Big Notice: I am really, really sorry that I have not updated in ages. As an e-mail I received said, real life gets in the way. Well, its got in the way a lot recently. Therefore, Xander the Jedi may be considered on indefinite hold, along with all the other stories I'm writing. I've posted what I have, but until I find time to write more, au revoir.

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 3

Author: Paradigm Shifter

Rating: Same as before.

Pairing: Err… Xander/Other characters (mine)

Feedback: Please, I beg.

Dedication: All my reviewers for XJ; Eckles, StoneWolf, Michael Wilson, Calen, Jane McCartney, TopQuark, Malaskor, RobClark, John, Bookwyrm, Fulgour, Steve Howe, Maggie, Tony D, reaper-01, Hayter, rion, DaBear, thundertb, M. Jade and all the others. Thanks for all the reviews and ideas. If I ever get my act together, I'll review all of your work, people.

Notes: Unlike my other stories, (the Mark of Kayn series at this time) this will have considerably shorter chapters. Expect 1000-1500 word chapters instead of 10000+.

I beg your collective forgiveness for not having posted the new chapters, and, after several pleasant (and some not so pleasant) reminders from readers, I'm gonna post all I've got. The reason I haven't posted for ages is that I did actually get into university, and was trying to make a go of it. But never mind.

Continuity: General season 5 (Dawn)

Crossover: Buffy/ Star Wars. Old Republic.

*

Yoda walked into the hallway with Xander in tow.

"Clothes we must get you, young Xander. Then we leave. I will train you if you wish, or aid you in returning home, whichever you choose."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" asked Xander.

Yoda spared a glance at his newest trainee. The bright shirt he was wearing did not look pretty. "Looks as if a Rancor vomited on you, it does."

Xander just looked puzzled. "What's a Rancor?"

Yoda entertained a small smile. "I will show you in time, Xander. Become you, that shirt does not."

Xander still looked blank, until his mind reordered the words again.

They reached a door. Yoda turned to him and waved him in first. Xander walked in, and saw an old man, possibly the most hunched man he had ever seen, standing in the middle of the room. He was dressed in robes similar to everyone that Xander had so far seen. Rack after rack of the robes, in every possible shape and size covered the walls.

"Fit the lad with a robe, would you, Jedi Teno?"

The old man nodded, and looked Xander over. After a critical evaluation for a few seconds, a robe floated out of nowhere, from so high up Xander couldn't see where it had come from. It folded neatly over his arm when it reached him.

"Change, would you, please, behind the screen, Xander." Yoda indicated a corner that had a curtain draped so it gave some privacy.

Xander walked behind the curtain and inside two minutes was thoroughly knotted in the Jedi robe. Yoda walked round the corner, leaning on his gimmer stick as he heard a crash that was Xander falling over.

Yoda sighed. The young man was, while obviously powerful, a complete clown. How he survived what his memories said he had been through was a miracle. No; not a miracle, but the will of the Force. As was his appearance here. Yoda reminded himself. I must do as the Force wishes, and prepare him. Need it, he will. Greater challenges he will face than those he showed me...

Xander succeeded in untwisting the robe and finally struggled into it, while Yoda looked on and rose what Xander assumed to be an eyebrow.

Standing up straight, Xander picked up his discarded clothes from Sunnydale, and walked out of the changing area, following Yoda again.

At Yoda's gesture, he handed his old clothes over to the Jedi Yoda had addressed as Teno. He nodded at Xander, and floated the clothes to where ever he stored old or unwanted things.

Not that Xander wanted to lose that shirt; he liked it. It was just no one else did. There was just no accounting for taste.

As Xander turned to see Yoda again, he was surprised that the small green creature leapt at him. Shielding his head, years on the Hellmouth making him expect some sort of attack; he was surprised when Yoda landed softly on his shoulder. Straightening, he turned his head, and heard Yoda talk in his head, telepathically.

Fear attack from me, you need not. He said. Consider you dangerous others in the council may, but I do not. Unless, that is, you are untrained. We will be leaving shortly for a planet far on the outer rim where undisturbed, we will be. I will tell you more when we get there, as you, untrained, could broadcast our destination to enemies.

Xander just nodded, unsure of what to say. Yoda, as a small green imp didn't look dangerous, but the whole 'council' as Yoda named them were almost scared of him, and after all, appearances could be deceptive. Who would have thought Ben was Glory? Or that Dawn was the Key?

All this was running through Xander's head, until Yoda gave him a quick rap on the side of his skull with his gimmer stick. "Find your view of me amusing, I do not, Xander. But correct you are. Appearances are often deceptive."

*

The flight out to Dagoba was mostly uninteresting for Yoda, or anyone who had seen space travel before. Xander sat in the front, watching with awe as ships of all shapes and sizes flew past them, large, small, boxy, and rounded, in all their variants. As the jump to hyperspace was engaged, he looked sick as the star lines streaked and became a swirling blue tunnel.

Only then did he notice that no one was actually controlling the craft. All the controls were moving by themselves. Yoda sat with his eyes closed.

"Uh… Master Yoda?" asked Xander.

"Yes, Padawan?"

Xander did a double take. He had never heard that before, and didn't know what it meant. Yoda had always called him Xander before.

"Why are the controls moving themselves?"

Yoda gave a small chuckle. "The autopilot it is called. When in hyperspace, the autopilot safer is. But before then, I was steering the ship using the Force. It is much easier."

Xander nodded, but still looked puzzled. "What's hyperspace?" was the next question.

Yoda opened his eyes and sighed. The near constant barrage of questions about the most trivial and taken-for-granted things was beginning to wear, even with the patience gathered over nearly 800 years of life.

"Permit me, will you, to give you the memories you lack?" he asked carefully. This was dangerous ground. Implanting memories trod far too near the dark side. But then, so did the Jedi Mind Trick, which both Qui-Gon, may he rest in the Force, and Obi-Wan had shown great aptitude for.

Xander thought about it. He wasn't overly keen on the idea of someone poking around his brain giving him memories, but he had to start trusting someone, and Yoda seemed a good choice.

Yoda chuckled again as he caught the thought.

"Very well, Master Yoda. Thank you."

Yoda closed his eyes again and filtered his memories, stopping the transfer of those unnecessary or disturbing. His ears twitched as he heard Xander slump low in his seat, the only thing stopping him from slipping onto the floor being the safety harness and flight webbing.

*

Xander flinched at the memories pouring into his mind. Yoda was being very careful about exactly what he gave him. Information about everything, but no opinions, allowing him to form his own as he encountered the event or planet or person. An attempt at a neutral view of the galaxy, everything Xander had questions about was answered, except one, which had suddenly appeared.

The final thing Yoda gave him was an overwhelming fear of falling to the 'dark side' as he called it. The feeling was so strong that it forced Xander unconscious.

*

The council had met again. All were there except for Yoda.

"He did what?" screamed Ki-Adi-Mundi, beside himself.

Obi-Wan stood again in the middle of the council chamber, impassive. "He left, Master. To train the boy that appeared."

"Did he tell you where they were going?" asked Adi Gallia quietly.

"No, Master, but he did say that no one was to follow him." Replied Obi-Wan.

"This is foolishness, attempting to train a boy who is probably older than Anakin is now!" continued Ki-Adi-Mundi.

Mace Windu cut in. "We must trust Master Yoda. He surely wouldn't train the boy if he thought he was going to be dangerous."

Adi Gallia and Obi-Wan nodded agreement, but only to be turned upon by Depa Billaba and Ki-Adi-Mundi. The council meeting dissolved into arguments and petty bickering as factions developed, worse than any Senate meeting. Depa Billaba and Ki-Adi-Mundi with their followers and friends on one side, against Xander, and Obi-Wan, Adi Gallia, Mace Windu and obviously Yoda supporting the training of Xander.

As the council infighting escalated, Obi-Wan snorted and bowed to Mace Windu and Adi Gallia and, when receiving permission to depart, then turned and walked out of the council rooms, leaving the argument behind.

Shortly, Adi Gallia and Mace Windu called an end to the meeting, disgusted at the lack of sense the others had. Depa Billaba and Ki-Adi-Mundi slowed their diatribe and switched topics, starting to talk about the Clones and Anakin.

The coming war was going to decimate the Republic. The greatest force the Republic wielded was internally divided and semi-corrupt, having been infected by the factions in the Senate.

*

The small ship Yoda had taken touched down on Dagoba. Here was where Xander's training would begin.