Disclaimer: Joss, WB, UPN et al. own Buffy. George Lucas, Lucasfilm, LucasArts and others own Star Wars. I do not.
Title: Xander the Jedi: Chapter 2
Author: Paradigm Shifter
Rating: Same as before, although it won't get into it for a while.
Pairing: Err… Xander/Other characters (mine)
Feedback: Please, I beg.
Notes: Sorry this has taken so long, apart from job and exams (and failing miserably, so much for university); I was having a really hard time thinking what to do. That, and other writing.
The 'Art of Episode Two' is well worth looking at. The concept sketches are awesome.
Big Thanks: Luis Silva, who made me dig out XJ and try again after a miserable failure at advancing the story.
Continuity: General season 5 (Dawn)
Crossover: Buffy/ Star Wars. Old Republic.
*
The twelve members of the Jedi council sat in the half circle of chairs. Obi-Wan stood in the middle, as befitted a Jedi who was not a member of the council. They were questioning him.
"What do you believe Anakin's marriage will do to the balance?" questioned Adi Gallia.
Obi-Wan bowed at the Jedi master. "I do not know. It may promote good, however, his emotions could also be used for the dark side."
"Done well, has Jedi Kenobi to see this as he has. Anakin's love must not be turned to the darkside." Yoda spoke up, nodding slowly to himself.
"But still," said Mace Windu, "he must be watched. If his love for Padme turns him against the Order, all you worked so hard for will be lost."
"The chosen one he is," agreed Yoda, "much power does he have, more than Dooku, and more, possibly, than Dooku's unknown master."
Obi-Wan dared to question Yoda. "Has the council made any progress about finding the Sith?"
"Found the Sith we have not, young Obi-Wan. Clouded the Force is. Much time we have spent trying to find them, but no use, is it." Yoda sounded very old at that moment.
As Obi-Wan was about to reply, he felt a disturbance in the air above him, and stepped back. It was lucky that he did.
A shimmering portal opened in the air in front of him, approximately 15 feet of the ground, and a body fell through. He solidly landed where Obi-Wan had been standing not moments before.
At the unexpected disturbance, the entire council pulled out their light-sabres and thumbed them on. Obi-Wan was standing not five feet from the stranger.
Only Yoda had not moved. He still sat, still as a statue, watching the intruder.
The intruder lifted his head and started to struggle to his feet, muttering something about 'this is the last time I let you do any portal stuff' only to be met by Obi-Wan's light-sabre blade inches from his face.
On seeing the beam of solid light, his eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed forward, unconscious. Obi-Wan quickly thumbed off his light-sabre as the intruder collapsed, to stop him from decapitating himself as he fell. The final words Obi-Wan heard out of the strangers mouth were; "Oh, shit…"
*
The council had sat again in shock. The had checked that their guest was unhurt, and then secured him in Force restraints, until they discovered what to do with him. He had yet to wake up.
"Who is he?" asked a very confused Mace Windu.
"That question can only be answered if he wakes up." Answered Ki-Adi-Mundi.
"I think the more important question is: what is he here for?" interjected Depa Billaba.
"Know that, we will, when he wakes." Replied Yoda.
Xander groaned and shifted, only to discover that he couldn't even twitch. His eyes, heavy from unconsciousness opened slowly, to see a circular room with a half circle of chairs in front of him. Each chair was filled. Only two of the occupants could be described as human, a black man, who was sitting next to a very short green creature, who looked a bit like a gremlin. The other was a tall, willowy woman, sitting three from the left of him. Beautiful didn't begin to describe her.
A voice sounded from behind him, and he tried to turn to see who spoke to him. "Ah. I see you have woken up. Would you care to explain why you fell out of the air almost on top of me?" Obi-Wan strode forward into Xander's field of vision and raised an eyebrow at him, his voice contained a small hint of amusement.
The short gremlin spoke. "Now, Jedi Kenobi, first thing first." He looked firmly at Xander. "Explain why you are here, do you care to?"
Xander looked blankly at the… it… until his mind reordered the words.
"Where is here?" he asked weakly.
Depa Billaba stood and walked over to him. "We are asking the questions, not you! Answer, or you will have a less friendly questioning!"
"Depa! Sit down!" Mace nearly shouted the command.
Yoda open his eyes, after seemingly staring at whatever was hidden within for a short time. "Rash you are. Better, it will be I think, if you all leave. Release him."
Xander collapsed onto the floor like a sack of bones as the council released their Force restraints.
The other masters did not look happy. "But Master Yoda…"
"No. Argue with me not. Confused, he is, perhaps more so than we are."
"But… he may have… ways…" said Ki-Adi-Mundi, carefully.
"Nonsense." Yoda turned to Obi-Wan. "Stay you will, please, Jedi Kenobi."
Obi-Wan nodded, honoured. The other members of the Jedi council left grumbling, all except Mace and Adi Gallia, who cast final looks back at Xander, before turning and exiting through the door.
Xander was now standing, Yoda watching with an air of interest, and Obi-Wan watching with suspicion.
"Sit, you will, my young friend." Yoda gestured to a chair.
Xander didn't really want to, but something compelled him to sit. So he did.
"I am Yoda. And this young Jedi is named Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now. Tells us, please, who you are and where you are from."
Xander looked apprehensive, but nodded. "My name is Alexander Harris. But everyone call me Xander. I live in Sunnydale California." Yoda nodded. Xander continued. "Where am I? I don't recognise anything here. The last thing was Dawn open…" Xander stopped. The look of terror on his face made Obi-Wan feel for him. "I'm in another dimension, aren't I?"
Yoda shook his head. "Know that, I do not. Yet, a long way from home, you are. Tell me, which planet do you live on?"
Xander looked at him blankly. "Earth, of course."
Obi-Wan looked up. "I do not know of a planet with that name, Master."
Yoda sighed. "That name, heard I have not, either, Obi-Wan." He turned to Xander. "Permit me, would you?" he asked.
Xander shrugged, and nodded.
Yoda closed his eyes, and he saw inside Xander's mind, everything he has been through. And the power within him, locked away.
*
Yoda looked around the mental construction of Xander's mind. Bits were strewn everywhere. Other than that, it was like an art gallery.
Pictures hung on the walls, one for each of the people Xander knew and held dear. All named underneath the portrait.
Dawn, the girl he had mentioned as he arrived, even looking at the picture gave urgency to her. That she must be protected.
Buffy, Dawns sister, the blonde haired goddess that Xander worshipped from afar, afraid of rejection. The picture was marred and dirty, and Yoda knew it was because she was dead.
Willow, the red headed witch. Tara, the two pictures linked together. Yoda didn't know what to make of that.
Anya. The picture was darker than Buffy's, and if looked at from an angle, she grew alien, almost demon like. The effect was frightening.
Giles. The picture of him was on a high pedestal, like Xander looked up to him, as a father.
Riley. He had a funny moustache and glasses scribbled on his face in black marker pen. The picture had a background, dark and foreboding, with an evil creature lurking hidden in the dark colours.
Yoda looked around. There were other pictures, but all so dirty that it was hard to make them out. Friends, lost or missing, connections broken.
Yoda then looked at Xander's mental state itself. Overwhelmingly confused. But he could tell everything that Xander had told then was the truth. His mind seemed to be partitioned, separated. There was Xander the person in one cubicle, and three others, filled. Approaching one, he was amazed at the vicious attack that whatever was inside launched against the door when he neared. Primitive and violent; but not truly evil. It had no concept of good or evil, only the Hunt. The next seemed to only contain jungle. Looking at what could have been the deep forests of Yavin, Yoda jumped back in surprise as a hail of metal projectiles pinged on the door. Whatever was there was sentient, and worked for the 'greater good'. The final cubicle contained just a white light, tingled with blue and green, but also with very slight hints of darker colours: purples and greys.
Yoda knew from his own meditation and looks into his mental landscape that this was Xander's impression of the Force. And yet, Xander did not seem willing to accept that it existed. It was locked away, tighter than anything Yoda had ever seen, but the power still leaked out. Even sealed, it was more power than yet Anakin had. Fully trained, it may even have rivalled Yoda himself in strength.
The final thing Yoda looked for before he left was the planet Xander had come from. It had only one Sun, one Moon, and a predominately nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere. If he were, indeed from inside Republic space, it would not be difficult to find his home. Those were rather rare traits to find in one place.
*
Yoda opened his eyes and sighed. Xander slumped temporarily unconscious to the floor, his mind having expended much energy to expel the intruder.
"Much power he has, Obi-Wan, and much pain."
Obi-Wan nodded. "What do you wish to do, master?" he asked.
"Trained, must young Xander be, even though he is years older than Anakin was when accepted. This person, the Sith must not get hold of."
"Who will train him, then? No Council member will wish to, that much is certain."
Yoda almost smiled. "So sure, are you, Obi-Wan?" Yoda sighed. "Right you are though. Training him, no one will wish. No. I must train him myself."
Obi-Wan couldn't stop his mouth from falling open and gaped. Yoda had not taken an individual student for nearly 200 years, so the old records showed.
"Have you forgotten Dooku and the Clone Wars?" asked Obi-Wan.
Yoda looked insulted, but quickly calmed. "Forgotten I have not, Obi-Wan. Think I am old and senile, eh?"
Obi-Wan looked contrite and ashamed. "No, master, of course not… but…"
Yoda waved with his gimmer stick. "Argue we cannot, at this time, Obi-Wan. I leave the Clone wars in the Councils hands. Mace is able, as are the others…" Yoda cut off as Xander moaned and started to wake.
"What did you do?" he asked groggily.
"Answers was I looking for, Xander." Replied Yoda. "And find them I did. Leaving shortly, we will be. Follow me."
Xander got to his feet and followed the short Jedi Master out of the Council chamber, leaving a very bemused Obi-Wan behind to explain it all to the rest of the council.
"This is going to make Depa Billaba and Ki-Adi-Mundi very unhappy…" Obi-Wan's powers of foresight were indeed remarkable. He only hoped that he did not get caught in the crossfire.