Live or Let Die

Mace Windu brought his lightsaber around in a fast swing, the top of the purple blade severing the neck of the vampire he was fighting. The column of dust exploded. Ash showered down, but the dark-skinned man had already turned away, seeking out a new adversary.

The fighters inside the chamber had dwindled. Most of the vampires had been dusted or escaped to other parts of the Senate. Over the floor was a thick layer of ash that testified to the number of vampires who'd been dusted. Sadly the Jedi had not escaped without losses, several bodies lay on the floor.

One of those injured was Obi-Wan Kenobi. Buffy knelt beside him, her long golden hair draped over his chest as she bent low across his body From where he stood Mace could see her shoulders shaking with her sobs and the suffering etched on her face. Obi-Wan's old master, Qui-Gon Jinn, knelt opposite her, speaking quietly to Buffy – no doubt trying to calm her. By the way Obi-Wan's Force Signature was weakening, Mace knew that Qui-Gon was fighting a losing battle. The young knight's life hung in the balance and Buffy had good reason to be so distressed.

Knowing that he wasn't able to help, Mace looked away, his eyes darting around the chamber seeking the visage of Sheev Palpatine. The last time he'd seen him was not long after he'd plunged Buffy's darksaber into Darth Desolate's unsuspecting back. After killing the Sith vampire he'd rejoined Sifo-Dyas, and then Mace had seen Palpatine nod towards Kenobi. Had Darth Sidious ordered the killing of Kenobi? Had the attack been done as revenge on Buffy for unmasking Palpatine in the Senate Chamber?

Mace had lost track of Palpatine and Sifo-Dyas after that. When he'd next seen Sifo-Dyas, the ex-Jedi Master had already stabbed Kenobi and was smirking at Buffy before darting away. Where had the pair gone? They weren't in the room.

The distinctive tentacles of the Nautolan, Kit Fisto, caught his eye. The Master had crouched beside one of the fallen Jedi, checking the woman's life signs. Mace saw him shake his head, press the dead Jedi's eyes closed, and then he rose to his feet, making his way over to Mace.

"Do you know where Palpatine is?" Mace asked.

Kit shook his head. "No, I-"

"I believe I know where he went," called a new voice from just behind them. It was Master Agen Kolar, Master Saesee Tiin walked alongside the Zabrack.

"I was in the outer corridor," Agen went on, "when I noticed Palpatine and the ex-Jedi Sifo-Dyas heading towards the elevator at the bottom of the hall. The display showed that the elevator rose upwards, but the fighting distracted me. I didn't see the level where it stopped, but I think it's likely he went to his office."

"We need to find him." Mace replied. Through the Force, he sensed an important Shatter-Point was about to occur. Something centering around Palpatine and his office. What was the Sith Lord plotting? Mace felt the familiar tug, the Force telling him he needed to act quickly. "I'll need you three to come with me. Four Jedi Masters should be more than enough to handle Palpatine and Sifo-Dyas."

Something niggled at Mace and he eyed Buffy once more. Should he ask her and Qui-Gon to accompany them? She looked so distraught, however, that he decided it wasn't wise to involve her. It wasn't as if she was a Jedi, she wouldn't be able to switch off her emotions and focus on the task. No, he wouldn't ask her. She'd only be a liability that he didn't need. By the same token, he wouldn't ask Qui-Gon Jinn. From the way Buffy's fingers clung so desperately onto Kenobi's robes, as if she thought she could keep him alive by sheer will-power alone, she was going to need Qui-Gon more than he did.

"Come," said Mace to the three Jedi Masters, and together they strode out the door.

…...

The muscles in Obi-Wan's face relaxed and his body went limp.

"Obi-Wan!" Buffy tightened her grip on the Jedi's tunic, her knuckles whitening. Qui-Gon dropped down to the ground on the opposite side of Obi-Wan, his face drawn as he placed a hand on the young man's forehead. He was still alive, but his life hung by a thread.

"Don't... die," Buffy begged, her voice breaking. Tears rolled down her cheeks, onto her chin, and dripped onto Obi-Wan. "Please, I... I've lost so much, so many. I don't want to..." her voice cracked, "You're the best thing that's ever... happened to me."

Qui-Gon swallowed, the lump in his throat blocking his vocal cords, rendering him mute.

Buffy continued, "...stay with me, Ubi."

Qui-Gon cleared his throat, offering comfort. "Obi-Wan is a fighter, Buffy. You can be sure he'll do his best..."

Buffy knew that Qui-Gon continued speaking, the way his lips were moving was a good sign, but she couldn't hear him. It was as if she'd pulled back and stepped into the cold Force. She was aware of the fighters in the chamber, the other injured Jedi needing attention, and Mace Windu talking to Kit Fisto. The Force told her that Mace was going to need her, but she ignored it.

Obi-Wan lay in front of her and she could 'see' his life force seeping away. She had to save him. She had to find a doctor. How was she even going to move him? Why couldn't she do the Force healing thing? He was going to die. She was going to lose Obi-Wan and it was her fault.

Master Qui-Gon Jinn eyed her warily. She was a Force Void and yet her pain was affecting the Force. If she'd been a Jedi, he'd say that her emotions put her in grave danger of falling to the Dark Side. Since Buffy was a Slayer, he'd no idea what her grief, or the fear of loss, would drive her to do.

"Buffy." Qui-Gon touched her shoulder, trying to get her attention. "I'm taking Obi-Wan to the Temple."

Buffy blankly stared back at him, too wrapped in her own thoughts to understand what he was telling her.

Qui-Gon spoke again, keeping his voice low and calm, "Buffy, you need to stop Palpatine and Sifo-Dyas from hurting others. I will see to Obi-Wan. I promise you, I will take him straight to the Temple Healers and he'll receive the best care." Qui-Gon didn't add there was a possibility Obi-Wan would die before reaching the Temple, she already knew how badly the odds were.

"You... heal him," Buffy stuttered out, rubbing at her wet face with the back of her hand.

"What?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Use the Force and heal him." Buffy brushed a stray tear from her chin. Tears no longer flowed, her face had become set and determined. "Ubi, says you're better at healing than he is. Make him better."

"I can't." Qui-Gon shook his head sadly. "That is beyond my capabilities."

Out the corner of his eye, he spotted Quinlan Vos and, just behind him, the welcome sight of droids arriving with stretchers. Qui-Gon beckoned to them, then turned back to place his hand on Obi-Wan's forehead once more. His face instantly became grave. "It's too late. You need to say goodbye," he said softly. "He'll... find peace in the Force."

Buffy's face jerked up. Inside the Slayer something dark and ancient flared to life at the Jedi Master's words. It clawed its way to the surface of the girl, snarling in a guttural, rasping voice that sounded nothing like Buffy's own, "Not Force's! MINE!"

Shocked into silence, Qui-Gon took in Buffy's altered face. Harsh features and enraged, golden eyes glared back at him. The Slayer gathered Obi-Wan to her, wrapping her arms around him possessively.

"Obi-Wan," she growled. "It's time for you to be strong."

At the word 'strong', the Force wavered around Qui-Gon. Drawn in by the call of the Slayer, an ancient magic wove its way through the Force and illuminated Obi-Wan in green light. The spell, first created so long ago by the Shadow men, sprang from the essence of the Slayer and sent flashes of power through her into the dying knight.

The effect was instant. Obi-Wan's eyes shot open, pupils dark with pain, his spine arching, and let out a blood-curdling scream. He screamed and screamed as if someone was torturing him. Torturing him with a dark magic that ripped through his body, trying to change him into something he could not be.

"NO!" yelled Qui-Gon. What was she doing?He scrabbled to his feet, reaching over, trying to yank Obi-Wan from Buffy's arms, and only succeeding in making her tighten her hold.

More of the eerie, green light surrounded the young Jedi once again. Obi-Wan let out another horrifying scream that made Qui-Gon's blood run cold. Why couldn't she let him die in peace? Why was she torturing him?

"Buffy! Stop! Whatever you're doing, it's making it worse!"

"Make it stop... please, make it stop," Obi-Wan gasped weakly. Green light flared, his body convulsing with pain, Buffy still refusing to let go. Obi-Wan turned in her arms, his shadowed eyes fixed on Qui-Gon. "Please... master, I can't... take any more," he begged, his breaths coming in short pants. "Don't make me... I don't want to live... not with this pain."

Qui-Gon flung himself at Buffy, knocking her to the floor, and dislodging her hold on Obi-Wan. The young knight fell, unable to save himself, he hit the floor hard and let out a fresh moan of pain.

Buffy shrugged Qui-Gon's hands off her, reaching over for Obi-Wan again, only to be thwarted by Quin who blocked her way. She glared up at the young Kiffar, something shadowy and inhuman in her eyes. Quin glared back, standing firm and resolute, refusing to be intimidated.

Unaware of what was happening around him, Obi-Wan lay panting and trembling on the floor. Qui-Gon spotted the yellow sheen in the young Jedi's eyes before he closed them and the first thing that sprung to his mind, rightly or wrongly, was that Buffy had made Obi-Wan into a Sith.

"What have you done?" Qui-Gon yelled in Buffy's face. "What evil have you wrought?"

Qui-Gon was sure it had involved the use of the Dark Side. Had it been a clumsy attempt to heal Obi-Wan? If so, it had been like no Force healing Qui-Gon had ever witnessed. Buffy must have drawn directly on her affinity with the Dark Side. The only way to heal using the Dark Side was to change him into a Dark creature.

Qui-Gon knew he had to check Obi-Wan, yet he dreaded what he might find. Steeling himself for the worst, he moved around Buffy and Quin to where Obi-Wan lay. He sank into a crouch, stretching his hand and saw, to his great shame, that it trembled. Resting his fingers lightly onto Obi-Wan's face, he checked the knight's Force Signature and apprehension turned to relief. Obi-Wan shone as lightly and brightly in the Force as he'd always done. A little torn and damaged, perhaps, but he was still Obi-Wan.

"That..." Buffy began - she held her hands in front of her face, staring at them as if she had never seen them before- "...was the same energy that activates a Potential." Her voice sounded incredulous. She shook her head. "No, it can't be. He's not even a girl."

With that odd remark, she scuttled forward, wanting to touch Obi-Wan once again to reassure herself that he was still alive.

Qui-Gon caught her hand. "Don't you think you've hurt him enough?"

Buffy flinched as if he'd struck her.

Qui-Gon ignored the flash of pain on her face. He'd always been suspicious of her. There was too much darkness in her not to be. Now... now that he'd seen for himself what lay inside her, he wanted his former padawan as far away from her as possible. "I'll take Obi-Wan back to the Temple. You stay here and do what you do best."

"Kill things," whispered Buffy, her voice hoarse and stricken at what she'd just done.

Qui-Gon didn't hear her, he and Quin were too busy loading Obi-Wan onto a stretcher. Buffy drifted further away, left alone, and forgotten about.