Part Ten
"Very interesting." Mace Windu gazed at Dawn. The building felt strange, now that many of the Jedi had been dispersed. It felt devoid of The Force, except here, with this girl. "And you say on earth they just called it energy?"
"Pretty much. We didn't know about that whole Midi Chorian thing. It's kinda strange. Like we knew there were infinite dimensions outside of earth, but we never thought there were infinite inhabited galaxies around the universe. It makes me wonder how much we don't know, and how big it really is."
"Mmm hmm."
"So yeah." Dawn shifted her wait, bored and tired. Mace Windu and Yoda were staring at her, as they gave her a few mental tests, which she found upon trying, were very easy. She hadn't known she actually had powers as The Key. It was kind of cool, but still not that exciting. She wanted to be out there, doing stuff.
"Well I certainly think with the most basic training she can aid us. We really have no choice."
"You mean it?" Dawn squeaked. "I get to do stuff?"
"Send her back to her friend."
"Teach them I will. Contact Chancellor Palpatine you will. Check up on Obi Wan Kenobi I suggest." Yoda and Mace nodded at each other. Yoda beckoned Dawn to follow him.
"I get to be a Jeditoo. Haha Xander." Dawn wiggled her tongue at Xander.
"Does everyone get to be a Jedi accept for me? Is this my punishment for becoming a Vengeance demon again?" Anya pouted .
"To much anger in you I fear." Yoda said with a wink.
*************************************************************************************
"Yes, sir. We have successfully rescued Anakin and Amidala, and are on our way to Tattoine as we speak."
"Excellent. I have been promised that the Clone armies are on their way." Mace Windu cleared his throat. "I also sense that the Dark Side is on the move."
"Good. We're ready." Buffy said walking past the hologram.
"But there's something you should know." Buffy stamped on Obi Wan's foot before he could tell Master Windu anything.
"We'll report when we arrive."
"He should know Buffy."
"He can't know. It would put her in even more danger. You know my suspicions."
"That the Council is evil?"
"No. That there's something going on in the Republic, something beyond the separatists."
"Maybe it's me, but there's a whole lot of sexual tension in this room." Buffy and Obi Wan turned sharply to Anakin. He smirked. Amidala slapped him.
"You're well enough to insult you're well enough for a slap. They have more control than you do." Buffy and Obi Wan blushed.
"Maybe you feel something evil because you were with something evil." Obi Wan said icily. Buffy drew in a sharp breath.
"That's not fair. You know nothing about my past. I never loved him, never even liked him. You know that I died. You know how much it hurt me."
"Yes. I felt it." Somehow he could confess this in front of Anakin now. He seemed so much more grown up now. Obi Wan felt guilty, that he hadn't noticed it before. Maybe he could have saved some- well he probably couldn't have saved Anakin from his fate. Love was a powerful master. "But I'm worried. If you're connected to him then it could be a danger to us."
"She was my best friend. Is that a danger too?" Buffy's lip trembled as she struggled not to cry. She had been holding it all in, trying to be strong as she fought her past, and everyone she loved. She refused to cry in front of these people she barely knew. Obi Wan looked at her helplessly. She sniffled and dried her eyes, then marched into another compartment.
"We'll be there soon. Are you both ready for what's to come?"
"For the moment." Anakin looked into Amidala's eyes and caressed her face. She leaned her forehead against his. "We'll get through this." Obi Wan felt the familiar twing in his gut and followed Buffy into the other compartment.
She was curled up on a couch, barely a bump in the folds of her robes. Obi Wan heard the muffled sobbing from the rough material and dared to pull it back from the head of his younger apprentice.
"Buffy."
"Leave me alone."
"We're going soon."
"I know."
"I think you're worrying Anakin and Amidala. They are trusting us to protect them."
"I'm sorry." Buffy dared to peek out from her robes. "I know it isn't very Jedi like of me."
"Well you have an excuse. You weren't trained in the ways of the Jedi. But I don't have an excuse."
"For what?"
"For this." Obi Wan leaned in and kissed her. This time she noticed the way his mustache and beard tickled her chin. She was kissing a man now and not a boy, and not a dead monster. Buffy kissed him back, her arms slipping out of her robes and cupping his face. She shut her eyes, letting one last sob escape. "What am I doing?" He murmured against her lips. "Stop me. Please."
"We have a duty to perform. You said it yourself. Love is a distraction." Buffy pried her Master away from her. "Another time, another life."
"Another life?" Obi Wan said, but Buffy was already getting ready to dock on Tattoine.
*************************************************************************************
"Ow." Willow shoved the rocks away from her and coughed. Somewhere on the other side of the room Spike was doing the same, but with much louder and angrier groans. "Darth Sidious isn't going to be happy with us."
"What bloody genius had to figure that one out." It was strange to hear the British accent coming from the feral looking Sith.
"I think I broke my arm."
"Do you think I care? I'm going to go get him again."
"I think I'll come up with a new plan."
"To each his own then." Spike jumped out of the rubble and trotted off, just like that. Willow screamed in frustration as she worked on the rocks that were pinning her down.
*************************************************************************************
"You swing like a girl." Anya said flatly. Xander dropped his saber. "Do you mind?"
"Just thought you'd like to know."
"You should have seem me in action when I fought Sith Spike. You wouldn't have said that then."
"Maybe not in those words."
"Can't you do something useful? All you've done since you got here is follow me around insulting me. It got old really fast. At least I went to Naboo and fought Willow."
"Yeah. Good job."
"Shut up. Here comes Master Yoda." Xander bent his head, along with the other children when the master entered. Dawn sort of looked off into space, annoyed and bored, her usual expressions. Teens didn't change, even in space.
"Welcome young ones. Today, discuss we will, the benefit of the Republic and the fight of the Jedi. Know you all of the strain now, and the chaos created."
"I know this one!" Xander raised his arm, intending to show Anya that he wasn't stupid or pathetic.
"Yes Padawan Xander?"
"The Republic was created to organize all species and create a standard for social, economic and political interaction all over the known galaxies."
"Good your answer is. And the Jedi?"
"When the worlds were starting to become civilized a scientist by the name of Argofraz discovered The Force, and found it in high concentrations in certain people. On further study he found these people could do more than normal people could, and he knew that it should be used for good so he formed The Jedi Council." The kid who answered was the Yoda lookalike.
"Yoda's pet! Yoda wannabe." Xander muttered. Dawn and Anya exchanged looks, then smothered giggles.
"Give it up Xander. Maybe they can give you a desk job." That was the last straw.
"I quit. I'm gonna show you all." Xander snarled marching away from the lesson. He bolted from the Academy training floor. He was on the next ship to Tattoine, and he was alone.
"Very interesting." Mace Windu gazed at Dawn. The building felt strange, now that many of the Jedi had been dispersed. It felt devoid of The Force, except here, with this girl. "And you say on earth they just called it energy?"
"Pretty much. We didn't know about that whole Midi Chorian thing. It's kinda strange. Like we knew there were infinite dimensions outside of earth, but we never thought there were infinite inhabited galaxies around the universe. It makes me wonder how much we don't know, and how big it really is."
"Mmm hmm."
"So yeah." Dawn shifted her wait, bored and tired. Mace Windu and Yoda were staring at her, as they gave her a few mental tests, which she found upon trying, were very easy. She hadn't known she actually had powers as The Key. It was kind of cool, but still not that exciting. She wanted to be out there, doing stuff.
"Well I certainly think with the most basic training she can aid us. We really have no choice."
"You mean it?" Dawn squeaked. "I get to do stuff?"
"Send her back to her friend."
"Teach them I will. Contact Chancellor Palpatine you will. Check up on Obi Wan Kenobi I suggest." Yoda and Mace nodded at each other. Yoda beckoned Dawn to follow him.
"I get to be a Jeditoo. Haha Xander." Dawn wiggled her tongue at Xander.
"Does everyone get to be a Jedi accept for me? Is this my punishment for becoming a Vengeance demon again?" Anya pouted .
"To much anger in you I fear." Yoda said with a wink.
*************************************************************************************
"Yes, sir. We have successfully rescued Anakin and Amidala, and are on our way to Tattoine as we speak."
"Excellent. I have been promised that the Clone armies are on their way." Mace Windu cleared his throat. "I also sense that the Dark Side is on the move."
"Good. We're ready." Buffy said walking past the hologram.
"But there's something you should know." Buffy stamped on Obi Wan's foot before he could tell Master Windu anything.
"We'll report when we arrive."
"He should know Buffy."
"He can't know. It would put her in even more danger. You know my suspicions."
"That the Council is evil?"
"No. That there's something going on in the Republic, something beyond the separatists."
"Maybe it's me, but there's a whole lot of sexual tension in this room." Buffy and Obi Wan turned sharply to Anakin. He smirked. Amidala slapped him.
"You're well enough to insult you're well enough for a slap. They have more control than you do." Buffy and Obi Wan blushed.
"Maybe you feel something evil because you were with something evil." Obi Wan said icily. Buffy drew in a sharp breath.
"That's not fair. You know nothing about my past. I never loved him, never even liked him. You know that I died. You know how much it hurt me."
"Yes. I felt it." Somehow he could confess this in front of Anakin now. He seemed so much more grown up now. Obi Wan felt guilty, that he hadn't noticed it before. Maybe he could have saved some- well he probably couldn't have saved Anakin from his fate. Love was a powerful master. "But I'm worried. If you're connected to him then it could be a danger to us."
"She was my best friend. Is that a danger too?" Buffy's lip trembled as she struggled not to cry. She had been holding it all in, trying to be strong as she fought her past, and everyone she loved. She refused to cry in front of these people she barely knew. Obi Wan looked at her helplessly. She sniffled and dried her eyes, then marched into another compartment.
"We'll be there soon. Are you both ready for what's to come?"
"For the moment." Anakin looked into Amidala's eyes and caressed her face. She leaned her forehead against his. "We'll get through this." Obi Wan felt the familiar twing in his gut and followed Buffy into the other compartment.
She was curled up on a couch, barely a bump in the folds of her robes. Obi Wan heard the muffled sobbing from the rough material and dared to pull it back from the head of his younger apprentice.
"Buffy."
"Leave me alone."
"We're going soon."
"I know."
"I think you're worrying Anakin and Amidala. They are trusting us to protect them."
"I'm sorry." Buffy dared to peek out from her robes. "I know it isn't very Jedi like of me."
"Well you have an excuse. You weren't trained in the ways of the Jedi. But I don't have an excuse."
"For what?"
"For this." Obi Wan leaned in and kissed her. This time she noticed the way his mustache and beard tickled her chin. She was kissing a man now and not a boy, and not a dead monster. Buffy kissed him back, her arms slipping out of her robes and cupping his face. She shut her eyes, letting one last sob escape. "What am I doing?" He murmured against her lips. "Stop me. Please."
"We have a duty to perform. You said it yourself. Love is a distraction." Buffy pried her Master away from her. "Another time, another life."
"Another life?" Obi Wan said, but Buffy was already getting ready to dock on Tattoine.
*************************************************************************************
"Ow." Willow shoved the rocks away from her and coughed. Somewhere on the other side of the room Spike was doing the same, but with much louder and angrier groans. "Darth Sidious isn't going to be happy with us."
"What bloody genius had to figure that one out." It was strange to hear the British accent coming from the feral looking Sith.
"I think I broke my arm."
"Do you think I care? I'm going to go get him again."
"I think I'll come up with a new plan."
"To each his own then." Spike jumped out of the rubble and trotted off, just like that. Willow screamed in frustration as she worked on the rocks that were pinning her down.
*************************************************************************************
"You swing like a girl." Anya said flatly. Xander dropped his saber. "Do you mind?"
"Just thought you'd like to know."
"You should have seem me in action when I fought Sith Spike. You wouldn't have said that then."
"Maybe not in those words."
"Can't you do something useful? All you've done since you got here is follow me around insulting me. It got old really fast. At least I went to Naboo and fought Willow."
"Yeah. Good job."
"Shut up. Here comes Master Yoda." Xander bent his head, along with the other children when the master entered. Dawn sort of looked off into space, annoyed and bored, her usual expressions. Teens didn't change, even in space.
"Welcome young ones. Today, discuss we will, the benefit of the Republic and the fight of the Jedi. Know you all of the strain now, and the chaos created."
"I know this one!" Xander raised his arm, intending to show Anya that he wasn't stupid or pathetic.
"Yes Padawan Xander?"
"The Republic was created to organize all species and create a standard for social, economic and political interaction all over the known galaxies."
"Good your answer is. And the Jedi?"
"When the worlds were starting to become civilized a scientist by the name of Argofraz discovered The Force, and found it in high concentrations in certain people. On further study he found these people could do more than normal people could, and he knew that it should be used for good so he formed The Jedi Council." The kid who answered was the Yoda lookalike.
"Yoda's pet! Yoda wannabe." Xander muttered. Dawn and Anya exchanged looks, then smothered giggles.
"Give it up Xander. Maybe they can give you a desk job." That was the last straw.
"I quit. I'm gonna show you all." Xander snarled marching away from the lesson. He bolted from the Academy training floor. He was on the next ship to Tattoine, and he was alone.