the thought of trekking across this desert barefoot.
A strange cry echoed out of the wasteland. Eeee-eh-eh-eh. It went. Then another responded to it. Eeeeeeee-eh-eh-eh. It sounded like an animal.
Or some kind of war cry. No matter what she was going to face out here, Buffy Summers knew it wasn't safe to stick around.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes and drew a deep heady breath. She lifted her finger and pointed at the horizon. "Eeeny," she turned to the left. "Meeny," she pointed to the right. "Miny," she pointed back to the left. "Moe." She turned back to the right. "Catch a tiger by his toe." Her finger continued to sway back and forth between the two directions as Buffy let chance seal her fate. "My mother," she swallowed. Joyce's face appeared in her mind, her tumbling golden locks framing blue eyes filled with hurt and betrayal. "Told me to pick the very best one." Her finger swung between the two like the needle of a drunken compass. "And you are it, so I choose you." She opened her eyes and found her finger stuck towards the west. "That way it is then." Buffy said with a sharp exhale and began walking towards the cresting dunes that looked exactly the same as that of the opposite direction. The bleakness was overwhelming.
Fortunately for sixteen-year old Buffy Summers, a force greater than luck had plans in mind. Destiny's hand was already upon her, guiding her steps, and though she did not yet know it, with such an ally at her back, she was sure to find her way. Even though it would soon prove to be an unpleasant journey.
Buffy walked. Her stride decreasing marginally step by step as her feet sunk into the moving sand. She kept a careful eye on the ground, while focusing her other on the horizon. Buffy tried to keep any land masses she saw in the corner of her vision, trying to make certain that she was headed the right way. But this was a desert and there were no guarantees. Still, that didn't entirely matter Buffy Summers had spent her entire life in deserts, first in the glorified land of scrub and sand called Los Angeles, then in a place called SunnyDale, a city not too far beyond the reach of the dreaded Mojave. She'd spent all her days beneath a dreaded desert sun and learned to dress accordingly.
But all that prep, doesn't help against two suns. They were double trouble and as the hours dragged on, Buffy felt her vaunted Slayer stamina waning. It was a contest between the heat of the rays and the pull of the sand to see which would sap her strength the quickest. In it, Buffy was forced to admit, unhappily, that either way she was losing. Should've waited 'till dark. Traveling would have been easier, but she knew that with the unfamiliar terrain it would be almost impossible to find her way. And who knows what pretty critters pop out at night.
Buffy had long since stopped wasting energy trying to speak. She continued taking deep, meditative breaths, like the kind Giles had forced her to practice. Giles. Was he worrying about her? She shook her head. Buffy knew she could worry about that later. People, that's what I need. People! That's all she should keep her thoughts focused on. Finding people. Before the damn monsters did.
Another cry went up out of the wilderness. It was different from the call she'd heard earlier. This one was more like a shriek or a roar. In the haze of the distance, she thought she saw something trotting across the sand, a group of things really. A herd.
Whatever they were, they were moving quickly, blurrily in the heat. They're long forelegs reaching out to grip the sand between their claws. Their bodies swaying back and forth as they moved, they looked like they were shifting direction.
Buffy came to a stop at the top the dune and wiped her sweaty brow, green eyes transfixed on the large strange animals. She counted seven, maybe eight in the group. They move like lizards. But Buffy had never seen a lizard that tall or big. It can't really be that big. Could it? From this distance it seemed like the size of a horse. Maybe bigger. Her heart froze in her chest as she watched them turn, their pace speeding up into something more like a canter. They were coming towards her.
Behind them, she saw a dust cloud and in the air she heard a roaring buzz. What was happening?
The beasts were plowing towards her. Buffy knew she should get out of the way, but she couldn't find the strength. Her tired sluggish mind, screamed at her muscles, her eyes widening in terror as the beasts stampeded towards her. Their metallic copper scales glittering in the sun. She could see the wide slope of their skulls, the high curve of their crests. It was like looking at something out of her grandma's old National Geographic tapes.
A triceratops? Couldn't be. It had no horns.
They were coming at her, stretching out into formation. She heard something that sounded strangely like gunfire. No, more like the electronic backfire of Willow's computer overloading. Willow… Was she okay? Red beams lined the sky, arcing over the heads of the monsters. Some of them screamed in pain as they connected.
They were being driven right towards her. As the monsters climbed up towards her, Buffy fought for her thoughts. She had to move, she had to get out of the way. She had to… A glint caught her eye. Silver, shiny metal, a roaring buzz struck her ears and she looked down again. What was chasing the monsters suddenly became clear in her vision. It looked like a gigantic slab of metal and it was floating.
What? When had she, Buffy Summers been transferred into the Twilight Zone? Her word didn't include ships or space men from Mars. Maybe she was on Mars? No, nothing's red. She could practically here Willow's most exasperated tone lecturing at the back of her mind. Come on, Buffy, you know there's no oxygen on Mars. Buffy sighed. Thanks, Will. So much for Earth being close by.
The monsters, animals, things, whatever they were, they were almost on her now. It was too late to get out of the way. She could hear their screaming cries and the loud, "Yahoo!" cry of the hunters coming up behind them. At least they sounded human. Buffy took a deep breath and shut her eyes, pulling at whatever strength she had left, she ducked sideways away from the first oncoming copper lizard, knowing that if she hit the ground it would be all over. She let her instincts guide her as the sand shook, dodging the rampaging feet.
I have to get their attention. She realized. Somehow, someway, maybe their transportation could take her to some kind of settlement. Buffy Summers didn't have time to be awestruck or impressed. Or afraid this is gonna turn into Planet of the Apes. Whoever these people were, she needed them.
"Hey!" She shouted, trying valiantly to get her voice up over the sound of thundering feet. "Hey!" Waving her arms, she jumped up and down as she let another creature rumble past her. She kept one eye on the oncoming beasts and the other on the metal sled with jet engines. "HEY!"
The last of the creatures went by and she listened to the sled scream over her. She watched it head off into the distance, following the herd of monsters, the red bullets of their guns blazing in the heat, standing out against the bleak backdrop of blue and dusty yellow. A lump formed in Buffy's throat, maybe they hadn't heard her, maybe they hadn't seen her. What if they didn't care?
What am I gonna do? Despair welled up in the corners of her eyes and she shook her head as she watched both herd and ship pull farther away into the distance. What am I gonna do? Where would she find shelter?
Buffy looked up at the sky again. The two suns were already well past what she assumed was midday and they were sinking into the horizon. She bet she only had about six or seven hours left of daylight to find some kind of shelter and any kind of civilization. Plus, I got no idea how close I am or how far I have to go. And she was already tired. Wiping her grimy forehead, Buffy had no idea if her body could survive another day like this without water. And I got no idea where to start looking. All her Slayer skills, invaluable. She had nothing to fight. She was just a lost little girl.
Her feelings over took her and she collapsed into the sand, her hands angrily coming up to her cheeks as the withheld tears poured out through her eyes. Buffy couldn't stop the flow. Maybe she deserved to die. After what I did to Angel, I definitely deserve it. Definitely. Sobs escaped through her mouth and Buffy knew she needed to get a hold of herself, but another part of her didn't care. She was going to die and nobody was going to help her. "God!" She whispered. "Why?" The words were choked back in her throat. "Why is this happening to me? Is it because of Angel? Am I being punished for that? Why?"
"Ho, there." A cheerful voice called from above her.
Startled, Buffy looked up. Suddenly, hearing the thrumming sound of an engine, she swallowed. Her eyes met grizzled gray ones, her young face staring into one about three times her age. It was a man. He had a circular face with thick lines tracing around his eyes and a weak chin cutting into a bulldog neck and thick shoulders. He was wearing some kind of shirt and a knit together weave that looked like a brown poncho thrown over it. He was leaning over the edge of the sled, a strange twinkle in his eye and an amused grin splitting his face.
"Hello." Buffy said in a small voice. Scrubbing, her cheeks as she stared at him, unable to believe her luck and swallowed.
"What are ya doin' wastin' moisture out here?" He asked. "You lookin' to die, kid?"
"Come on, Ganner." A perturbed voice growled from behind the stranger. "The Wraids are gettin' away and I ain't goin' back to Mos Espa without a couple skulls."
"We still got plenty hours of daylight, Bree." The man called Ganner responded. He glanced back over his shoulder, a pacifying expression on his face. "And the Wraid ain't gonna get too far away."
"It'll still be a waste of fuel to catch 'em." The invisible Bree grumbled. "An I need at least four good plates to make my debt." Bree paused. "Or…" His tone turned wheedling. "Why don't ya bring her aboard Ganner, it's the least we can do." He added, but he still didn't sound at all friendly. "Get her out of this forsaken heat and back to Mos Espa."
"That's exactly what we're gonna do." Ganner replied. "But I'm gonna say it again Bree, charity is an act o' goodness o' nature. We ain't doin' this for greed."
"Whatever, Ganner." Bree snorted. "Tell me, she's at least pretty."
"Pretty enough for a grime covered urchin." Ganner said. "Keep the power sled still while I bring her aboard. Kid looks like she's barely got the strength to move."
"Pretty enough to dance for Gardulla?" Bree asked.
"I said already that we ain't doin' that." Ganner snapped. But he leapt down off the floating sled and landed on the soft sand. Buffy didn't know whether to be grateful or to scramble back in terror. Ganner had a face she trusted, but this Bree? She didn't like the sound of him. "Don't mind, Bree." Ganner said to her. He was a solid man, with a burly chest and arms like logs. His face was almost hulking despite the weakness of his chin and he loomed over her. "He's in a jam for creds at the moment, he ain't thinkin' clearly."
Still, Buffy wasn't afraid. If these two messed with her, they'd learn, she knew, they'd learn that she was no normal girl. She lifted her chin defiantly and scrubbed off her cheeks. "He is?" She asked, trying to sound prim, confident, in control. What in the blazes are creds? She wondered. Was that some kind of currency? Why hadn't she ever heard about it before? Her gaze went back to the twin suns drifting down towards the eastern horizon. "That's right, Toto." She mumbled. "We're not in Kansas anymore."
"What was that?" Ganner asked.
"Nothing." Buffy shook her head. She stared at the ruffian, his dusty clothes, evaluating him right down to his dirty boots. Buffy didn't know if she could trust him. Or even if she should. A tingle in her gut told her to be wary, it was a bad feeling, and it gave her a stomachache. But what choice do I have? Slowly, she lifted up her hand and held it out for Ganner to take. "I'm Buffy." She cleared her throat. "Buffy Summers. Who are you?"
"Ganner." He said, taking her hand in a firm handshake. "Why little lady, you've got quite the girp." This was followed by a low chuckle, one that shook the very depths of his belly and made it ripple.
Like Santa Claus. Buffy thought faintly.
"Joel Ganner." The man continued. "That's my name. I'm a hunter out of Mos Espa." He jerked a thumb back towards the sled. "And the sour womp rat back there is Tott Bree."
"Who's obviously not a Leonardo DiCaprio." Buffy said, thinking of the actor's character in Catch Me If You Can, the down on his luck con artist. Irritated that her brain couldn't come up with a better example, she listened as Joel Ganner let out another bellowing laugh.
"He certainly ain't." The big man agreed. "Now, it'd be my pleasure to bring you aboard our sled, The Lucky Hand." Above, Buffy heard the sound of Tott Bree snorting.
"So, it wasn't the luckiest name?" She asked.
"Certainly wasn't that fortuitous." Ganner nodded. "But we get by. Now, you comin' aboard? Or you gonna rot out here in the sun all day?"
"How do I know I can trust you?" Buffy asked. The buzz in her stomach was growing more insistent. She had a bad feeling about this. Still, she shook her head. For a pair of scoundrels they seem trust worthy enough.
"Ya don't really." Ganner shrugged. "But Mos Espa's over a hundred and thirty clicks in that direction." He pointed over Buffy's shoulder. "And while ya were headed in the right direction, there's no chance you'd get there for another few days. Besides," he shook his head. "There been rumors of Tusken Raiders patrollin' the dunes 'tween here and there. What ever ya think, miss, your best chance is with us."
Buffy nodded, it made sense. And whatever a Tusken Raider is… It sure didn't sound friendly. Besides, Buffy was a Slayer. Even in her exhausted state, she could probably handle both men. And whatever guns they've got in there. That was a little hubris on her part. But, I'm not afraid to die. If it came to that, she'd go down fighting. Just like all Slayers. After all. What did she have to go back to?
"Okay." She said.
Slowly, she accepted Ganner's help, but shrugged off his assistance as he tried to lift her into the ship, power sled, or whatever it was called. Helpful or not, she still didn't want him putting his big greasy hands on her. Maybe at this Mos Espa I can find a telepohone. She thought wearily, stumbling onto the floating platform. She looked up and her eyes met a pair of blue ones. But that wasn't the strange thing, it was Bree Tott's face, he had tentacles growing out of his head and they were blue. Now, Buffy had seen a lot of strange things in her life, all kinds of vampires, demons, and monsters. She knew trouble when she saw it.
A scream built in her throat as she settled into fighting stance. But a strong hand clapping down on her shoulder distracted her and she looked up into the wide face of Joel Ganner. "What's the kid?" He asked. He sounded strange. "One'd think you'd never seen a Twi'lek before?"
"No." She said. Her voice came out strangled as she looked up into his eyes. He didn't seem to find anything out of the ordinary. What is a Twi'lek? She wondered, it sounded like nerd speak or Xander lingo and she was in short supply of both. Is it some kind of demon? Or worse, she swallowed. An alien? "I have." But it sounded like a lie, even in her own ears. "I have."
"Right." Ganner grinned. But his expression was quickly growing hooded, closed. The craft lurched beneath her feet, they were moving again. She looked at him and then back at Bree Tott, the Twi'lek, tiredly fighting to keep any kind of shock from reaching her expression. She needed to keep herself in control. "You must be twelve kinds of sheltered, kid."
"A pity." Bree Tott said.
Buffy's gaze swung up at him and noticed, for the first time, the black object in his hand. It looked like a gun, but no shape she'd ever seen before. Its barrel was slim, widening at the end and the side was covered with three different switches. But that wasn't the pressing issue. The gun was pointed at her and Bree Tott's finger was on the trigger. She began to thrash underneath Ganner's hand.
"Woah!" The big man laughed. "We got ourselves a live one, Bree!"
So, Buffy realized, the pit of her stomach growing cold, they'd intended this all along. She should have known better. Buffy felt Ganner's grip tightening on her shoulder, his second hand coming up to grasp Buffy by her arm, firmly holding her where she was. Why can't I throw him? She could feel her Slayer strength, it was there, lashing out at this man. He was having difficulty hanging onto her. But… It's not enough! It felt like her strength had been halved. She wasn't a normal girl, not quite, but still… It feels like it! Where had her power gone?
"Hold still, shutta!" Ganner hissed in her ear. "This ain't gonna hurt!"
"Not much!" Bree laughed.
"You got a clear shot, Bree?" Ganner asked. Perspiration was breaking out across his brow and his features settled into a hooded frown. "You set to stun?"
"Yeah, Ganner."
"Then take it damn you!"
Buffy opened her mouth to yell as the Twi'lek leveled his gun at her. She watched in terror as he pulled the trigger. A crackling blast of blue light shot out of the weapon and sped towards her. Buffy felt it impact her midsection. And suddenly, she felt… Numb. It was spreading across her, burning up her veins, shutting down her muscles. Buffy felt herself go limp in Ganner's grip. Slumping towards the floor as he let her go, she was swallowed by darkness.
That was all there was for her. Darkness.
Darkness and revenge.
A/N: Buffy's journey begins. In the next chapter: Slavery.
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